Questions and Answers

Dodge Ram Cruise Control Has Surges Q. I have a 2001 Dodge Ram 4X4 Quad cab, 5.9 liter EFI, automatic transmission, 65,000 miles, ABS, Cruise, A/C and P/S. I set the cruise and occasionally the truck surges. It seems that the cruise occasionally drops the dry clutch. On flat highway the truck seems to surge, the tachometer jumps up approximately 300 rpm and then drops back down.

The dealers say they have not heard of the problem but I owned a 1999 Dodge Quad 4X4 exact same truck, and it did the same thing. I really appreciate any information you can give.

Thanks,
Mike

A. This "Surging" is most often caused by a cruise control cable that is out of adjustment. Chrysler does not have a cruise control cable per se, it is done electronically by the Cruise Control Module.

If the driver repeatedly presses and releases the set button with their foot off of the accelerator (a "lift foot set" to begin speed control operation), the vehicle may accelerate and exceed the desired set speed by up to 5 MPH and then decelerate to less than the desired set speed before finally achieving the desired set speed.

The Speed Control has an adaptive strategy that compensates for vehicle-to-vehicle variations in speed control cable lengths. When the speed control is set with the vehicle operators foot off of the accelerator pedal, the speed control thinks there is excessive speed control cable slack and adapts. If the lift foot sets are continually used, the speed control over-shoot/undershoot condition will develop.

To "unlearn" the overshoot/undershoot condition, the vehicle operator has to press and release the set button while maintaining the desired set speed with the accelerator pedal (not decelerating or accelerating), and then turn the cruise control switch to the OFF position (or press the CANCEL button if equipped) after waiting 10 seconds.

This procedure must be performed approximately 10 to 15 times to completely unlearn the overshoot/undershoot condition.