Dash light LED kit for Area451 cruise control available

[dichrodave]

No dealership intervention required! Just install and drive! Don't forget to order the Dash LED from John! It's like the cherry on top of a sundae! You just gotta have it!

[Woody14619]

Originally Posted by phoenix5

Did you have to take your car to Smart (after the physical installation of the cruise control) to have them update the car chip (to let the system know you now have cruise control)?

This was true of a previous model in which MB offered cruse as an option. (The roadster as I recall?) There was confusion about this with the MDC cruise unit because it used the stalk from the optional cruise from another model and a custom circuit to emulate the pedal. Since it used the same stalk it looks like the MB cruise, and some people got confused. Both options for the 451 are independent of the ECU, and so no TAN codes are needed.

[SunDiego]

Looks great!

[smrt4her]

Just wanted to add my thanks to John also. The LED works perfect. Much easier to see on the instrument cluster than on the wiper stalk. I also removed the small amount of material between the hole and the white connector opening so I would not have to cut the LED wires and re-splice.

The area451 cruise is fantastic and John's LED makes it better!

Don

[John_H]

I'm glad folks are happy to shave some plastic off their instrument cluster to make things work easier.

I figured the splices would help because 1) they're a minute to splice, 2) there's no possibility of a service guy yanking the LED board out accidentally, and 3) I personally don't like to alter my car's pieces when I can avoid it. The splices are - in my opinion - a better long term solution than solder joints by all but very experienced solderers but only "almost" as good as an uncut wire.

If you're happy with a tiny snip-snip of the housing and don't have issue with anyone else clumsily handling your instrument cluster over time, it's a simple way to go! Just be aware that the cable may try to escape its little corner when trying to get the cluster electronics back into the housing; paying close attention to the large white connector alignment is a must to reassemble anyway, so it should be obvious when the cable wants to interfere with that process.

Thanks for the feedback, folks! I smile every time I see my own cruise control icon go on.

[Suze]

And don't forget the video tutorial for the Dash LED (Starring my Zippy - )

45 minutes to becoming a Cruise Control LED installation expert

[dichrodave]

Suze, I watched that video so many times, I dreamed about Zippy that night!
It was a definite help and motivational guide!

[Kermit]

I'll be installing mine this weekend. CAN'T WAIT! Thanks John, I know you went through the trouble of sending two boxes.

[The Rigger]

Ditto... Ordered mine a couple of days ago, received notice that John's shipped it out already; it'll get here before my cruise control kit does. Too bad I'll be leaving again this weekend...

Looks like I'll have *plenty* of hobbies to occupy my time when I get home again, later this spring.

[Wdhitch]

Order sent!!! Thanks for putting this together John!!