How does cruise control work? please help.

It works by maintaining a set speed, without the need to keep your foot on the gas pedal, as long as engine output can support. So, if you set it at say, 25mph in top (5th) and you come to a gradient, the engine MAY become overloaded, and it will switch off. So, you achieve your desired speed with the gas pedal as normal, then use the "set" button on the CC switch. The location varies with different cars.

You can also increase the speed on most cars, by repeatedly tapping the button, till your desired speed is reached. If you tpply the brakes, or dip the clutch, the cruise control is cancelled. Most cars have a "resume" button, which will bring up the last stored speed.

It has a microprocessor, that will sense if the car is going down a gradient, and will back-throttle, or apply engine braking, so the set speed is NOT exceeded. As long as engine output will permit, it does the same going up a gradient, i.e increases engine speed, so it does NOT drop below the set speed.

Not adviceable to use in dense traffic, where a lot of stop-start driving is done, or on loose gravel / mud / snow.

The system on current Audi A8 / A6 is adaptive - it will automatically slow down the car, and bring it to a smooth stop, if the car in front of you begins to slow down, so there's little chance of you running into the back of it. There are proximity sensors behind the front bumper that constantly measure distance between the car in front of it, and make speed corrections at all times.

No worries, Scopium.

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