Every time I start my 2012 F150, alarms start going off - 'Service Advanctrac', 'Check Brakes' flash on interchangeably whether I'm moving or not. Sometimes my drive to work sounds like I'm in a freakin' arcade. Sometimes nothing happens at all, there's no rhyme or reason to it. My local dealer looked at it and told me they 'need to replace my computer' and it'd cost $1,200. Seemed like a heckuva lot of cash to make something stop dinging, so I took a pass on that one.
My friend, a local mechanic with 30 years experience, looked into this, and told me the wheel sensors can go bad and cause this. He checked all mine and they were OK. He said he cleared my computer of codes ( I don't really know what that means, but he'd done this for me once before, and the problem went away for a while) but he really couldn't identify the problem.
I've done a number of web searches about this, and am not coming up with much. I did see videos about a fuse on top of your battery that can cause problems if blown, but mine is intact. I don't have any of the problems that others have listed - wipers coming on, lights or signals going out, loss of power -nope, I've just got the noise factory. It's making me crazy, and it's kind of embarrassing when I have a passenger - you know, 'WTF is wrong with your truck?!' Still - $1,200 to make the alarm stop dinging is an awful lot of cash! Does anyone out there have experience with this? Is there a solution that doesn't cost $$$$?

 

What motor do you have?

 

3.5L V-6 with Ecoboost. I use 89 octane gas and the truck has run just fine for the 45K miles I've put on it.

 

2011-12 Ecoboost F150s have an electric vacuum pump that is known to fail and cause a brake assist fault.

 

Thanks for the response, Olytlr. I did a quick search on that, saw the video on the boards here. I don't think I have that problem (yet!) - my brakes aren't soft in the morning, and the noise I'm complaining about is the alarm under the dashboard. But now I know about something else to keep an eye out for.

 

Are you getting a brake assist fault message?

 

No - I get 'Service Advancetrac' and 'Check Brake System' on the small screen centered above the steering column. Sometimes, icons on the odometer or tachometer light up and stay on; other times they flash on and go out quickly. The photo I'm attaching here isn't my truck, but it is what I'm seeing:

 

Service Advancetrac is tied to a few different things. I wonder if it ABS related. I would check for DTCs. You can use a code reader from an auto parts store unless the dealer gave you a printout of what they came up with.

 

Well, it so happens that my mechanic buddy will be over for dinner tonight, so I can pick his brain about what he saw. More tomorrow, I guess.. Thanks for your input!

 

Cluster is going bad. Connector on board has one or a few bad solder joints. Been there.

 

Hi Machman - I see you're in Wildwood - not too far away. I'm in Collingswood, near Camden.

'Cluster', I'm guessing is 'Instrument Cluster'; I'm seeing the part available for $350-$400 plus a refundable $300 core charge. Is there a test to make sure this is defective, or is it more of a visual inspection?

 

I am still curious what DTCs popped up that your mechanic friend cleared and if there are any current DTCs before I would replace the IC.

 

I had the same symptoms with my 10 stx. After poking around, I found another post from an individual having the same problem. A firm hand slap on the top right dash above the cluster made the lights work. The problem is the solder joints on the connector at the top right of the cluster. Not easily accessible but the fix is to put two screws through the body of the cluster to press on the connector. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for your input, gentlemen. My mechanic friend came by with his work computer just now. We plugged it in, and initially got "No codes present". Under 'Koer Self Test', we did get 'P1124 - (TP) Sensor A out of self test range', which Jim said was something related to the throttle. Memory codes was not storing anything.

Machman - I watched some videos about how to remove the cluster from the dash, pretty straightforward. It looks to come out like a big plastic box with a plug in the top. When you say the solution is to put two screws through the body of the cluster, I'm guessing that's opening up that box and inspecting the circuit board for bad joints? Or should I be looking around where the plug goes into the body of the box holding the cluster? I'll have a look at this tomorrow - I'll have time to fool around with it and don't have to go anywhere.

I can order a new cluster online and install it myself; looks like the only issue would be getting the odometer set. I've read that the dealers get the supplier to set that before they send the part - maybe I can get the same done, if it comes to that. It looks like the dealers here would charge $700 for the part, plus installation and whatever other diagnostic stuff they throw in there, for a total bill of $1,000. If I can get that part for $350, I'm surely going to do it myself.

 

'10 and '11 ICs are different so don't go putting screws in your cluster. If it is a sign of an IC failure I would drive it until it fails. It's an easy swap.