steering wheel seek button problem

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Mar 4, 2014 | 08:29 AM

ctfl

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steering wheel seek button problem

Is there a way to fix or change the function of the steering wheel audio control seek button on a 2014 F350 Lariat? The default factory function per the manual is; press once to go to the next programmed preset, press and hold to go to the next available station up or down the frequency band. (This is exactly the way my 2011 Expeditionworks). But it is not working that way on my 2014 F350. If I press the seek button once momentarily it will go to the next programmed preset as designed. If I press and hold the button (about 2 seconds as I do in the 2011 Expedition) until the radio starts seeking and release it will sometimes seek to the next available station and sometimes it will go directly to the number 6 preset. It then gets hung up there. Each time I press and hold the button it just goes right back to the number 6 preset. Even if I change that preset to a different frequency it still goes to whatever frequency is programmed in number 6. I've brought the truck back to the dealership twice and have been told that upon further research the way that the button is supposed to work now is to press once momentarily and the radio will change to the next programmed preset, press and hold for a count of 4 seconds while watching the display to show "seek all" then release the button and it's supposed to seek to the next available radio frequency. This is very distracting while driving and most times it skips available radio stations and other times stops on complete static. Get the exact timing (as perFord service tech) wrong and the radio defaults to the number 6 preset. It's very frustrating. As the button works now it is completely unreliable and useless. Anyway, is there any way to fix this? Or is there a way to change the function of the button so that when you press it once the radio will seek to the next available frequency? The same way the seek button on the dash audio control works. I'm not exactly sure how the can-bus system works with these buttons. Can you reprogram the button?,the radio?, or the module? What about swapping wires in the plug somewhere to make the system think you pressed the dash seek button when you press the steering wheel seek button? Just some random thoughts. I did try taking the button out of the 2011 expedition and plugged it into the 2014 F350 but got the same results as the stock button so simply changing the button seems to be out.