lunghd

2000 Express 3500 5.7L

Did any of these vans with NON-tilt steering columns get cruise control?

I want to add cruise control to my work van and squeeze a few more mpg out but so far as I can tell - only vans with tilt steering got cruise control.

Will any cruise units work from other GM vehicles? (Suburban, Tahoe, etc etc)

Rostra makes a generic kit but bumps over $200 after you get the stupid second stalk that goes onto the steering column. I want to use an oem appearing single turn/wiper/cruise stalk.

Thanks.

EDIT: Did the swap & it's relatively easy.

dberladyn

Yours is a lot older than mine so I can't comment. I'd suggest going to repairprocedures.com and studying the schematics for your year. The switches are easy enough to add. Whether your dash is prewired or not is a question only you can answer. It should be firmly possible to add factory cruise, the thing I caution is the bcm and the ecm. They may need to be programmed and if your van was my year GM in Detroit would first have to approve it. Amazing but true. They would not approve it for the option I installed so I am stuck with a completely factory install of an option I can't use because the computer fails to see it.

lunghd

Thanks for the reply - all of the stalk switches I've found are either clearly marked 'tilt column' or ambiguous & the vendor has no clue. I'm just going to look for a 2000 GM truck with cruise & grab everything if possible. If the ECM doesn't work... well, we'll see if the ECM will swap over. If not - there's always ROSTRA cruise kits.

Yep, you're right... I could swap over the switch... if I could get a vendor to answer one simple question: Will their switch fit in a NON-tilt column? If I could get an OEM style stalk that fits then the ROSTRA option is ok... no ECM swap or programming required.

I know the trucks had cruise available and that the vans WITH tilt columns also had cruise available. I just have not been able to confirm that none of the 'work vans' with NON-tilt columns had / did not have cruise.

What? Some crackhead at GM is telling YOU what YOU can do with YOUR van? (Insert graphic violence here.) There are some custom tuners online who will reprogram your ECM or swap your unit for a custom programmed one. Have you looked for a 'conversion van' the same year as yours that came with cruise? Swap the ECM in from that?

Don't get me started on GM cuss-tomer (dis)service. Screw GM's approval... they stopped building quality the day they started counting beans.

Gman224

I'm doing the same thing. My GMC Savana 3500 Cutaway with KUV Knapahied body has the wiring in the engine compartment also. I belive the PCM will read it and reprogram itself. I'm going to install the multifunction switch from a tilt colum. If this works I'll certainly share what I find out. If not I'll pull a tilt column from salvage and go that route. I replaced the PCM two weeks ago and it's a process but can be done by you. I own my own HVAC/PLUMBING Company and live inside my work vehicle most of the daylight hours. Dammit I want cruise!
Thanks,
Paul Garcia
Aztec Home Services Llc
Wichita Kansas USA

lunghd

PLEASE - post back with your results. I cannot understand what the Goodwrench idiots were thinking leaving cruise control off of fleet vehicles. (Unless they were trying to pimp some upgrade package over the 'stripped down' models.

I went to a local boneyard but the difficulty lies in finding (for me) a 1999 or 2000 vehicle that's reasonably intact to pull the parts from... else we'd have to hunt & grab from multiple vehicles.

Did you confirm that the tilt switch will fit the non-tilt wheel?

Question: Why did you replace the PCM?

Yeah - when you're in a work van all day long you want to avoid law enforcement AND squeeze another mpg out of it with cruise.

Keep rockin' your Aztec!

Gman224

I replaced the computer at the advise of a well respected mechanic here in doodads. I explained the symptoms to him and he told me right off to do this. He flashed the new pcm I bought from auto zone. I'll be working on my truck tomorrow so I'll try and post the results. I intend to be using cruise control by night time. I looked at both multifunction switchs and the look identical. I have the plugged connector for the module and get this, the mounting studs are in place on the firewall. Be really surprised if it doesnt function.
Thanks,
Paul Garcia
Dooda KS
USA

lunghd

Thanks for the info!

OK - so you replaced the PCM for other reasons than installing the cruise control?... or was the new PCM installed to enable cruise control functions? (Another thread I read somewhere mentioned the PCM in newer GM vehicles may have things 'switched off' at the factory to "encourage" return visits to the dealership for 'official' upgrades.)

Hope that tilt switch will fit the non-tilt column... personally don't need tilt steering.

What year is your van? For me on my 2000 the boneyard said I could pull a cruise assembly from a 1999 or 2000 GM van (or truck???) according to the interchange info on the computer.

Looking forward to seeing your cruise up & running!

lunghd

Hey - did your installation work out ok?

lunghd

Thanks for your PM, Paul!


Very nice info to have for those of us with work vans without cruise control! Thanks to Paul for the info.

Local salvage yard said that 1999 & 2000 cruise units (under hood - whole assembly) were the same.

Here's the parts Paul used:

• salvage multifunction switch off a 2004 van w/ tilt steering (removal: two screws (T-20) torx)
• module for a 99 C2500 truck (three mounting studs which will also be present on van)
  
  
  Hoping that Paul will confirm the year of his van but a local salvage yard told me that 1999 & 2000 cruise modules were the same (interchangeable) and that either would fit my 2000.
  Being able to put a 2004 tilt switch into a non-tilt column is great info: no need to swap columns just to get a factory control stalk
  Since he used a 1999 truck module I'm "assuming" his van is either 1999 or 2000.

lunghd

Wow - just found a 2000 Express 3500 van WITH cruise in a salvage yard! Gotta do the mail order thing as it's outta state BUT: From the same year, from the same series van... Customer service rep for the yard stated that several vehicles should work but since this was EXACTLY what I was looking for I had to give it a shot.

Looked in another local yard and found a unit on a 2001(or 2003?) Denali but it was electronic with NO cable to throttle body.

Yay, me!