Weeze-Dog

Hopefully somebody here knows someone at GM. I've yet to get an answer from my dealership.

All 2007 model cars have at least the DIC controls on the steering wheel. From what I have read on the steering wheel controls, all controls (DIC, cruise, audio) run on a single wire circuit. Each button puts a different resistance on the circuit, changing the voltage on the line to a different value based on the button pushed. This is what tells the ECU what button was pushed.
Since all 2007 vehicles have some steering wheel controls, every car should have the wiring in the column and steering wheel to the ECU. It should be possible to add cruise by swapping out the controls (or whole steering wheel, if the controls themselves are not removable).
I have seen pictures of 2007 cobalts with just DIC and cruise control and no audio controls. This is what I am looking for.
Does anyone have any additional information or can ask a GM tech? The dealership I bought my car at had no information on cruise control since the 2007s are so new.

mesatrin

You want to add cruise controle to your car, is that what you are saying?

I don't know if this will help or not but my 06 didn't have cruise and I got it added on later. When I got it added on all that they did was put a wireless terminal attached to my steering wheel. (it runs off of a little watch battery) They then hooked up some clip that talks to the computer and recives the signal from the wireless remote. If this is something that interests you I will take a picture of it and post it up here for you.

Halfcent

^^ But that's not an OEM system, that's aftermarket. If you want to add OEM cruise to your car, it will be rediculously expensive. You will ofcourse need the buttons. I don't know if the wiring is already there or not. You would need to get a some computer reflashes as well.

Weeze-Dog

Well for 06, the steering wheel with cruise only cost $115 from gm-car-parts, the after market kit is $179.95 so if I can get an 07 steering wheel for even $150 I would prefer it.
Even the aftermarket kits require the ECM to be reprogrammed by the dealership. All they do is hook it up to the computer and turn on the cruise control option.

Bandit2941

Yeah I was thinking, since everything is drive by wire, it shouldn't take more then the buttons and a change in the software to turn it on. However, if you have a stickshift car, I don't know how the clutch pedal switch is wired. If you don't have cruise theoretically you don't need a clutch pedal switch that's triggered when the clutch is barely pushed (obviously you need one at full disengagement for starting but maybe not at the top?).

And yes, at least the audio part of the steering wheel control buttons run on one circuit. I know because I tapped one wire to hook up my PAC steering wheel control interface for my aftermarket head unit to retain factory steering wheel controls.

Halfcent

If all of that is true...

A. Thats a great price for a complete OEM steering wheel. I would think that was just the switches

B. The dealer will still charge you for a reflash, it's not free.

C. I really honestly do hope its that easy. I've never heard of anyone trying. I'm curious to know how it turns out if you try it.

Weeze-Dog

cruise switch itself is $15. There's nothing magic about the steering wheel, the MSRP is $150. That doesn't include the airbag module, which is what the main cost of a steering wheel is.
As for the reflash, I don't think they have to completely reflash it, just go in and enbable or disable certain features. On the cavaliers, they could go in with a tech 2 and change different options. Some places would even do it for free. Either way $115 for the part, plus ~$150 for labor to install the steering wheel and reflash the computer wouldn't be bad at all.

Double T

I have an 05 cobalt and I am also interested in adding factory cruise. I was thinking about getting an aftermarket cruise kit and an OEM steering wheel with cruise buttons and integrating them. I did the same thing for my power windows; I bought an aftermarket power window kit but I ordered factory window switches so you can't even tell they are aftermarket. I assume I can do the same for the cruise but after reading these posts, my understanding is that all I have to do is buy a steering wheel with the cruise buttons and have the cruise feature "unlocked." or can that only be done in the 07 models?

Bandit2941

I was just thinking, I'm not sure if just buying a steering wheel is going to do it since there are (at least) two circuits for the steering wheel controls. The audio runs off one, and the cruise runs off the other. There has to be two because the factory radio powers the resistor network for the audio steering wheel controls, and guys that remove their factory radio and don't put power to that wire still have their cruise control functions.

Double T

If I were to buy this steering wheel and steering column, would cruise control work??
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2005-...spagenameZWD1V

Weeze-Dog

The 07's have DIC controls on the steering wheel. They are in the same place as the cruise+DIC/No Audio models, so its already getting power there.

Bandit2941

Yes - but how can you be sure it's not a second circuit (one for DIC controls and one for cruise) ?

EmperorJJ1

iTrader: (5)

id ask the dealership b4 the purchase to be honest.

Double T

I checked with my dealer and they said there is no way to add factory cruise. They said it's tied into the body control module.

smartmlp

iTrader: (1)

Double T, care to share the details about your Power Window conversion? Pictures maybe?