2002 F-150 5.4 V8 115K miles

Had the recall fix done to my truck a few years ago and things with the cruise control worked fine for a while.

Now it seems I am blowing/popping the fuse in that inline harness all the time. Really the only way I can ever use the cruise now is if I start the truck and replace the fuse after it is running. Usually if I engage the cruise after that it will work but if I turn it off by pushing the switch or step on the brake pedal it will not work again until I replace the fuse. If I am lucky to get a couple of uses out of the new fuse 99.9% of the time if I shut the truck off and start it again the fuse will fail at that moment.

Any thoughts on what I might check or could be going on?

Thanks.

 

on the brake master cylinder there's a switch....take the electrical connector off and make sure fluid hasn't leaked in there.....that's what would cause the fires is the seal in that switch would go bad....

 

There were two recall campaigns. The first one replaced the harness and added an in line fuse and also replaced the switch in the master cylinder. The second one did not replace the switch but left it in place. By doing this all the safety requirements were met because in the event of a switch failure the fuse blows. You need to either replace the switch or bypass the switch. Bypassing the switch is relatively simple but you must realize that the switch will no longer function and that in the event of a failure of the cruise control to disengage you will no longer have the protection of that shut off switch.

 

People, do not bypass the pressure switch.
Replace it at $30.
Reason: when cruise is turned on, there are two safties involved.
One is your brake switch to apply voltage to the Cruise control and one to remove voltage at different points as a double safety making sure the Cruise control shuts off.
The pressure switch is 'normally' closed until pressure opens it.
Every vehichle with CC no matter the make has a fail safe circuit in it's design.
Don't defeat it.
Good luck.

 

Bypassing it for diagnostic (only) purposes is a quick and useful step. There are still numerous ways of disengaging a cruise control including pushing the OFF button, hitting the brake, and moving the gear lever into neutral available during testing.

 

Thanks for the replies..

I know I replaced that switch once before the initial recall ever was issues because the cruise stopped working and it had fluid in that connection area. Last time I checked that connection (this had been 6-8 months ago and this issue has been happening for almost 2 years now) it was dry. Ill check it again this weekend and/or replace to see if that gets things working again.

My question is if I replace that switch (even if it was dry inside the connection) what else could be causing this to happen?

Thanks

 

there's also the brake pedal switch....inside the cab

could also be a dead spot in the clock spring....

 

Do you think the switch at the master cylinder could cause intermittant functioning of the cruise control? Mine works sometimes, but not all the time. When you remove the switch will brake fluid run out?

 

Yes, as can other components of the system.

No, there is a Shrader-type valve under the switch.

 

Thanks. Good to know. So would that be the most economical place to start fixing my cruise control- replacing the switch? Or should I concentrate on another component?

 

Don't remove & replace parts yet.

As posted above, bypass the switch itself, and see if the problem persists.

To bypass it ( for testing only ) unplug the recall harness, and jumper the end of that harness together.

If you do not have 1/8" male spade terminals ( 1/4" are the "normal" ones ) to file down to fit the connector, you can break an ATM ( AT mini ) fuse and use the pins off one of those to solder a wire to the 2 pins to make the jumper.
It is just a U at the end of the factory connector for the CC safety switch.

This will remove this part of the system for testing
- keep in mind if you have an issue with the brake lamps ( switch ) while testing, you need to manually press the off switch to get the CC to disengage ( else ram in someone on auto pilot ).

 

I think mines finally fixed...tracked it down to a short 5" connector....its between the recall harness and master cylinder switch.....one of the connector ends had a loose pin......
got a new connector and mc switch for $19 from Ford...works like a champ now....

 

What years were these recalls for? I dont remember hearing about them. I have a 98 4.6L and use cruise control daily.

 

Yours is affected.

http://owner.ford.com/servlet/Conten...ge/RecallsPage

Put your VIN in - if it shows up you need to go get it done asap. If it doesn't show up, it's already been done.

 

There's suppose to be numerous ways to disengage a cruise control but none of them worked for me last Sunday. Here's what happened. I was driving on the expressway last Sunday and set my cruise control at 74 MPH and drove about 20 miles before I had to brake for a slower vehicle. When I pressed the brake the pedal it was hard like a rock and the cruise control wouldn't disengage. I pressed harder and was able to slow down to 65 MPH but the cruise control was still engaged and my speed gradually increased to 74 MPH. I tried to turn it off by pressing the on/off button on the left side of the steering wheel but it still wouldn't turn off. Traffic was light and the road was dry so I kept trying to turn the cruise control off by braking and using the on/off switch but it remained engaged. I also tried the coast button but it didn't work either. I pressed the set/accel button and it too didn't work. I exited the freeway and could tell that I was going to have trouble bringing the vehicle to a full stop so I put it in neutral and applied the brakes. I was able to stop but the engine raced to 4500 RPM. So I put the truck in park and turned it off. When traffic cleared, I restarted the engine and it raced to 4500 RPM. I put the truck in drive while the engine was still racing and made a left turn into the center left turn lane. I had to put the vehicle back into neutral while I waited for traffic to clear so I could merge and it raced to 4500 RPM. I put it back in gear with the engine racing and the cruise control finally disengaged. However, at this time I smelled smoke coming from the engine compartment. I decided to re-enter the expressway and go home.