[bilmat]

My CT is three weeks old and has a fickle Cruise Control that works flawlessly at times, then won't engage at other times. Spoke with my dealer's service manager about it last week while my ES was being serviced. He said to bring the CT in the next morning and that he would have a tech check it out. (No appointment necessary. Lexus is anxious to uncover and fix any reported problems with the CT200h.)

Enroute to the dealer the following morning I turned the cruise on and it engaged. Repeated the process close to twenty times and it never failed to set. When I arrived at the dealer I told the service manager that it seems to be working OK now, and it continued to do so for the next three days (I tested it each time I drove the car.) When I used the CT to run an errand this morning, the cruise worked fine on the outbound trip. On the return trip home on a freeway doing 65, it refused to set. Turning the system off and on a half-dozen times produced the same result: Nada.

I drive in the Normal Mode and seldom use Eco or Sport. I'm very familiar with Toyota cruise control units and fully aware that it is designed not to engage at low speeds (I've always been doing 40 or better to set it).

This is obviously an intermittent problem that might be caused by a loose contact in the system, possibly in the stalk, but I get a solid green CC indicator light on the dash every time the button is pushed to turn the system on. It has come to the point that pushing the stalk down to set the speed is a little like playing craps. Will it engage or won't it?

Looks like I'll be making another trip to see the service manager on Monday. Unfortunately, I'll be dealing with that irrefutable law of the cosmos written in stone that reads: "Intermittent automotive problems are never to reveal themselves in front of a service manager."
______________
2011 CT200h
2009 Lexus ES350
2006 Acura MDX
2001 Gold Wing

 

[Matt_RN]

Did you ever get this resolved?

 

[bilmat]

Did you ever get this resolved?

Maybe, but not because a problem was found and fixed. When I took the CT in on Thursday, 4/21, and spoke with the service manager about the problem, he took it into the service bay and had one of his techs hook the car up to a computer that performed a full systems check. The printout showed no problems or anything outside of normal specs.

With the service manager behind the wheel, we took a 20 minute drive on the freeway in which he engaged the cruise control numerous times, but he couldn't get it to fail. Thinking (and hoping) that whatever caused the problem may have fixed itself, I took the car home.

The following day I used the CT to meet a friend for lunch in a town 20 miles away. I used the CC for a 5 mile stretch, then turned it off using the push button due to heavy traffic (green light went out). When traffic was light again I turned it back on (green light lit up). But when I pushed the stalk down to engage it, the mpg display on the dash remained unchanged and the CC wouldn't engage. This was on Friday, 4/22.

I took the CT back to the dealership on Monday the 25th and spoke again with the service manager. By now we had become friends as a result of conversations regarding his father's occupation matching mine and other topics not related to the CT. After discussing the situation regarding the cruise control and learning that his commute to and from work was in a neighboring city 20 miles away, I suggested that he use my CT as his work transportation for the rest of the week, or until he could get the CC to fail. Since it was my suggestion and he had little experience driving a CT (the dealership has sold less than two dozen), he seemed happy to take me up on my offer.

He called me five days later on the following Friday to say he had engaged the CC several times on each trip to and from work and could not get it to fail. Whatever the gremlin is or was, it appears to be doing what gremlins do.

While the service manager put a few hundred miles on my CT without finding and resolving the problem, the car was full of gas and absolutely spotless when I picked it up. There was another plus: When I turned the car over to him the Shark Fin antenna that had just arrived was sitting in the back seat. After he inquired about it and I told him what it was, he asked if I wanted one of his techs to install it at no charge. My answer was obvious, so my spotless, full of gas CT was also sporting the Shark Fin on the roof when I picked it up.

This was last week. The CC has worked fine the few times I have used it since. But I've got a gut feeling that the gremlin is still there waiting to pounce.

 

[Chunky1234]

Maybe, but not because a problem was found and fixed. When I took the CT in on Thursday, 4/21, and spoke with the service manager about the problem, he took it into the service bay and had one of his techs hook the car up to a computer that performed a full systems check. The printout showed no problems or anything outside of normal specs.

With the service manager behind the wheel, we took a 20 minute drive on the freeway in which he engaged the cruise control numerous times, but he couldn't get it to fail. Thinking (and hoping) that whatever caused the problem may have fixed itself, I took the car home.

The following day I used the CT to meet a friend for lunch in a town 20 miles away. I used the CC for a 5 mile stretch, then turned it off using the push button due to heavy traffic (green light went out). When traffic was light again I turned it back on (green light lit up). But when I pushed the stalk down to engage it, the mpg display on the dash remained unchanged and the CC wouldn't engage. This was on Friday, 4/22.

I took the CT back to the dealership on Monday the 25th and spoke again with the service manager. By now we had become friends as a result of conversations regarding his father's occupation matching mine and other topics not related to the CT. After discussing the situation regarding the cruise control and learning that his commute to and from work was in a neighboring city 20 miles away, I suggested that he use my CT as his work transportation for the rest of the week, or until he could get the CC to fail. Since it was my suggestion and he had little experience driving a CT (the dealership has sold less than two dozen), he seemed happy to take me up on my offer.

He called me five days later on the following Friday to say he had engaged the CC several times on each trip to and from work and could not get it to fail. Whatever the gremlin is or was, it appears to be doing what gremlins do.

While the service manager put a few hundred miles on my CT without finding and resolving the problem, the car was full of gas and absolutely spotless when I picked it up. There was another plus: When I turned the car over to him the Shark Fin antenna that had just arrived was sitting in the back seat. After he inquired about it and I told him what it was, he asked if I wanted one of his techs to install it at no charge. My answer was obvious, so my spotless, full of gas CT was also sporting the Shark Fin on the roof when I picked it up.

This was last week. The CC has worked fine the few times I have used it since. But I've got a gut feeling that the gremlin is still there waiting to pounce.

Apologies if I am stating the obvious but you cannot engage cruise control if the car is in brake mode. If you are using cc and engage brake mode it will not work nor can you set or reset it until the car is in drive mode.

 

[bmoy88]

Mine's broken as well! Every time I try and engage the CC, some liquid squirts onto the windshield.

I'm just not used to all the controls on the steering wheel/column. The DISP, radio stations, volume, automatic wipers, CC... I don't even want to think about the bluetooth!

I'm too old for all this new technology!

 

[Matt_RN]

Mine's broken as well! Every time I try and engage the CC, some liquid squirts onto the windshield.

I'm just not used to all the controls on the steering wheel/column. The DISP, radio stations, volume, automatic wipers, CC... I don't even want to think about the bluetooth!

I'm too old for all this new technology!

LOLOLOLz.

 

[bilmat]

Mine's broken as well! Every time I try and engage the CC, some liquid squirts onto the windshield.

I'm just not used to all the controls on the steering wheel/column. The DISP, radio stations, volume, automatic wipers, CC... I don't even want to think about the bluetooth!

I'm too old for all this new technology!

Funny schtick, and in most cases it applies to me as well. But trying to set the cruise control and watching liquid squirt on my windshield wasn't my problem. It could have been as I'm up there in age as well, but the CT is the 7th Toyota-made car I've owned with cruise control, so I have had years of experience with the feature. And no, the earlier post that suggested I may have tried to use the shift lever to brake doesn't apply either. In fact, I seldom use it.

As for the Bluetooth, I told my salesman that I would purchase the CT only on the condition that he pair both my cell phone and my iPod Touch 4 so I could listen to my iTunes collection wirelessly. He did, but if I was to lose the connection with either device I would have to make a return trip back to the dealer. My salesman was one of those "kids" who grew up playing video games whereas I grew up when skateboards were made at home with a pair of roller skates nailed to the front and back of a two-by-four, and when the acronym RTFM was strictly for sissies.

I will, however, admit to referring to the Owner's Manual two weeks ago after I set the parking brake in the CT and spent five minutes looking for the release lever.

 

[rdindo]

Cruise Control Not Engaging Intermittently

I experienced this issue with my CT200h. I considered returning to the dealer. I traced the issue to the engine braking "B" setting.

When the "B" setting is engaged, the cruise control will not set, even if the cruise control light is on. The cruise control will work perfectly once the engine braking setting is disabled.

I co not recall any mention of that in the manual, I may have overlooked it. IMHO, when cruise control is turned on, it should turn the "B" setting off.

I will write Lexus.

 

[dgstan]

I experienced this issue with my CT200h. I considered returning to the dealer. I traced the issue to the engine braking "B" setting.

When the "B" setting is engaged, the cruise control will not set, even if the cruise control light is on. The cruise control will work perfectly once the engine braking setting is disabled.

I co not recall any mention of that in the manual, I may have overlooked it. IMHO, when cruise control is turned on, it should turn the "B" setting off.

I will write Lexus.

Just curious:

Why do you see the need to ever use the "B" mode? Are you afraid that your brakes are going to overheat? Do you routinely travel down long, steep grades?

I've had a Prius for years and never once used "B" mode and that includes numerous trips over the Grapevine and Cajon pass. I would much rather take advantage of the car's regenerative braking than use the engine to slow the car down.

 

[rdindo]

This is my first hybrid. I am still used to using the transmission for engine braking. I am slowly learning to use the brake when I need to slow down.

 

[asonsteg13]

Fickle cruise control

Just purchased my CT 2 days ago. Love the car on all counts. On the way home, the cruise control would not engage. Driving over 40, pushing the cruise control button toward the streering wheel and pushing down the set button. Drove it again the following day to and from work and tried at least 30 times in each direction, including a full power down and restart of vehicle with no change. We've owned everything from Chevy, Ford, Lincoln to 3RX350s and had no issues setting the cruise control. Talked with the sales consultant who suggested that the car come in for service under warranty. We will try next week. Not a deal breaker, just inconvenient.

 

[Sum_Devl]

Just throwing something out there, do you have the PCS with the Dynamic Radar Cruise Control? I thought I had heard somewhere that if it is raining outside that this function will not work, but I wouldn't think it would affect your basic CC feature.

If not have they pulled the horn pad to see if you have a softset on the CC wire. A broken clock spring could also affect your CC (but it wouldn't function at all), but it would also affect all of your steering wheel controls as well as the horn. I have heard of the clock spring being stretched (not broken) while being installed which caused the sw audio controls not to function but everything functioned just fine.

Good Luck on solving the gremlin.

 

[jessright]

Just curious:

Why do you see the need to ever use the "B" mode? Are you afraid that your brakes are going to overheat? Do you routinely travel down long, steep grades?

I've had a Prius for years and never once used "B" mode and that includes numerous trips over the Grapevine and Cajon pass. I would much rather take advantage of the car's regenerative braking than use the engine to slow the car down.

Doesnt braking with the 'B' mode charge the battery?

I too am having trouble with my cruise control engaging and am wondering if that under 6 miles (my work commute) all the hybrid componants are not up to temperature to where it wont engage. Just beginning to investigate this...

 

[Portishead]

I've had this problem too, but it was because I had it in B mode, and forgot to change it back. B mode charges the battery more, it's not engine braking, it just simulates what that does.

From the manual:

■Regenerative braking
In the following situations, kinetic energy is converted to electric energy and decel-eration force can be obtained in conjunction with the recharging of the hybrid bat-tery (traction battery).
● The accelerator pedal is released while driving with the shift position in D or B.
● The brake pedal is depressed while driving with the shift position in D or B.

■ When braking (regenerative braking)
The electric motor (traction motor) charges the hybrid battery(traction battery).

 

[jessright]

I guess it depends on if one considers the hybrid drive as a unit to be the 'engine" or just the internal combustion side. Whatever one calls it, I like the way decel-eration force slows me down 'and' charges the batteries (speeds me up). I always used to try and avoid braking, it being a negative function and all. Now I dig it. well, as long as I am regenerating as much juice from it as I can I.E. braking in time and smoothly. Anyway, the cruise worked fine last night and will check to see what drive mode I am in (D or B). Thanks!

 

[Joe166]

I don't think I have ever had the car in "B" mode. No hills to speak of.

 

[Team Lexus]

dont leave tje car in b mode. thats meant as a tool to simulate engine braking down a hill. it does not neccessarily use regenerative braking in b mode . regen braking occurs for sure if u hit the brakes tho. so domt ise b mode unless you are going down a hill and dont want for whatever reason to modulate ur speed w the brake pedal. the brake pedal is the best means of regen braking.

 

[irsooner]

Mine's broken as well! Every time I try and engage the CC, some liquid squirts onto the windshield.

I'm just not used to all the controls on the steering wheel/column. The DISP, radio stations, volume, automatic wipers, CC... I don't even want to think about the bluetooth!

I'm too old for all this new technology!

Awesome. I can't seem to figure out what direction to turn the knob to engage the wipers without squirting washer fluid. I'll learn eventually, I hope.

 

[Danny McArdle]

I have had my CT2ooH for 9 months, I have had a problem with the cruise control sometimes working and sometimes not working it has been back to dealer on 4 occassions with no fault found, I discovered that if the engine braking lever was used this would cancel the cruise control (as with normal braking) but it would not allow the cruise control to be set again, the only way to reset it is to stop and turn off all power then restart. I have pointed this out to he dealer who have contacted Lexus to find out if it is a safety feature or a fault. Meanwhile as I use the cruise control regular I don't use the engine braking system and it works fine. Hope this helps.

Further update:- After further investigating I have discovered that when the engine braking system is used the cruise control can be reset by moving the shift lever back to drive position, this tells the ECU Unit that normal driving has resumed also the blue background dashboard light returns to indicate this. I have searched through the Owners manual but there is no mention of this.

 

[xxxxseacliff]

I have had my CT2ooH for 9 months, I have had a problem with the cruise control sometimes working and sometimes not working it has been back to dealer on 4 occassions with no fault found, I discovered that if the engine braking lever was used this would cancel the cruise control (as with normal braking) but it would not allow the cruise control to be set again, the only way to reset it is to stop and turn off all power then restart. I have pointed this out to he dealer who have contacted Lexus to find out if it is a safety feature or a fault. Meanwhile as I use the cruise control regular I don't use the engine braking system and it works fine. Hope this helps.

Danny, this Sunday I went and visited a friend that takes me over the mountains and I always use the "B" a lot. Once at the bottom I use the cruise in a few areas and then finally when I get to the interstate I engage the CC again. I never had to stop the vehicle after engaging using B mode.