2003+ Cruise Control Wiring Location

[Windrac]

Hey all,

I'm installing cruise control on my 2003 Sport via Chris's instructions here.

My Jeep has the button wiring present in the steering wheel, so installing buttons was easy.

I installed the actuator without any fuss. Bolted right in and the vacuum connection was easy.

Last step - I just can't find the connector for the actuator. The jeep is pre-wired for cruise control since I have the wiring present in the steering wheel... right? Can somebody post a picture of where it's tied up to the harness?

PS I'm using WJ cruise control buttons since they came in black or tan. I have the tan buttons from the 1999-2004 WJ steering wheel. Once I find the connector for the actuator I'll report back if they work or not. My interior is black & tan in my TJ and the tan buttons look nice. Will be back with pics.

Thanks!

 

[CharlesHS]

Are you sure the 99-04 WJ speed control switches will work for your year TJ ?
The switches have a specific resistance amounts for the cruise control to work.

 

[Windrac]

Are you sure the 99-04 WJ speed control switches will work for your year TJ ?
The switches have a specific resistance amounts for the cruise control to work.

Nope, but this is what I have resistors on hand and a soldering iron for.

I'm more concerned about finding the harness connector. Changing resistor values is easy.

 

[Xysos]

Last step - I just can't find the connector for the actuator. The jeep is pre-wired for cruise control since I have the wiring present in the steering wheel... right?

No, unfortunately, that is not correct. There are some such as mine (05 X) that had the correct clockspring but no harness under the hood. I had to create my own wiring harness.

If your Jeep has it, it will be taped to a nearby connector or the body on the driver side. See post #5 in this older thread. https://www.wranglerforum.com/threads/junkyard-cruise-control-install-for-every-tj.90516/

As well, as others have stated, it is unlikely the WJ buttons will work. They have specific voltages that your ECU is looking for that differ by year. But I suppose if you know how to overcome that, more power to you.

 

[CharlesHS]

Nope, but this is what I have resistors on hand and a soldering iron for.
Changing resistor values is easy.

There are several resistance values over the years for the switches.
IF you knew what the resistance value is; that would be easier than guessing.
Find someone with the same year TJ and ask if you can measure the resistance for one of the switches.

 

[Windrac]

There are several resistance values over the years for the switches.
IF you knew what the resistance value is; that would be easier than guessing.
Find someone with the same year TJ and ask if you can measure the resistance for one of the switches.

Yeah I'm going to do something like that, or see if I can find an 03+ in a junkyard.

Regardless, that process is much easier (in my opinion) than having to add this plug for the solenoid, which I am apparently going to have to do.

I found a great thread over on the other forum here that goes into great detail on adding the plug for cruise on all TJ revisions.

 

[Windrac]

No, unfortunately, that is not correct. There are some such as mine (05 X) that had the correct clockspring but no harness under the hood. I had to create my own wiring harness.

If your Jeep has it, it will be taped to a nearby connector or the body on the driver side. See post #5 in this older thread. https://www.wranglerforum.com/threads/junkyard-cruise-control-install-for-every-tj.90516/

As well, as others have stated, it is unlikely the WJ buttons will work. They have specific voltages that your ECU is looking for that differ by year. But I suppose if you know how to overcome that, more power to you.

OK, thanks for the confirmation.

Just to clarify, did you have to add any of the wiring to the main harness for the wheel buttons, or just add the solenoid connector?

And I'm not too concerned about measuring / changing resistances for the buttons. I'm an electrical engineer and I repair vacuum tube radio equipment as my primary hobby, so swapping resistors is a relatively trivial task. I'll document the values for both sets here when I get a second set of reference buttons.

Thanks for the info.

 

[LJGreg]

I am pretty sure the steering wheel controls I bought off eBay are from a WJ and they work. I have a write up of all the resistance values.

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/how-to-get-steering-wheel-audio-controls-in-a-tj.36373/

 

[Windrac]

I am pretty sure the steering wheel controls I bought off eBay are from a WJ and they work. I have a write up of all the resistance values.

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/how-to-get-steering-wheel-audio-controls-in-a-tj.36373/

Excellent, this is very helpful, thanks. I'll verify the values on my set.

See below photos of my WJ buttons. I think going through all the tom-foolery of verifying resistance values is worth it for the tan fiberglass.

 

[jwilson2899]

The 99-04 WJ switches are the same as 03-06 TJ. The ones that are different are the 98-02 TJ/97-10 XJ ones. They are a completely different shape and resistance.

 

[Jamison C]

The CC plug isn’t hard to wire up. It’s trying to find the correct wiring within the cab that is.

Use this diagram to find what wiring exists and doesn’t exist. Hopefully it’s just the servo plug which can be found on just about any XJ and WJ with CC.
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/cruise-control-wiring-diagrams.46397/

 

[Xysos]

OK, thanks for the confirmation.

Just to clarify, did you have to add any of the wiring to the main harness for the wheel buttons, or just add the solenoid connector?

And I'm not too concerned about measuring / changing resistances for the buttons. I'm an electrical engineer and I repair vacuum tube radio equipment as my primary hobby, so swapping resistors is a relatively trivial task. I'll document the values for both sets here when I get a second set of reference buttons.

Thanks for the info.

I only had to add the wiring for the solenoid. However, that did include tapping into the brake light wires underneath the drivers side dash and adding a wire to one of the interior bulkheads.

The hardest part of this install for me personally was sourcing the ECU pins for the wires that get added there. I have extras from a parts harness I bought if you end up needing some.

All of the clockspring wiring was complete

 

[Windrac]

I only had to add the wiring for the solenoid. However, that did include tapping into the brake light wires underneath the drivers side dash and adding a wire to one of the interior bulkheads.

The hardest part of this install for me personally was sourcing the ECU pins for the wires that get added there. I have extras from a parts harness I bought if you end up needing some.

All of the clockspring wiring was complete

I might take you up on that.

I'll pull the plug out of the ECU and look at the pins. Hopefully they are just standard deutsch connector pins. If so I'll look up the corresponding pin and post the part number.

I used to work for John Deere, and we used deutsch connectors for everything. It wouldn't surprise me to find out these use them too.

I'm gonna do some wire tracing and I'll be back with you all.

 

[Windrac]

Okay, looks like I have some wires to add. Namely, everything on the engine compartment side of connector C107.

Per below, my brake light switch has wires 3 and 4, and I have the correct clock spring and steering wheel harness.

The engine compartment side of C107 however is missing pins A1, B1, and C3. Pins 4, 5, 11, and 32 are also missing from ECU connector C3.

ECU connector pins look like deutsch female pins at first blush but I need to pull one out to confirm. I have no idea what the pins for C107 are though. Gotta find a handful of female pins for this. Thoughts?

So I need the following to finish the job:
- Female pins for C107
- Female pins for ECU C3
- Female actuator connector & pins
- A few short runs of wire

 

[8rent]

Hey all,

I'm installing cruise control on my 2003 Sport via Chris's instructions here.

My Jeep has the button wiring present in the steering wheel, so installing buttons was easy.

I installed the actuator without any fuss. Bolted right in and the vacuum connection was easy.

Last step - I just can't find the connector for the actuator. The jeep is pre-wired for cruise control since I have the wiring present in the steering wheel... right? Can somebody post a picture of where it's tied up to the harness?

PS I'm using WJ cruise control buttons since they came in black or tan. I have the tan buttons from the 1999-2004 WJ steering wheel. Once I find the connector for the actuator I'll report back if they work or not. My interior is black & tan in my TJ and the tan buttons look nice. Will be back with pics.

Thanks

I did a video from my install on my 2006 wrangler. It may help you or others who read this post. The link for it is;

 

[DaddysLJ]

Whats odd with my 2004 LJ os I have the wiring in the steering wheel, but I can not find the wires under the hood.

 

[8rent]

Neither could I. That is why I had to run my own. Apparently some have it and some don't. I was one of the unlucky ones.

 

[DaddysLJ]

Neither could I. That is why I had to run my own. Apparently some have it and some don't. I was one of the unlucky ones.

I have miles of wire at work, I just have to get the plugs and I will make my own overlay harness.

 

[Shandara]

The difference in wiring in the steering wheel is simply having a clock spring with the through wires for cruise or not. At the time of production if they pulled a clock spring that was wired for cruise and installed it, it would work for the horn and airbag but the cruise wires would be just sitting there.

The switches come apart fairly easy and you can read the values directly off the existing resistors. There is a small window in the resistance values that ECU will be looking for. Those resistors are really small but they can be changed, I had to do it for my 98 when I used contact cleaner to fix and sticky switch and the plastic basically started falling apart. I moved the resistors from my 98 switch into a switch from 2001 I think, it's been a few years, but it is doable.

The pins are best gotten at a wrecking yard any old Jeep TJ or Cherokee in right years will work, just harvest one of the ECU pig tails and you will have more than enough. The wire colors may be different but your only splicing in 5-6 inches, just black out the new section with a magic marker and it should prevent issues down the road if someone needs to chase wiring on your unit one day down the road.

 

[DaddysLJ]

The difference in wiring in the steering wheel is simply having a clock spring with the through wires for cruise or not. At the time of production if they pulled a clock spring that was wired for cruise and installed it, it would work for the horn and airbag but the cruise wires would be just sitting there.

The switches come apart fairly easy and you can read the values directly off the existing resistors. There is a small window in the resistance values that ECU will be looking for. Those resistors are really small but they can be changed, I had to do it for my 98 when I used contact cleaner to fix and sticky switch and the plastic basically started falling apart. I moved the resistors from my 98 switch into a switch from 2001 I think, it's been a few years, but it is doable.

The pins are best gotten at a wrecking yard any old Jeep TJ or Cherokee in right years will work, just harvest one of the ECU pig tails and you will have more than enough. The wire colors may be different but your only splicing in 5-6 inches, just black out the new section with a magic marker and it should prevent issues down the road if someone needs to chase wiring on your unit one day down the road.

My column had the wiring, I put switches in that I removed from an 06 LJ. I also got the servo and what not from that same unit. I never thought about the engine harness or else I would have removed that too.