Cruise Control: Replaced switches, checked bypass fuses...still nothing.

[J Piroth]

So, the steering wheel switches on my Trac have been shot for a while now. The left On/Off switch was cracked to hell, the other was just faded & funky. So, I replaced them. The new switches look great, but the cruise control isn't working.



The On/Off switch seems to be functioning properly, because i can only operate the other Set/Resume/Coast switch once I've turned it on. The green cruise control light comes on when I hit the Set button. Then...nothing. It's not controlling the speed of the Trac at all. Won't hold it at speed, can't accel by holding that down and can't decel by holding coast.



After reading through posts, I checked the two 2 amp fuses in the bypass Ford installed after the recall and those are both clean and intact.



Where should I look next?

 

[Bob Floyd]

Is the cable still hooked up to the throttle body? Mine was a bad connection and would fall off all the time had to buy a new cable not hard at all to change. Good luck Also the brake deactivation on the master cyl. can fail and not allow the system to work

 

[Mark K 2]

Have you replaced the brake master cylinder switch? That seems to be the culprit in most cases that I've seen.

 

[J Piroth]

I'll check the cable tonight, roamer37. Thanks for the tip.



As for the switch...I haven't had the issue with the cruise control light blinking like others have posted, but I guess that might be next on the list.

 

[EddieS'04]

I had to use the cables from the old switches. The new ones were thin junk and had a break in them. The originals were solid and heavier duty. I suspect the thin ones broke a wire during the routing. New was a gray ribbon, old black ribbon.

They are difficult but will unplug.

 

[J Piroth]

Ok, I replaced the switch on the master cylinder and the harness that comes with it...still nothing.



HOWEVER, when i went to clean the IAC just now I noticed that the secondary cable attached to the throttle was just dangling there under the cover. It looks like the plastic bracket at the end of it cracked and it can no longer hang onto the post it's supposed to be attached to.



Am I correct in assuming that this is the cable that actually opens the throttle and accelerates when the cruise control tells it to? If so, I believe I've found my problem.



Also, does anyone know what the part name or number for that is? Having a hell of a time trying to identify it online.

 

[Duane Foster]

I agree that you've found the problem. I don't know the part#, description, or if it can be purchased separately. If you have to buy a whole cable, be sure to get one from a Job 2. The Job 1 cable is much longer and loops around & comes in from the driver's side. It also connects inside the cruise control module in a different orientation. The local pick 'n pull here charges $16 for "cruise control". That bought me the module, cable, and steering wheel switches. If you can find a deal like that, you can switch out the module and cable (they're an assembly) in less than 10 minutes.

 

[Yardsale]

There are two for the 2001 - one for build date before 7/30/2000 (F87Z9A825GA) and one for after 7/31/2000 (1L5Z9A825BA); they are around 20 and $25, respectively.



The first link is for a 2001 with 5R55E transmission. If you don't know the build date, enter your VIN to determine which is correct. The second linked site doesn't have a VIN search capability.



<a href="http://www.fordparts.com/Commerce/CatalogResults.aspx?y=2001&m=Ford&mo=Explorer%20Sport%20Trac#Search" target="_blank">FordParts.com for 5R55E; enter VIN if needed.</a>



<a href="https://www.fastoemparts.com/parts/2001/FORD/Explorer%20Sport%20Trac/Base?siteid=214455&vehicleid=49479&section=FUEL%20SYSTEM&group=CRUISE%20CONTROL&subgroup=CRUISE%20CONTROL&component=CABLE" target="_blank">FastOEMParts.com</a>

 

[J Piroth]

Thanks.



I just ran over to the local Ford dealership at lunch and got the part number from them. (It was the later one, 1L5Z-9A825-BA) Found one new on eBay for $27 shipped, so it's on its way.

 

[Yardsale]

:supercool:

 

[J Piroth]

Update: worked like a charm. Super simple fix.



The only slight modification I made was that the new cable didn't have enough foam insulation on it to reach down near the bracket it clips into, so it was sitting right against the hot top of the engine. I cut some of the insulation off of the old one and zip-tied it to the new one and all's good.