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Dealer near me has some decent deal on Focus 1.6 Zetec's which I may be interested in. I really need cruise control though so the question is, can these have cruise added by the dealer vie a new steering wheel/ and ECU update or not?
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Why not ask the dealer? In general, anything dealer added is way more than having it fitted in the factory during the building of the car. Parts with dealer mark-up plus ?? hours labour an £70+ per hour - it is never going to be cost effective. There must be a car to the spec you want and with a big %age off. Are you prepared to travel to collect?
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I have asked them, I am waiting on their reply! I was just wanting another opinion to see if it matches up with what they say. The cars already exists so getting a factory add on is nto an option. If i did get it added at the factory the deal would not be anywhere as good as that on a car that already existed.
It only cost £125 a couple of years ago to get cruise added to my Passat, that was only an indicator stalk change though.
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Sorry if I came over a bit acerbic! Perhaps on your Passat the wiring loom etc were already built in (one loom fits all spec levels) and that you just paid for the stalk to tap into it. I hope you may be lucky and that Fords are the same!
Edited by Armitage Shanks {p} on 02/03/2009 at 16:54
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In the old days of cables and wires etc. it would have been a factory fitted item and not feasible to retrofit. But if the Focus has a fly-by-wire accelerator it could possibly be a simple stalk change and ECU reprogramme job. Good luck. ;0)
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When I was looking at a Focus they said its factory only.
OP, Seek out a Ghia model. Has it as standard and also the better 1.6 engine
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Kith, In the old days of cables and wires (60's - 70's) you could buy a diy cruise control kit.
I can remember seeing the nicely boxed collection of switches, gadgets, connectors and so on, with some sort of sensor that was fastened to the prop shaft.
Maybe Halfords have some old stock left !
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Did the OP find out if this is possible ?
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They didn't get back to me, despite me calling again. So they blew it, no sale from me!
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You could phone Ford customer services and ask them if the CC is factory or dealer, and tell them why you are asking them. I would think it would be dealer fit. Anyway a factory order could take a while at the moment, if Ford or anyone else would accept one.
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Factory fit CC on Focuses is controlled by steering wheel buttons, so a 'stalk change' is unlikely to work.
Currently, non-cruise Focuses have a three-spoke wheel and those with cruise have four spokes to make room for the buttons.
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I would hope that changing the steering wheel to the four spoke CC version as fitted to my Focus would be part of the upgrade. I would think it would consist of new wheel and enabling CC in the ECU.
Edited by Old Navy on 06/04/2009 at 21:25
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I find this liking for cruise control strange. I can see that other people might think it has its useful moments and aren't annoyed by it as I am whenever I try to use it.
But why does anyone regard it as actually essential? Can't they keep their foot still?
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I wasn't convinced by CC till I took delivery of my new Focus TDCi last June. It's actually a great boon on long drives (I'm talking about the long, not too sinewy, rarely crowded motorways of northern Spain here...!) and can easily be clicked on or off. Overall, well worth having.
When the speed is set I can concentrate on everything else apart from the speed (and possible radar traps , fines, points,...) such as the views all around, never needing to check my speed. Constantly HAVING to glance at the instruments and having to refocus to a new field of vision - is tiring even after half an hour.
Having driven without cruise a couple of times, I notice myself unwittingly letting my speed creep up or down by 5 or 10 mph (in the UK at least, the crucial difference between a clean sheet and those first 3 points and accompanying fine!)
One minor annoyance - the control buttons are a cheap looking add-on, labelled in quite small lettering and not illuminated with the lights on; only the "+/SET" button has tiny raised bumps, so it's a sign of very obvious penny pinching. Fords don't do so well in ergonomics these days; my last car, an Astra, had six buttons for radio/CD controls in the same position but with large, clear symbols, and backlit too.
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On the CC3 it's roof down, heated seat on, cruise set to 65mph and off down the A1 to my caravan in leafy North Yorks.
Job done.
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I can see that other people might think it has its useful moments and aren't annoyed by it as I am whenever I try to use it.
I think you must be using it in the wrong situations, For example, when traffic is light I have driven from Edinburgh to Killington services 2.5 hours, M8 / M74 only coming off cruise a couple of times for drag racing trucks. I find driving from Edinburgh to London much less tiring with cruise, I assume you are saving the mental effort of continious speed control over long periods. I agree it is useless for most of the time in the congested south, one reason, although a Londoner, I dont live there. And of course it renders speed cameras useless.
Edited by Old Navy on 07/04/2009 at 09:39
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slightly off topic , I have just activated CC on my 05 astra . £34 for the stalk and £50 for the tech2 computer witchcraft and all is well . Loads cheaper than the factory option .
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I only commute twice a week but since the trip is over 400 miles (mostly A1) I find cruise control an absolute must have. Also very handy for sticking to the speed limit in the 50 mph average speed check sections.
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CC would suit me, working nights. Driving home theres nothing much on the road.
A steady 75mph for 60 miles when tired is just the job.
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CC would suit me working nights. Driving home theres nothing much on the road. A steady 75mph for 60 miles when tired is just the job.
Remember if you fall asleep with CC on, your impact is at CC set speed, at least.
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