My 2008 Escape LTD AT steering wheel has a chunk out of it, so I got a steering wheel off eBay advertised as a '2008 Escape' steering wheel (came with upper part of column also).

The color is the same, and it looks exactly the same - except for one cruise control button.

I don't know if there was a difference between the MT and AT cruise controls; the owners manual doesn't say. Or if maybe this wheel is from a different year than 2008.

What I would like to know is if the wire connections will be the same, if the 'Set-' button is the same as the 'Cst-' button.

I'd hate to swap them and then find out there was a different pinout for the eBay cruise buttons...

And can anyone say for sure what year/trans option the eBay wheel is from???

Thank you!

 

Our 2010 has the "SET -" nomenclature.

A quick check of Owners Manuals on motorcraft.com tech resources free area shows that the 2008 (first year of the new body design) is the only year in 2008 - 2012 with "CST -" as the label. I assume CST was an abbreviation for Coast, though the 2008 manuals do not give it a name other than what is marked on the button.

For 2009 - 2012 it is labelled "SET -". Either way, the description of the function that button performs is the same across 2008 through 2012.

The description of how to use the cruise control never mentions any difference in the buttons with regards to auto vs. manual transaxles. The buttons are the buttons.

 

Thank you for the detective work! I appreciate it!

I've already tried out the 'Cst-' and it is indeed 'coast to a lower speed'. I guess some Ford engineer/designer decided that 'Set-' was more descriptive.

I've only had the 2008 Escape a week, still finding out things about it. I did take out the four bolts holding the rear cargo area plastic cover off and oiled them. Didn't look underneath; I was making sure I had something I could attach tie-downs to. Next will be a cut sheet of plywood covering the entire rear area. I haul things.

I was worried I might have to switch the buttons and wiring for the cruise control. From your checking the other years I'm confident I won't.

 

I finally had a nice day today, and with help from the Ford manual I was able to get the air bag out and swap the steering wheels. Now I have a nice looking steering wheel, instead of one with a chunk bitten out of it.

But the cruise control buttons are different - the pinouts are wrong for my early [?] steering wheel. The cruise doesn't work. (It works fine with the original wheel).

I will gladly take it apart again and swap the old button assembly and harness over to my new wheel...But how does the button assembly come out??? It's not cast in, and I don't see any screws or even any tabs holding it in...I've tried gentle prying but it resists all efforts to pop it out.

How does this bugger come out???

 

OK, I threw caution to the winds and decided that if the manual says "Pull [button assembly] toward rear of vehicle" then that's what I'd do!!!

That doesn't work, unless you're Magilla Gorilla. But I was able to put the steering wheel in a drill press and push the button assembly out with a 2x2 on the edge of the assembly and giving 'pressure pulses'. The pics show the flanged 'pins' and their holes [red lines] and the edge [blue line].

Tomorrow, if it doesn't snow (we had snow on the ground in the second week of April), I'll pull the 'new' wheel off and remove that button assembly and replace it with this one, which will hopefully still work, after all this prying and pressing.

 

The snow held off and I got the wheel back out today. Pressed the 'new' button module out and installed the 'old' module. There was an additional difference between the two - the 'old' module has an extra wire. Pic shows the differences in the wires.

The button modules press out fairly easily with a drill press and a 2x2. Going back in was a bit difficult, but I rubbed diswashing liquid on the surrounding surfaces, and with a couple tries to get it aligned as it went in, it popped in place.

Took it out for a test ride and the cruise control is once again functional. And I have a nice looking steering wheel.