As you begin to decelerate the vehicle the cruise control will need to be deactivated in order to prevent the engine from continuing to accelerate while the brakes are applied. All vehicles are equipped with redundant switches that will quickly disengage the cruise control system as soon as the switch is activated. For vehicles equipped with manual transmissions, one of these switches is the cruise control clutch release switch.
The cruise control clutch release switch is located at the base of the clutch pedal and cuts off power to the cruise control system when the clutch pedal is depressed. This will disable the cruise control system and allow the engine to decelerate so that the driver can safely shift gears and slow down the vehicle. While the clutch switch is only one of the various switches that will disable the cruise control system, for vehicles equipped with manual transmissions the cruise control clutch release switch is one of the most important ones, as the clutch pedal is frequently stepped on during the normal operation of the vehicle. Usually a bad or failing cruise control clutch release switch will produce a few symptoms that can alert the driver of a potential issue that should be serviced.
Cruise control will not cut off when the clutch pedal is depressed
The most common symptom of a problem with the cruise control clutch release switch is a cruise control system that does not deactivate when the clutch pedal is depressed. The switch is specifically designed to cut off power to the cruise control system when the the clutch is depressed, if it does not, then that means it has failed.
Cruise control cuts off intermittently on it’s own
Another symptom of a potential problem with the cruise control clutch release switch is a cruise control system that cuts on and off intermittently. If the contacts or wiring on the cruise control switch wear out or become damaged, it may cause the cruise control switch to accidentally be turned off, even when the clutch pedal is not being stepped on. This will be an inconvenience to the driver as the cruise control setting will have to be reactivated and set by hand.
The cruise control clutch release switch is one of the several cruise control release switches found on a manual transmission vehicle. It is however, one of the most important ones as the clutch pedal is frequently used by the driver during the normal operation of the vehicle. For this reason, if you suspect that your cruise control clutch release switch may be having an issue, have the vehicle inspected by a professional technician, such as one from YourMechanic, to determine if your car needs a cruise control clutch release switch replacement.
