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Been fighting an intermittent cruise on our 2005 E-150. Very intermittent. Got where it didn’t work more then it did. I had replaced brake light switch some time ago. This is drive by wire van. Looked up the speed control circuit in the FSM. The only circuits are brake light switch and the brake pressure switch. Did some googling and the f-150 folks have had a lot problems with the brake pressure switch. So I ordered one and installed it this afternoon. Bingo. It hasn’t failed to set or resume all day. Not hard to change. On the van I used a 7/8’s crows foot open end wrench on a ratchet. The electrical connector was pita to get off. This switch seals on a taper so once you break it loose it will come off by hand. Word of caution is have the new one ready and don’t fumble finger it. Fluid will run out with it off the master cylinder. And it is on the bottom of the master cylinder. Top off brake fluid and give it a try. I didn’t have to bleed anything.
I know this is a 2-1/2 year old thread. Much of my experience is with my 99 7.3 Diesel F 250 truck. I'm helping my neighbor with his 2005 E 350 5.4 van. He's leaving on a cross-country in 3 weeks, and the cruise has been working at times, but now will not engage at all. Just like this OP reported.
In the diesels, all there is is the brake switch, the master cyl switch, and the steering wheel controls. Based on the thread above, it seems the 2005 gasser (which is indeed throttle by wire, I looked) has the same inputs. I'm going to have him purchase the master cyl switch, and we'll begin there. Cheap and easy enough.
Does anyone else have any further input as to where to look?
Thanks.
The 2005's have only the master cylinder switch and steering wheel switches that engage and change VSC settings, Check all brake light bulbs as well including the HMSL or "third eye" light on the roof above the rear doors. If one of those are burned out or otherwise failed that might cause the failure to engage.
At the outside this could also be the clockspring but check the cheap easy fixes first.
As troubleshooting this master cyl switch, you can remove the connector and run a jumper across each wire, then test drive it and see if the cruise works . if it does then it is that switch. the brake light bulbs have 0 to do with the cruise control. no current is flowing through that circuit when you go to turn the cruise on. 90% of the time that switch is the problem, if its had the recall done, make sure the fuse isnt blown due to a leaky switch. when i test drove the 04 E250 i just bought the cruise didnt work, I asked the guy if they had any idea what it might be , kid say they told him it would be around 1500 to fix it..and they would have to remove the airbag off the steering wheel and all this bull**** . 10 min after getting the van home i jumpered the M/C/ switch and bam, I had cruise. and BTW both third brake light bulbs where out. still had cruise.
lol
I hate it when peeps don't come back with follow-up and the final conclusion. In my friend's van, it was the switch on the Master Cyl.
Thanks to Jim Rockford for the tip of jumping the switch connector for testing. I'm generally pretty good at coming up with these kinds of tests on my own, but didn't for this one. I'll remember it now. Thanks.