Factory Cruise
Contributed by TJ Schmidt
Adapted with permission from the original article on his website

*You should note, to install the factory Honda cruise control system into my '91 Civic 3 door Si, I was able to obtain an entire '90 Civic LX sedan 5 speed (wrecked). *Don't even try this if you do not have a HELM manual. The wiring can get very complicated and confusing if you are not careful. The Helm covers both the hatchback AND the sedan. To get you started, here is the cruise control cricuit diagram from my Helm manual. SEDAN PARTS LIST Cruise Actuator and cable (under hood) Gas/Brake/Clutch pedal assembly Cruise Controller with wiring harness connectors and all 13 wires (in driver's footwell) Cruise lamp dimmer circuit (behind instrument cluster) Green "Cruise Control" window in instrument cluster for that authentic look Steering wheel and slip ring Cruise main switch *You will need an EX sedan throttle cable if you have an Si There is no specific order to installing the system, although logical decisions are encouraged! For instance, while the pedal assy is out, this is a prime opportunity to do most of the wiring/routing. I have put together these brief notes (from memory) about the parts listed above. The Cruise Actuator will fit under the hood on top of the drivers side engine mount, however only one of the three available mounting points will be there. I got a little creative to get the unit to hold down with two of the three bolts. Since the actuator cable goes to the pedal and not the throttle body, you need to figure out where to drill a cable hole in the firewall. Look at where the hole is on the donor before doing this!

(cruise actuator)

(additional cable location)

The Gas/Brake/Clutch pedal assembly is required because the Cruise Actuator Cable attaches to an auxiliary bracket built onto the LX/EX sedan pedal assembly. This bracket is non-existant on the Si, not to mention the cruise clutch switch.

(control box location)

The Control box for the cruise system will mount to the heater core assembly in the drivers footwell. It bolts right up. I'd advise tracing and extracting the 13 wires from the sedan's harness as far back as possible. The wires go both toward the ECU and the fuse box and some tie right into the main harness (it's right there). Re-installing the wiring in your car is the most difficult part of the swap, so PAY ATTENTION to colors and connection points. I drilled another hole in the firewall to route the actator wires. Using a rubber grommet is a good idea! On the LX sedan, the dimmer circuit is mounted on the back of the instrument cluster in the spot where the speed pulser resides on the Si. I removed the dimmer circuit and the corresponding connector/wires from the sedan, then re-routed it to the instrument cluster in the Si. This circuit needs to be in back of the instrument cluster because the cruise indicator bulb lead is very short. In the Si, there is room for the green cruise control indicator in the instrument cluster. However, you need to switch the whole "idiot light" panel to get it, as well as, the green colored tile behind. In doing this, you will sacrifice the large seatbelt warning light. (Darn)

The steering wheel will interchange just fine. The splines and offset are the same as the Si wheel. The slip ring will screw right on to your existing combination switch. You will, however, need to remove the metal horn tab from your combination switch first. (The new steering wheel and slip ring assembly has a horn wire that will need to be tied into the steering column harness).

(the flash is right where the green cruise indicator is)

I chose to sacrifice the instrument dimmer switch in favor of mounting the cruise Main switch. My dimmer switch now resides behind the dash preset at an acceptable illumination level. With a lot of careful dremel work, the sedan's three switch insert could be mounted in the Si's instrument visor cover to accomodate the rear defrost, dimmer, and cruise switch.

(cruise main switch)