I got the Rostra kit to install cruise control in my base Fit (ordered from thecruisecontrolstore.com). Love it other than that it doesn't have cruise - I've already gotten keyless entry and done the Accord horn mod. I was hoping to get the cruise kit installed today, but I had a few issues:

1) Where the heck is the red ignition switch wire (on page 6 of the instructions, picture below)? I didn't see any connector like their picture under the dash. I guess it could be under the steering wheel shroud? See #2.

2) How do I remove the steering wheel shroud? I unscrewed the 3 screws on the bottom of the steering column but I couldn't get that panel to move.

Has anyone done this before, or taken apart the steering column for another reason and maybe seen the wiring that I need to tap into? Or, where can I get a service manual for this thing? I was able to complete the scary accelerator wiring, though, and my car still works.

Here is the link to the instructions:

http://www.rostra.com/pdf/250-1855_Form5221C.pdf

And here is a picture of the connector they are talking about:

 

#2 - take a couple of small screw drivers and pry the two pieces apart slowly. Have fun getting those 3 screws back in - they are a bitch. I taped mine to end of screwdriver.

No idea where that wire is.

 

I got the 3 screws in and out no problem (I guess my screwdriver was just big enough for them to stick on the end). There is a large lower dash panel that a couple of the smaller panels "plug in" to - since it overlaps with the lower steering column panel, is it necessary to remove that one to get the steering column panels off?

 

They will come off without removing any other panels. Insert a small driver around near key area and twist gently.

 

Got the cruise kit installed today - the connector I needed is right there on the underside of the ignition switch (makes sense given that it's the ignition wire )

The kit seems to accelerate very aggressively but other than that it works great. Thanks for your help!

 

Hi - Are there any issues with warranty and the after market cruise? I would hate to have a problem with my fit and take it in to a honda dealer for warraty work and have them point to my aftermarket cruise and say I voided my warranty.

Thanks,

Jason

 

The dealer cannot void the entire warranty for any aftermarket part. The only part of the warranty they can void is going to be if the problem that is occurring is a DIRECT result of the aftermarket part that you installed.

It's called the Magnusson-Moss Act.

If you had installed lets say...aftermarket springs, and your muffler failed--the dealer would still have to cover it.

But if you installed aftermarket springs, and your shocks blew out--yeah, then it's your fault.

 

Thanks Btrthnezr3,

But what about any electrical problem? I see a lot of splicing of wires in the instructions. Couldn't they point to the cruise control or it's installation as a cause? Am I being paranoid?

Jason

 

jasoninraleigh,

The dealer has to prove that the problem is a result of the aftermarket modifications. They might try to say they won't cover the repair work, but by law they are required to unless they can prove it.

 

I thought I'd give an update here. As I said above, I got the kit installed, and I've been looking at installing the OEM controls for a while now (I have the switch assembly).

However, it's going to be more difficult than I had originally thought. Here are the additional steps that I think will be necessary:

1) Take off the steering wheel, take it fully apart, and replace the cable reel with the Sport cable reel since the base cable reel doesn't seem to have enough connectors (I found the reel on bernardiparts.com for about $125). I'm not completely convinced that that's the cheapest way to do it though, since the cable reel appears to have a few connectors that plug into it and I'd be surprised if Honda would make a completely different core part for the base vs. sport cable reel.

2) Modify the cruise switch assembly to add an extra wire and remove the multiplexing on the Cancel switch. By default, the Cancel switch uses a simple diode circuit to activate both the Set and the Reset wires. I had to cut a couple of traces on the circuit board inside the switch assembly and solder an extra wire, but I've already got this working well. To get this extra wire through the cable reel, I'm going to use one of the connections that would run a paddle switch in the Sport model, and wire it up to the clutch switch on the kit since I have an AT.

3) Build a simple solid-state switching circuit since the Rostra kit wants to run 12 volts through the controls. Based on talking with some folks at my dealership, and the fact that the cable reel wires are pretty small-gauge, I don't think running 12v through the cable reel is a good idea. I'm going to use 2-3v and some transistors instead.

So I guess the research I have left to do is 1) confirm that buying the Sport cable reel is the best/cheapest way to get the extra connections I need, 2) find a place to source 5v or less from the steering column area [or just use the 12v from the cruise box and scale it down, which might not work...], and 3) hopefully figure out how the instrument illumination works in the sport model steering wheel. In the base model there's only one wire going into the non-airbag connectors of the cable reel, which is the horn.

For 2) and 3), I'd really like to get my hands on some electrical schematics for the steering column area, for both base and sport.

Anybody got any ideas, or has anybody made similar progress? Like I said, this is turning out to be much more difficult than I had originally thought. I'll have to be very careful when dealing with the airbag wiring, but damnit I'm going to get this working eventually!

 

WHOA! You are really serious. It sounds as though we have a bit in common. I also added the Rostra kit to my Base. It seems as if we are mocked by a lot of folks telling us to just buy the Sport for the cruise control. I specifically wanted a Base for several reasons:

• I bought the Fit to save gas money. I didn't want to pay extra to get poorer milage
• I drive in San Francisco. I didn't want broken plastic pieces hanging off my car because of hitting giant potholes and going in and out of driveways with 38 degree angles
• I didn't want to have curbed aluminum wheels from parking on the street

I had some issues, but found workarounds. One item a bit squirrelly was every time I floor it seriously, it would go into fail-safe mode, throw a code, and reset when the key was switched on and off. Since the connections are rock solid and the pedal doesn't actually move the the connections, I am not sure what the deal is. Most likely installer error, but I feel pretty confident that is not the case.
Like you, I felt the stalk control, which looks as if it were designed for a 1958 Soviet Ural truck, had no place in my Fit. Unlike you, I wasn't prepared to go off on the cable reel with the attendant wiring issues. Being an old fart, I remember when cruise controls were on the dash, before the steering column, and then the steering wheel. I opted to rewire the PC board in the switch (after calling Rostra to see if the bluetooth switch would work - no wai...) and bought some Radio Shack buttons and a LED and mounted the buttons in the unused switch blanks on the left of the dash.
Pic of the install is located at the following link. I can't make the stoopid embedded picture work:
Picasa Web Albums - Kevin - Honda Fit Pix
I figure I can get some dry lettering from the art store to label the buttons.

I also have a link to an electronic service manual, but I think it is for a GD - not sure. PM me if you want it - it has wiring diagrams

 

lmfao. come on now, you bought fit to save money? well me too. but sport looks way better than base. Base just looks like a ugly egg or something. and what the base gets 1 or 2 mpg more??? lololol.

- broken plastic pieces? you can still have broken plastic pieces with the base if you hit a giant pothole. you can easily clear steep driveway by going little slower and at a angle.

- but a curbed steelies is ok?

 

And I'm all like, OMG! Becky's not even hot. lol...

 

A little late to this party, but I just picked up my gently used 2010 base today.

I'm not willing or able (nor do I have time) to disassemble the car in order to try to self-install cruise. What are my other options?? OEM from the dealer ($$$$$)?? Will a Honda dealer actually do that work?

 

I'm so glad that others have gone down this path! I have a few questions though.

1. Are you referring to the blue tooth phone switch made by rostra for use with hands free phone calls?
2. The pc board you're referring to, was this in control switch that came with the kit?
3. What can you tell me about the board? I assumed that the switch would on contain 3 momentary buttons and an led.

Thanks for sharing this.

 

#1 - No. There was a Rostra model for older Fits that had a BT switch you could mount on the steering wheel or dash.

#2&3 - Yes. Inside the stalk switch there are indeed three momentary switches and a led. The led and switches are soldered to a small PC board. There is additional functionality built into the PC board. I don't know the functionality, but there are a boatload of tiny electronic pieces-parts on the board. I soldered wires to the two switch contacts (six wires for three switches) and the two wires to the led. I then stuffed the (now only a PC board with wires, and no plastic stalk enclosure) up into the bowels of the under-dash wiring and ran the eight wires out through the three unused panels on the lower left dash. I soldered them to the led and switches (and soldered connectors inline too), put the led and buttons into the three panels, and voila! Decent looking cruise interface. There is a link to a pic of the mod in an earlier post in this thread. Let me know if I can offer anything else - I'd be glad to help.

 

Unfortunately, in actual court cases the owner had to prove their mod didn't affect the OEM car. they know the cost of your case is more than the defense costs. before you go to court make sure you have competent evidence that you didn't affect the OEM car.

 

Overall, would you recommend the Rostra kit? Has it helped fuel economy? Is it still working ok!

 

I just got a base 2010 fit and like many others want to add cruise control. Would it work to swap out my steeling wheel to a sport modal one like this http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=201010579358&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en
and combine it with the Rostera kit mechanics? Hoping to bypass the awkward stalk control. I think I read on another thread here that the steering wheel wiring harnesses are different between the sport and base modals but can't remember for sure.

 

No. When I got mine I checked with the Rostra folks to see if I could use another Rostra control (they have an older wireless you can stick on the wheel) and they told me no way. The wiring and clockspring (inside the steering hub) are different for Base and Sport. There are not enough wires in the base steering column clockspring connector to connect to anything under the dash (OEM cruise, Rostra, prolly radio controls as well. I ended up taking apart the Rostra control-on-a-stalk (which looks like it was designed for a Soviet tractor) and doing way too much soldering and spaghetti wiring to move the controls to the dash; they don't have to be on the wheel.
If I can figure out how to add a link, I'll edit this with a link to a picture of my solution.
I am not sure if I am allowed to post links, but it is a link within Fit Forums: https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/pict...pictureid=4964