I've heard people on the web say that cruise control should never even be installed on our cars.  Maybe they don't have to drive 240 miles one way to work.

Anyway, I thought it was ingenious of Honda to use two buttons to perform 5 functions - the usual  SET, RESUME, DECEL and ACCEL, but if you press both buttons at the same time it performs the CANCEL function.  Cool.  But I have to take my hand off the wheel and use two fingers to do this. Not Cool.  The other functions are so easy to activate with my thumb, without releasing the wheel, I had to have a better way.

OK, so I'm a little anal.  Well, maybe rectal would be a better description.  But it's so easy to fix this minor 'flaw' that I can't imagine anyone who uses cruise more than once not doing this mod.

What it does:

bulletAllows the "cancel" function to be performed by pressing both buttons with your thumb or one finger, instead of having to use two fingers.

Skills and tools required:

bulletExacto knife or wire clippers
bulletSandpaper - 320 grit

Parts required:

bulletUhh . . . none

Procedure:

  1. Turn the steering wheel so the buttons are on the top, picture A.
  2. Tape the buttons "down", be sure to get tape around the edges to protect the buttons from damage.  Picture B.
  3. Using an Exacto knife, score the plastic divider just below the level of the buttons on both sides (4 or 5 swipes on each side).  You could also use close-cutting wire cutters or fingernail clippers to just cut off the exposed divider.
  4. Break off the scored piece.  Picture C
  5. Sand smooth by wrapping a piece of 320 grit sandpaper around a plastic card or several business cards stacked together.  Picture D.
  6. Remove tape and you're done.  Picture E.

Click on any of the photos to see a larger image.

(A)  Cruise buttons before (B)  Tape buttons down, score plastic divider
cruise_before.jpg (25745 bytes) tape&cut.jpg (21281 bytes)
 

 

(C)  Break off after scoring (D)  Sand smooth
break_off.jpg (24035 bytes) sand_smooth.jpg (22951 bytes)
 

 

(E)  Finished
cruise_after.jpg (25078 bytes)