adding cruise to 2003 silverado

Has anyone had success installing cruise in an 03 Silverado? I've read in another forum that the 03 Silverado came pre-wired for cruise and all you need to do is get a multi-function switch stalk with cruise and install it.
So I've been to the auto salvage and picked up used stalk out of a 2004 Silverado. I disassembled underneath the steering column per instructions found at thecruisecontrolstore.com. They say to strip the wires and extend them but I found a 4 wire plug that plugs into the used multi-function w/cruise I installed. Three of the wires on the harness from the truck are correct to the stalk I installed but the other one is brown instead of the required pink.
So I plugged it in and went for a drive to try it but it didn't work. The next thing I tried was to splice into the brown wire with a different wire and to connect it into another pink wire inside the BCM plug but that didn't work either. I definitely had problems getting to the back side of the BCM plug to identify the correct wiring. In fact I couldn't get to the back of it, the wire harness wasn't allowing me to pull it out far enough and I'm wondering if anyone else had this problem.
I am interested whether or not anyone else has tired this on an 03 Silverado. A couple things I'm wondering myself is whether or not the cruise controls on the used stalk even works (everything else on the stalk does tho) or if maybe there's a missing or blown fuse for the cruise option.
Any help is appreaciated. Thanks.

Your truck is drive by wire, right? Not all Silverado's are....

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Mike M2
Tech Manager
CS Dealer Services

Someone told me that the V8-5.3 engines were drive by wire which is what I have. I'm not entirely sure about it though. How do I know if it is? What do I look for?

Thanks.

Does your accelerator pedal pull a cable going out tru the firewall?   Or is it just a big plastic assembly with a plug (connector) on it?   If it pulls a cable, it is NOT drive by wire and just the handle wont work.

If it is the plastic assembly with the connector it IS drive by wire.

There is a little round plastic housing down there with a wire connection on it. No cables.

Someone suggested to me that it might be possible that it was never programmed in the computer. Any thoughts on that???

Thanks for the responses though. I just need to keep searching online for some answers.

From what I can see from reading some other posts on this cruise control stuff is that it should have worked if I just plugged it into the connector that was underneath the steering column. So now I'll have to reconnect the brown wire on the trucks 4 pin harness plug for the cruise and try a different cruise control multi-switch arm.

I have installed aftermarket cruises in them, which are really just a new lever and plug in. I remember some not having the wires in the bottom of the colunm and you had to add the supplied harness. You may try checking Rostra.com website and see if the install guide there helps any. As for programming the BCM, only newer select GM's need to be(like the cobalt).

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Mike M2
Tech Manager
CS Dealer Services

It should just work, and no programing is needed, just like Mike said.

The ones that I did that didnt have the plug right there, required that I went to the BACK of the ignition wiring junction block.  Thats a little tight, and requires that you free that block from it's mount.

But you said you have the plug right there to plug the lever into?

That's correct, there is a plug there to plug it into. But like I said, the color of wires to plug into were all correct on the trucks plug except for the cruise arm had a pink wire and the trucks harness was a brown wire. I didn't know if that would be an issue and was wondering if that is what other people had going on as well when they went to install it.

I did just plug it together and drove to test it but had no luck with it.

The color of that wire shouldnt matter.  And the switch should be easy to test.   I dont remember the layout of the pins, but I'll try and look them up for you, and you can test the switch.     I think you can actually use a Rostra O.C. switch on that too. 

Even though it's been over a year, I thought I would follow up on this.

I finally decided to take my truck into the shop to see if they could find out what was wrong with the cruise. They told me the stupid cruise switch wasn't working and that they couldn't check the module/servo(?) thing because the switch didn't work. They wanted over $300 just to replace the multi-function handle (over $400 if it was both issues) so I told them forget about it.

I then ordered a new cruise arm off ebay for $60 with shipping and replaced it myself. That did the trick. The cruise now works.

Guess I should have just bought a new one instead of hitting up the auto salvage. Live and learn.

An FYI for all who own an 03 - 06 Silverado. Adding cruise control IS a Plug-N-Play upgrade. All 03 -06 Gas engine silverado's have the same wiring harness and have an ETC/ECM (electronic throttle control) no cables and are factory programmed with cruise control. If you have or buy one that doesn't have cruise control, you can find the correct switch in most parts stores for around $140 - $160. I found a new in the box switch w/cruise on ebay for $50. The plug for the cruise wire is already on the column, it took about 30-45 mins to change out the multifunction switch and I now have factory cruise control no cutting or soldering wires. The factory indicator light in the dash will also start working once the switch is installed and engaged. As for the braking system on these trucks its all done through the speed sensor and the ETC/ECM, after installing I test drove (on a back road to be safe) just tap the brake pedal and it turns off the cruise like it suppose to. It all functions just like it came that way from the factory (because it did) except for the switch. Happy Trucking !!!

How about brining this oldie back to life and helping me out. After a $750 quote from the dealer for a 2003 Silverado 3500 Cruise control upgrade I found a number of links like this that made it seem like no big deal. I ordered a new part for $89 bucks from Amazon and completed the install (as other sites and this had directed) with no problem at all. Now the problem.

Well it didn't work. No on-dash lights came up when I turned it on. Not only did the cruise not work now if I accelerated above 20mph the truck would not switch gears (as if it had a regulator on it). Getting well above 20mph before turning on cruise control had the same effect (a down-shift). Turning the cruise control off and everything worked fine. (keep reading).

Did some online research and found a conflict with a "brake controller" that came with the truck when I got it so I disconnected that system and that did fix the downshiffting/regulating/anti-+20mph problem but I still do not have any on-dash lights or cruise control function.


I have checked the fuses to make sure they work and so now I am at a loss.


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Ben Johnson

jaeger33 wrote:

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After a $750 quote from the dealer for a 2003 Silverado 3500 Cruise control upgrade.....

Well it didn't work. .....
found a conflict with a "brake controller" that came with the truck

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Gas or Diesel?

If a Diesel, I suspect the addition of Cruise may be more involved, including a reprogram, than gas, as the method by which the cruise interfaces with the engine is completely different. Ie, Diesels don't have "throttle blades".

1-Tons with brake controllers are more apt to be Diesel powered than gas powered. That's why I ask.