viperprowler1
Viper Owner
After the many comments on the "900 mile drive" thread...thought it appropriate to ask if anyone makes a good quality "factory-like" cruise control kit yet for the Gen IV Viper (2008-2010)?
There may be a way to do it. Forgive the explination, as it may be way off. One of the guys I work with, made his own drive by wire conversion for his motorcycle. It worked well. He also made electronic cruise control. I don't see why it couldn't be done on a Gen 4, it would just take answering a few questions. If a part were needed it may be possible to make it. Biggest question is HOW DOES THE THROTTLE WORK. What is the input needed from the throttle for the engine. Does it run on a resistance measurement, or a voltage rise/drop, or ??? when you answer that, the solution will be made.
You would need a speed source, be it a crank sensor, or a home made one via a magnet attached to the idler pulley, it could also be a tach or coil signal. There is a home made circuit board that the guy used. It has a little premade processor in it all set up to take one input and via a program that can be edited with a laptop to either increase throttle or decrease throttle based on what is needed to maintain a proper RPM that was set via a button on the dash board. You would have a relay assembly attached to the factory throttle wires that would intercept the signal going to the PCM and thus change resistance, the relay in less than a 100th of a second would switch from the throttle voltage or whatever comes off the drive by wire throttle to the output from the box. It can be a floating code too, thus making the little box learn each time it's activated, and it can be deactivated from either a switch or the application of the clutch or brake pedal. Easy huh? yeah... not so much. I do think it's doable. It just takes someone who understands this car better than I do. The same system could be used in a variable format to create a traction control system as well. You would need wheel speed sensors for that though.
Difficult, but most likely doable.
Anything can be done with enough money, but its not quite that simple. All systems with regard to Drive By Wire are redundant, and they are not identical. Each actuator has multiple sensors, and the curves must match EXACTLY or they are flagged as errors. These systems are specifically designed for fault finding, and are very tough to fool.