What is this, cruise control thing?

fignasiak · 06-05-2018, 08:57 AM

Hello,

I am kind of new, been hanging around for a while.

I have a 2003 International 3800 with the T444E and an automatic transmission. Full size bus with handicap lift in the back, and 2 A/C units (engine driven) inside.

Anyway, on the cruise control panel there is a square button that has a light in it, but the cover is gone. I cannot tell if there is another light next to it or just a blank cover. This is in the lower right corner (or if the picture is sideways top right). The panel is located between the gear selector and the fuse panel. I have tried to attach a picture (fingers crossed).

Anybody know what it is and how it works?

One day I will find a knob for the light also, probably a custom job.

warewolff · 06-05-2018, 01:27 PM

It's a throttle control. When starting up in cold weather you can rev it up to 1200rpm and lock it on so the oil circulates and you don't do damage to the engine. If you have a computer to unlock the cruise function you can use it as a cruise control when driving and it behaves just like a cruise would (turning off when you tap the brake or clutch, accelerating with gas but dropping to whatever you had it set for with no gas) but it is NOT a true cruise. It's still just locking in your throttle. Depending on the pitch it keeps me within a 5-10mph range. I have one unlocked and love it. Made a 400 mile trip very bearable as I didn't have to mash the gas pedal to the floor the whole way.

fignasiak · 06-05-2018, 01:37 PM

I get the trottle control stuff for fast idle... tried using it for cruise contol but it seemed weird. The label beside those rocker switches was helpful. It also helps to speed the engine up for the A/C units when its hot out.

However, I am talking about what looks like a white square. It is a button and has a light (that I have not seen work). If i use my little finger I can just push it down.

Thanks Warewolff for the reply.

PNW_Steve · 06-05-2018, 01:58 PM

I have near identical switches in my Bluebird.

My cruise control works just like the one in my pickup.

I also have a separate fast idle switch.

fignasiak · 06-05-2018, 02:10 PM

Yeah I think it was wierd because it was sooo far away to reach, lol. Anyway I found that holding the pedal all the way down worked most of the way from San Antonio to Denver anyway.

I added the picture with the parts circled that I have no idea what they are for. Red circle is the lighted button, and the arrow with "?" I think might be a blank cover.

PNW Steve where is your seperate fast idle switch?

PNW_Steve · 06-05-2018, 03:20 PM

My fast idle is on the left near the headlight switch. Cruise control switches are on the right.

cadillackid · 06-05-2018, 08:47 PM

ive never seen that switch on any Navistar before..thinking maybe it was something the school added?

the high idle as you found is the cruise control switches.. place the left switch in the down position and use the right hand switch to run the idle up and down to the desired speed.. cruise is often disabled in the computer.. if cruise is enabled you use it just like you do a regular car cruise control.. left switch down and then hit set for your speed.. and tap the right switch into accel for a second to gain a single MPH... tap the set coast to drop a MPH...

maybe extra running lights or such attached to that other switch? come to think of it if it had fog lights originally i thinkl the factory fogs were in that position on the dash.

-Christopher

fignasiak · 06-06-2018, 07:20 AM

Thanks for the reply. I don't think there are fog lights on it (never occured to me to look) but maybe I can trace the wires and see where they go from the switch. If i figure it out I'll try and add it here. However, it is just something that bothers me (not knowing), but not high on the list of things to do.

-Frank

ol trunt · 06-06-2018, 10:37 AM

Possibly for heated mirror or rear defrost? Jack

fignasiak · 06-07-2018, 08:43 AM

Okay so I put a flash light next to the blank looking thing... its a light. Looks like it says "Range Inhibited" or something like that. Cannnot remember exactly. So i assume the button next to it does something relevant. Also the wires in the back are connected. The button and light are Eaton manufactured also.

I would guess the button is a reset or override? If it was a reset then I would think it shoudl be a momentary switch, but it is latching. I really hope someone can tell me what it does, and if it is normally in or out.

cadillackid · 06-07-2018, 09:48 AM

sounds like maybe the ECON button for an allison 2000 trans? is the shifter in your bus. R-N-D-4-2-1. or R-N-(D)-D-2-1

if its one of those you have an allison 2000.. there's an ECON mode that trans could run in... i forget what it does. but was a button on the dash.. Range-inhibited is effectively a Check-Trans light which means the trans is in 'limp home' mode..

-Christopher

fignasiak · 06-07-2018, 10:16 AM

Thanks for the reply.

I know it is a 2000 series, have a picture of the data tag... but not the shifter so I don't know what that says.

ECO mode.... don't what that on, lol. Well I guess it might be okay sometimes. That must be why I cannot do a big smoky burnout.

Still cannot find a picture of the button, guess I must have the only one cause I cannot find it on Google, jk.
I think it may also be the LBSS (load based shift schedule) button, but I'm no expert.

cadillackid · 06-07-2018, 10:23 AM

you cant do asmokey burnout because its a 444E V-8 Diesel which doesnt make a ton of torque at the low end.. (I have one).. the ECON button I believe shifts to higher gears earlier.. I'd have to read about it.. when i swapped in my new allison transmission last year I used the 'ECON' mode as a secondary shift schedule and blew out all the original econ programming and put in a more aggressive schedule for mountain-driving in its place...
-Christopher

fignasiak · 06-07-2018, 10:34 AM

Yeah I know it will not do a burnout... maybe in snow or ice. But I suspect if my tires are spinning in the bus I am probably stuck and made a bad desision... only time will tell.

Sounds like you found a good use for the button. I need mountian mode, but I'm sure it will still be a slow climb up I-70.

I guess I just need to find a new button so it doesn't bother me to look at, and makesure it is off.

Very best,
-Frank

cadillackid · 06-07-2018, 10:58 AM

I havent run I-70 yet in mine... most ive done is an 8% grade in the smokies? I think. and mine's a short bus so it didnt do too bad, dropped into 3rd gear a couple times.. but im OVER geared .. 65 MPH and im tach'ing 1550 RPM in 6th gear so i need to gear down to climb those I-70 hills. im also replacing my injectors would higher flow units

-Christopher

siloguy · 06-10-2018, 08:25 AM

On some buses I've driven, if you put the trans in drive from neutral without first stepping on the brake, the "range inhibited" will light up and you can't go until you shift back to neutral and apply the brake before shifting. My bus has the same switches for cruise as the original poster and the cruise functions normally like my car with the exception being if I descend a very steep hill where the bus wants to speed up a lot, the cruise will often disengage. Left button down, right button up to set. I use it all the time on the freeway, where I can cruise 70 mph now that the speed governor was reset.

rururudy · 07-01-2020, 03:10 PM

Noob question: how do I unlock the cruise control? Computer?!? Thanks!

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