When I bought the F150 18 months ago the cruise + horn did not work. The clockspring in the steering wheel(behind airbag) is a common point of failure in these trucks. Six months ago I replaced the clockspring and cruise control wiring harness(attached to brake cylinder)with aftermarket units from Rock Auto. Since then, the cruise has worked flawlessly until this week; and will engage only about half the time. Any ideas?
Intermittent Cruise Control in 95 F150
- Thread starter Brandon Gatz
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What brand clockspring? Dorman? It's entirely possible the aftermarket clockspring has gone bad. I would look for an OEM one, though you may have to go with NOS (new old stock).
Also, did you just replace the harness for the switch and not the switch itself? Have you checked the fuse on the jumper harness? If the switch starts leaking bad enough to blow the fuse in the harness, you will lose cruise. Replacing the switch from the start is the way to go, and Ford MIGHT still do it for free if the fuse has blown and the switch is leaking. I am running the jumper harness only (original Texas Instruments switch), but only because Ford added the harness for free under the recall campaign. If the fuse in it blows, it's getting the upgraded switch. Nobody sells the red Texas Instruments switch anymore, you can only get the updated black one. Which switch does the truck have?
Also, did you just replace the harness for the switch and not the switch itself? Have you checked the fuse on the jumper harness? If the switch starts leaking bad enough to blow the fuse in the harness, you will lose cruise. Replacing the switch from the start is the way to go, and Ford MIGHT still do it for free if the fuse has blown and the switch is leaking. I am running the jumper harness only (original Texas Instruments switch), but only because Ford added the harness for free under the recall campaign. If the fuse in it blows, it's getting the upgraded switch. Nobody sells the red Texas Instruments switch anymore, you can only get the updated black one. Which switch does the truck have?
Clockspring was a Standard Motor Product
I mispoke regarding the wiring harness. It was the release switch, also made by Standard Motor Products, which I purchased from Amazon.
Where is the jumper harness?
Ford might do something free on a 19 year old truck?
I mispoke regarding the wiring harness. It was the release switch, also made by Standard Motor Products, which I purchased from Amazon.
Where is the jumper harness?
Ford might do something free on a 19 year old truck?
Well scratch them doing something for free, you replaced the switch already (a good move, but negates the recall). But yes, if you rolled up to the dealer with the original TI switch and no jumper harness, they would have put either the jumper harness on or replaced the switch depending on the condition of the switch. I'm surprised it had not been done already, but if it's a multi-owner truck, the recall notice probably fell through the cracks 6 years ago.
The jumper harness, if it was ever installed, would be a large chunk of wires attached between the switch and the original harness end with a fuse on it. It sounds like your truck does not have this. It was installed as part of the recall campaign by Ford on vehicles with the Texas Instruments switch that did not show signs of leakage or other failure. It sounds like the harness you installed was just the adapter to make the new switch plug into the old harness.
SMP = BWD = not terrible (generally better than Dorman), but your replacement could be bad. Given that the original repair did fix it for several months, I'd say the replacement part failing is the most likely cause of the current problem.
In your situation, I'd probably just live without cruise until I found an OEM clockspring. I am sure some are out there somewhere. You could try to warranty the SMP clockspring, but depending on how much you spent it may not be worth the hassle. Ford clocksprings are funny anyway...mine has never had a functional failure, but for years the back lighting on my cruise control switches has been intermittent. One side of the steering wheel will lose its back lighting for months, then it will come back, then the other side might lose its back lighting for months, then come back, and so on. Thankfully the actual functions have always worked and only the back lighting has been affected.
The jumper harness, if it was ever installed, would be a large chunk of wires attached between the switch and the original harness end with a fuse on it. It sounds like your truck does not have this. It was installed as part of the recall campaign by Ford on vehicles with the Texas Instruments switch that did not show signs of leakage or other failure. It sounds like the harness you installed was just the adapter to make the new switch plug into the old harness.
SMP = BWD = not terrible (generally better than Dorman), but your replacement could be bad. Given that the original repair did fix it for several months, I'd say the replacement part failing is the most likely cause of the current problem.
In your situation, I'd probably just live without cruise until I found an OEM clockspring. I am sure some are out there somewhere. You could try to warranty the SMP clockspring, but depending on how much you spent it may not be worth the hassle. Ford clocksprings are funny anyway...mine has never had a functional failure, but for years the back lighting on my cruise control switches has been intermittent. One side of the steering wheel will lose its back lighting for months, then it will come back, then the other side might lose its back lighting for months, then come back, and so on. Thankfully the actual functions have always worked and only the back lighting has been affected.
No, that's just some pigtail, doesn't look like it would even plug in to the switch.
The jumper harness may not be a part you can order, and would definitely be Motorcraft-only. It might have been made just for the recall and installed just for the recall.
Mine has a large blue label on it that you can't miss. It has a notice about the recall on it.
It will be plugged directly into the switch if you have it.
The jumper harness may not be a part you can order, and would definitely be Motorcraft-only. It might have been made just for the recall and installed just for the recall.
Mine has a large blue label on it that you can't miss. It has a notice about the recall on it.
It will be plugged directly into the switch if you have it.
I found a pic of my truck that shows part of the harness...
The rectangular thing held to the wire with a zip tie is the fuse. You can see the two plugs, one at the switch, and one at the harness, but some of the wire is out of view in this pic. In my truck, they zip tied the whole mess to the ABS module.
If you have the updated switch (black top instead of red), this harness serves no real purpose. It is just a safety for the Texas Instruments switches.
The rectangular thing held to the wire with a zip tie is the fuse. You can see the two plugs, one at the switch, and one at the harness, but some of the wire is out of view in this pic. In my truck, they zip tied the whole mess to the ABS module.
If you have the updated switch (black top instead of red), this harness serves no real purpose. It is just a safety for the Texas Instruments switches.
If you listen to Dorman,everything they make is great,carries a lifetime warranty,and is a fix for the oem's mistakes (OEM Solutions its called).Frankly,everything Dorman I have seen is cheaply made,no better than original,and if made of rubber...dry rots in short fashion.Now they have delved off into HD truck parts...good luck with that.
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