Is there any way to add a cruise control kit to the S?

[mbender]

In case anyone here was unaware, as of the 2015MY, Nissan stopped "holding cruise control ransom". It is now standard across all models.

Another S owner who wishes that cruise control, a $10 upgrade, was not held ransom to a multi-thousand dollar upgrade package. A vehicle as silent as the Leaf really benefits from cruise for any sort of routine operation on uncrowded freeways, even in the base model.

Will be interested in retrofit possibilities. It does appear simple, in concept, to add the switch panel. Kind of a surprise that they spec'd a separate spiral cable for the S. My money says they disabled that software module in the VCM, but I'd be happy to be proven wrong.

[johnrhansen]

Just a thought. Those 2 terminals that are inline with the cruise control buttons... I would assume there is a monitoring system somewhere in cars that have cruise control so that if that loop ever gets disconnected, (the clock spring goes bad) that a maintenance message would come up. Logic would say that on a car without cruise control installed, either the software is different in cars with cruise vs those without, or there is a dummy resistor installed between those 2 terminals on cars without it if the software is the same.

[knightmb]

Just a thought. Those 2 terminals that are inline with the cruise control buttons... I would assume there is a monitoring system somewhere in cars that have cruise control so that if that loop ever gets disconnected, (the clock spring goes bad) that a maintenance message would come up. Logic would say that on a car without cruise control installed, either the software is different in cars with cruise vs those without, or there is a dummy resistor installed between those 2 terminals on cars without it if the software is the same.

So if we spot a dummy resistor, one would have hope that cruise control is a just a new cable install away.

[FalconFour]

I'm really looking to jump into this on my '13 LEAF S. Not having cruise control absolutely blows, knowing it's already part of the motor control functions...

According to the "schematic" posted earlier, the absolute most difficult part of this will be dragging out that one missing pin from the system behind the glove box (which I can see without even removing the glove box!). Then, from that wire, the remaining work will be figuring out which resistor value triggers which cruise control buttons. I'd set those resistors up on a PCB with some buttons and mount it right next to the radio. Boom, cruise control on my S!

Now, if I knew where to find the connector-side part needed to attach that missing pin properly... any tips on what type of connector that thing is?

[FalconFour]

All right... I think I've hit a bit of a roadblock already.

can you tell me.. where is the VCM Module?? is it behind the glove box..

Yes, it appears to be behind the glove box. This picture is with the glove box cover removed:

Mine looks different, and only has 2 connectors versus the 3 shown there.
(UPDATE: A little Google digging lists this part as the LEAF SV powertrain control module (MODULE ASSY-PWRTRAIN CNTRL) as well, so hopefully this is a ray of hope for Cruise!)
(update x2: Ahhhhh... I think you've got the service info for the 2012 LEAF, and the 2013 is vastly different. Maybe I need to hunt down the info for the 2013 )



Plus, what the heck kind of wacky connector is that, anyway?

[FalconFour]

Ahhh... we're getting somewhere

Yep, the module is different, at least for 2013. Found the service manual for 2013 (just try Googling it - and when you get a big index of files, you found it!), and found the same data keydiver found - just some very different values.



And, more importantly... resistance values instead of voltages!



Boom. Now, to figure out the physical location of these pins...

(update: Found it!)


Last but not least... how to connect to it!

[FalconFour]

Oh well... I tried.

Doing everything by the spec sheet, I ended up wiring it up and not getting the "Cruise" indicator on the dash after all. I suspected this might be the case since the shifter behaves differently in the "S" as well - that is, there's no "B" mode, and shifting "D" twice toggles Eco mode just like 2011-2012s. That had to take a little different programming.

But I didn't think they'd go so far as to hard-code it in there. I figure they'd use 5V level on the pin as the detection for the cruise switch, and choose to operate in "S mode" if it doesn't have the switch present.

Nope. It just doesn't work at all, even when it's connected. So, here's where the story ends for now... hoping someone else picks it up from here!



Gallery on imgur - filled with hateful comments already http://imgur.com/gallery/IuA2N

[EddyKilowatt]

Well, good work, man. That seems like a pretty definitive result, unfortunately. And, sadly, not too surprising. Thanks for doing the work to test it out!

[Thetaz01]

WOW!! that's awesome!! great work.. Very sad, that I cant do it... but thank you so much for researching and saving me the disappointment of doing all this myself, to find out... It wont work LOL

[FalconFour]

One more update.

OK, so I've discovered the cause while stumbling around to answer another unrelated question...

This is the part that's in the S model only:


And in the SL/SV:


The S model vehicle control module (VCM) is labeled as "without B mode". Also, apparently, without cruise control. Also note that this grouping of parts only spans 2013-2014, the only models that held Cruise Control hostage to the SV/SL trims - 2015+ finally included it with all trims.

So, the solution here may be to crack open the VCM and reprogram an EEPROM with the code from a SL/SV model - if possible - or to find one from a scrapped 2013/2014 SL or SV, and plop it into your S, then wire up a switch panel. That makes it a lot more costly, but it may now be possible!

Also stumbled across this little tidbit:
http://www.plugincars.com/nismo-tuning- ... 27600.html

Hacking the VCM may be a cool project.