Re: BUG in Cruise Control on 97 GLX?!?

[HMercerCo <HMercerCo@aol.com>]

In a message dated 97-12-23 02:55:50 EST, you write:

<< I'm driving along at 30 in a 25 zone in the middle of a speed trap that I
 know cops like to hide out in. Since I know my spedometer shows three miles
 faster than it really is, I figure I'm going about 27 mph in a 25. Driving
 27mph is really hard in these GLXes, you just want to step on it right?
 
 So what I usually do is set my cruise control during this stretch, just to
 avoid the lead-foot syndrome to get me a ticket. Yeah, it's kind of strange
 setting cruise at 30mph.
 
 Anyway, so not realizing that I've for some reason shifted into neutral, I
 hit the cruise button.
 
 Lo and behold, WHILE THE CAR IS IN NEUTRAL, the tach starts to climb and
 climb and climb, I'm assuming until the engine would blow up. (I quickly
 hit the brake to turn off the cruise)
 
 This seems like a BUG! Check this out: Set your cruise in 4th gear (on the
 freeway) to 60mph. Then, without turning cruise off, shift into fifth gear.
 You'll notice that your car (if it's like mine) will turn Cruise Control
 off. (I'm assuming because the clutch went in)
 
 Yet, when you're cruising in neutral, and you hit cruise control, your
 engine will try to accellerate you up to speed! I know this is a fairly
 UNCOMMON and would RARELY ever happen, but the fact that it wasn't
 anticipated seems a little strange to me.
 
 Tell me I'm off my rocker, or tell me the VW engineers missed this one. I
 would expect this behavior from a "Unix-like" car where the OS gives you
 enough rope to hang you, but it seems to me that today's consumer cars are
 supposed to be more "Mac-like", where you're "politely asked to please have
 a seat and enjoy the in-flight movie" ***.
 
 -Khan
  >>
I don't think of this as a bug.  The cruise is designed (IMO) to be turned off
either by the brake pedal, the clutch pedal, or the stalk control.  By
shifting into neutral without  doing one of the three above, the speed sensor
senses that the car needs to speed up to keep at the preset.  Thus, the engine
revs like it should to accellerate.  However, it just gets further behind.
The engine is not connected to the wheels at this point, thus never really
able to catch up.  

We DO need to have a bit of common sense in our driving.  We DON'T need more
goofy controls to prevent us from being stupid that only add to the cost of
new cars - like the silly button on many/most? American cars that prevents you
from removing the ignition key without pressing it.  That's one reason I like
my VW - I get to drive.

- -Steve