need some help with wife's car

[03Alerosil]

She drives a 2005 Impala. Horn is really quiet, while pressing horn and when using key fob. Also the cruise stopped working. Any ideas? I know it's not an Alero but was hoping someone would have suggestions.

Thanks

[[ion] C2]

horn is dead, get new horn


to test, run wires directly from horn and touch to battery real quick. if it's quiet, it's the horn. if it's loud, it's somewhere in the wiring.

[tw0123]

3 gallon air tank with 110db train horn.... Should be loud enough ;) lol

I agree with Chris, the stock horn is worn out...

[S8track16]

Check the fuses.

[03Alerosil]

What about the cruise? Gonna test the horn

[Redog]

Get new horn.

The cruise control, when mine quit, I just picked up a new cruise box at the junkyard. Still works great and only paid $10.

It was in one piece so I didn't have to deal with the cable disconnect from the box. That's how I broke the old one :eek:

[Nas Escobar]

Horn is dead, replace with one from a Cadillac for the distinct deep horn.

Cruise might be a bit harder, but try swapping the box first.

[03Alerosil]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I will have to do some diagnostic work on the car it seems. I hope it's the cruise box and not the switches in the steering wheel

[Papa Rad17]

check your brake lights. I know if the 3rd is out it wont work on mustangs and if you put leds in the alero's it can cause problems with it.

[Nas Escobar]

check your brake lights. I know if the 3rd is out it wont work on mustangs and if you put leds in the alero's it can cause problems with it.

This is true... The only LED 3rd brake light that is known to not do this is the Impala's 3rd brake light which is LED from factory.

Also, it can be the brake light switch that's bad. Also, Cruise won't work if the e brake is sensed to be on. I used to drive the Grand Am on the notch before down to trick the auto lights and it disabled cruise.

[03Alerosil]

3rd brake light works as does the two main ones. I am gonna take the car for a test drive and see if the cruise tries to engage or does nothing at all.

[Nas Escobar]

Sometimes the buttons can go bad. That happened to my grand am. I had to get a replacement button set.

[03Alerosil]

I hope its not the buttons. I would have to pull the air bag. I always get cautious around them.

[[ion] C2]

I hope its not the buttons. I would have to pull the air bag. I always get cautious around them.
:rolleyes2:
the inflator doesn't activate unless you really, really want it to. i always see people freak out on car forums when it comes to restraints and it's silly.

(i work on airbags)

[03Alerosil]

Took the car for a test drive and it seems the set button on the steering wheel is bad.

[03Alerosil]

Also couldn't find the horn. All I found was a two wire connector hanging by the passenger side headlight. Maybe that's where horn should be?

[a.graham52]

in your op yo ustate the horn is quiet. in otherwords works. have somone blow the horn and look for it.

[[ion] C2]

the horn should be in the passenger side under the headlight area

[a.graham52]

according to GMSI, its behind the right headlight.

[03Alerosil]

Got a new/used horn from the salvage yard. Installed it. Very easy job. Now the horn works. Thanks guys. Probably gonna leave the cruise to the dealer when I get taxes

[zzyzzx]

Got a new/used horn from the salvage yard. Installed it. Very easy job. Now the horn works. Thanks guys. Probably gonna leave the cruise to the dealer when I get taxes


It probably is the button. I bought my replacement on Amazon. It's easy enough to install, but I did pull a few fuses before I installed it. I know keep that button ON all the time, since I assume that the new switch has the same design defect as the original one and will break if I use it more than a few times.

It's really not that hard to do, but there are these bolts that you have to tape onto your ratchet.

[03glgold]

It probably is the button. I bought my replacement on Amazon. It's easy enough to install, but I did pull a few fuses before I installed it. I know keep that button ON all the time, since I assume that the new switch has the same design defect as the original one and will break if I use it more than a few times.

It's really not that hard to do, but there are these bolts that you have to tape onto your ratchet.

he is talking about his wifes impala not alero...different switch setup

[03Alerosil]

It's the "set" button next to the air bag. Thanks for the repiies though.

[a.graham52]

what exactly is it not doing? if the set button is not "setting", how do you know the rest work etc?

[03Alerosil]

what exactly is it not doing? if the set button is not "setting", how do you know the rest work etc?

I honestly have no idea. Both fuses are good. (Tested with test light). The on/off switch feels like the contacts are good. The "cruise" light doesn't turn on when I press the set button. So to be honest I am just guessing it's the "Set" button not working being the system won't activate. The buttons are pretty worn looking and the set button feels a little limp. I will take any suggestions. Thanks

[a.graham52]

Could still be a brakes witch. Like said previously. If there is a code for the brake switch stored then it will disable cruise. If the problem is no longer present, unhooking the battery for 15 minutes and rebooking it up will possibly solve this for an undisclosed amount of time. However of u have a cirrent problem with the swith, then pulling the battery cables will do nothing.

[03Alerosil]

Could still be a brakes witch. Like said previously. If there is a code for the brake switch stored then it will disable cruise. If the problem is no longer present, unhooking the battery for 15 minutes and rebooking it up will possibly solve this for an undisclosed amount of time. However of u have a cirrent problem with the swith, then pulling the battery cables will do nothing.

No codes. Just quit workin out of the blue.

[Nas Escobar]

You can always get a brake switch, try it on, and if it's the same thing return it. That automatically rules it out.

[03Alerosil]

Auto parts stores won't let you return installed electricL items but I did think about trying out the switch

[03Alerosil]

Going to take the at to the dealer so they can hook their tool up to it and see what part of the circuit is bad. I may have them fix it or maybe do it myself. I don't know. Got a big trip coming up and cruise control would be really nice to have

[03Alerosil]

Well found out what the issue is. It's the cruise control module. Dealer wants $850 to fix. Local junkyard has a bunch for $45. Gonna get it fixed tomorrow

[03Alerosil]

Well I replaced the cruise module twice with no luck. Went back to the dealer and they are gonna look at it again for free two weeks from now

[03Alerosil]

Well dealer looked at car again and said once again it's the cruise control module. So I went to a better salvage yard and got a nice looking used unit and tried that. Fucking thing still don't work. I'm at wits end with the thing. Can't figure out why the cruise won't work. Do I have to unhook the battery and let the bcm recognize the new unit?

[03Alerosil]

Going to swap my module into her car cuz we know mine works and see what happens

[03Alerosil]

Did the swap. Didn't work. Tested every input into the module. Everything works. So everything tellin the module to turn on works. The module works but the cruise won't turn on. I'm completely lost. I even readjusted the brake switches. Very low resistance in the curcuit.

[pappyl]

Need to determine in the unit is getting power. Suspect that is the problem, so the dealer can't scan the module - thinks it is dead. They seem pretty useless to me if they cant track down a wiring problem.

I would assume the problem is in the power switch to turn on the unit (first).

[03Alerosil]

First off, thanks for the reply. I tested for power from the ignition switch. The module is getting 11.6 volts from the ignition switch which is more then enough to work as it needs to see between 9 and 16 volts. I also tested the module in m alero and it works perfectly so it's not the module. It would see all the inputs going into the module work and the module works but it won't turn on. I am started to think the PCM is sending an inhibit signal to it

[a.graham52]

you cant talk to this module anyways. does the car have an abs light on at all?

i had somone come in last week, complained the cruise didnt work in her imala... the switch was turned off. apparently oculdnt find the power switch on the multi-function lever. :/ people.

[03Alerosil]

The car does not have abs or traction control. I checked the wheel bearings myself cuz I suspected that may be the problem. It also does not have a check engine light on.

[03Alerosil]

Well I finally fixed the damn cruise. I had two issues. First the TCC/Brake switch was no good, very high resistance. Second, I had a broken wire going from the brake switch to the PCM that controlled TCC lock-up. Repaired that wire and all is well.