Cruise Control Slow Turning On Odyssey 98

We bought this 98 Odyssey with 2.3 litre VTEC used last year and added
about 20,000 kilometers to it and she now has about 166,000 with a
recent timing belt change at our local Honda dealer last week. I
believe that the switch fits all previous generation Accords
1998-2003. I asked them to test the cruise because it would take
forever to come on (ie) cruise lighting up on the dash.

Unfortunately they forgot to do it and based on some not so good
experiences with them, I started to diagnose the problem my self. The
system could take forever to come on but when it it, it seemed to work
fine. My first impression was to change the switch on the steering
wheel but after $150 spent with no refund possible from dealer the
result was the same slow activation and longer if the weather was
cold. When it worked it worked fine and if I had to hit brake pedal or
stop it would resume after reaching speed of 40 km/hr just as the
manual said. The cancel button at times would switch off the cruise or
it would not. The Resume button when pushed and the cruise was on
would always have the car downshift on acceleration unlike the cruise
on my 92 Accord.

I decided to test the vacuum system with my vacuum gage and found that
the engine produced 440 mm/hg or 17.3 inches vacuum for the line to
the plastic reservoir and the 1 way valve from the manifold to the
hose works because on disconnecting the hose from the reservoir always
gets the rushing of air into the reservoir so the reservoir has no
leaks.

I have had difficulty trying to remove the throttle positioner
assembly to see if it is defective and the vacuum assembly that
attaches to it. If you know an easy way? Do you have any ideas as to
what may be wrong with the cruise because the dealer is not helpful ?


Ted

PS: The new switch will be sold on ebay unless someone need it