Hi folks, I'm back after a long absense. I've finally decided to put my '97 eAWD back on the road since I need something to tow my go-kart trailer. Most things on the van work well enough, however, the cruise control has never worked in my ownership of it. What are the most likely culprits for that and what do I need to do to diagnose it? I've checked the obvious (fuses) and don't see any blown ones. Do the servos tend to fail on these?

 

I need to fix mine also. From what I've read here, the clockspring is the usual culprit.

 

If the clock spring checks out, check to see if the vacuum line going to the vacuum motor is connected properly. One car I looked at had a cracking connection at the tree, and just was not supplying enough vacuum to the motor.

 

Isn't the clock spring an airbag part? I don't have an indication of a problem with the bag. How is the clock spring diagnosed? Thanks

 

The clock spring can fail gradually and retain some function as it dies. This means that you could loose say, the horn and the airbag, but cruise might still work, or really you could loose any combination of cruise, horn, and airbag functions. So the test is really based upon either multiple failures, or by eliminating other possibilities. It should not be tested with a meter, since you could accidently deploy the airbag.

 

OK, is the clock spring used specific to the Aerostar, or is it shared with other models? Is the dealer the only game in town? I don't see that listed on autopart store sites...

 

It is a dealer only part. I believe it is shared with other models, but I have never really compared.

 

REMOVAL INSTRUCTIONS:

I just did mine 2 weeks ago on my 1994.
removal:
First off the manual calls for unhooking your car battery for 5 minutes. The reason-there is stored energy that could still make the air bag deploy if you start to mess with it too soon. I unhooked my battery and walked away for 30 minutes.
Behind the steering wheel (feel back behind it). there are 4 holes. These are 10mm nuts. Usually you need a deep well socket for this or simply just take your shallow socket an don't press it down over the connection of your socket and it will work as a deep well. After the nuts are out you will be able to lift out forward the air bag unit. There is a connect so disconnect and lay it to the side.
Now what you are looking at is the center nut (5/8"). You'll see your button connection on the left and the right. These are very easily damaged. While working in this area be very careful.
You'll need to remove the steering wheel to get to the circular casing (clock spring) behind the wheel.
Have your steering wheel in the straight forward looked position.
Take you a 3/8" drive set up or an 1/2" one to use and either a 5/8" deep well socket or a small extension on the ratchet with a shorty socket.
There is a little bit of torque that had run this down so ease into it.
(NOTE)>before removing the nut go ahead and put a scratch mark at 12 O'clock position with an scratch awl or a screw driver. A marker works fine as well. Remember your turns out or the amount of thread you see before removing the large nut so that you can go back in the same way to finish later.
NOW remove the nut. Do you see the threaded hole now? They make an steering wheel gear puller from Auto Zone that you can pick up for about 7 bucks.
Note:The small threaded holes above at 12 and the other at 6 O'clock from the center hole? These are what you use, but mine had striped out.(this metal is the weak pot metal and if the steering wheel is on good and tight the threads will pull out and there isn't anything you can do about it.
If this happens to you there is a second way of removing the steering wheel.
--Just above this area at 12 and just below the area at 6 you will see closer to the wheel assembly an area where a gear puller (the kind that has two arms and has the arm in a scoop design (like you cupping your hand). Well, you have to tear off/cut with small dikes a small bit of plastic from these areas and once done the gear arm faces will lay then right on the wheel and then just simply run down the gear puller. There is allot of strength needed for this. Stand out side the car, for leverage place your right knee up in the seat, stand with your left leg, grasp the steering wheel with your left hand and break the torque (slowly) with your right arm. You will easily do this okay? There is only about 4 threads exposed which means you have to unscrew this about 20 1/3 turns to remove.
Go ahead and mark your steering wheel here too. Before you pull your wheel off you'll have to easily unhook your small connections for your horn and cruise. Then you have to feed these small wires out of your way.Once
you pull yours off you are now looking at your baseball sized round plastic cased clock spring. See the small brass looking screws. I believe there is 3 here. If you don't have the right star screw tool (Torx head) you can easily apply a small set of locking pliers to this and unscew them.
NOW-if you look closely you'll see there is a sticker where it gives you the instructions of when installing the clock spring you need to "clock it". This means that since you have a spring like an over sized wrist watch spring in there that is wound up you have to go back with the new one in such a way where you have to wind it in twice and install in. Just simply read on the sticker to make sure. The reason is you turn you wheel possible 3 or 4 times to make a turn. You don't want to max the spring out or it will break.
NOTE; That is how these failed to begin with. Over 100 grand on the odometer-turning a zillion times.
What did I do?
Well, I didn't spend what you would spend at a parts place.
New is best I know, but I have easy access to a local junk yard.
I practiced on the donor van.
I messed up the first one. Owner said cool. I got the second one down perfect.
Remember saying what a @$@^^& the clocking of the spring was? well, if you remove one that has already been on a van you just simply go back STRAIGHT in with the used one.
Run it down and total COOLNESS>
Info I left out-there are a few tricks. Your kicker panel below the wheel on the dash. Remove this panel. Now you have access to two plastic clip connect that you must remove. Which ones you ask? You'll see when you simply trace it down from the steering wheel.
Your small electrical wires. Pull down your bottom half steering wheel column cover. To do this and get some play remove some of the phillips screws to give yourself some play. Don't force anything here. Your key cylinder is holding it in place. There is a small metal tab that is used as a ground for your connect. If you don't put this back correctly you'll have a NO GO when you want everything to work.
NOTE: word of advice. There is a small plastic tab that always breaks on the small tab. NO WORRY HERE. Going back in with it put a couple of super glue drops on the tab. Re-install it. Hold it in position for two minutes.
FOLLOW UP TIME:When you get to the point where you see the clock spring casing. At 2 or 3 O'clock position you'll see what appears to be an connection to unhook. DON'T DO IT! I messed up here. It is locked in and not a disconnect. The hardest parts are removing the wheel if it strips out. tracing your 2 electrical lines to the underneath of your dash (just under the dash). Lastly the small plastic/metal clip that goes to a small cavity right in front of the key assembly.

----Long winded I know-but-I have included every freakin detail. Give me a shout and I will totally walk you through it. I still have this all in my head-no foolin. Worst case scenerio-I'll even talk to you on the phone and go sit out in my van and give you a play by play.---Hope I've helped.--Boz

 

the CC switch

AutoZone.com | Vehicle Selection - Year

more CC sections listed on the right side frame

schematic
http://econtent.autozone.com:24991/z...528006de70.gif

 

Like I said (by the way 96-this really helps) , but Auto zone failed to mention two MAJOR things-correct me if I'm wrong here.

1.) NO MENTION OF CLOCKING THE CLOCK SPRING-MAJOR NO NO

2.) NO MENTION OF THE SMALL PLASTIC TAB I SPOKE ABOUT. THE ONE THAT IS USED AS A GROUND BY THE IGNITION -I SPOKE ABOUT GLUEING THE CLIP IN PLACE-"REMEMBER"

This type of info. is okay, but it only provided the basics. I'm saying to that if one followed this to the "T" the "AUTO ZONE" instructions-you would still NOT have a successful install. I don't think that the author of those instructions ever replaced the clock spring module and whats up with the "other" pics? They have everything so thrown in there on their site that they even had the freakin' orifice tube pictures on there.
I suppose having the air conditioning working while your working on the cruise control being nice and cold would benefit.

WAIT A MINUTE-----NO IT WOULDN'T. HAVING THE POWER ON!?! I COULD SEE IT NOW. FOLLOWING THE DIRECTIONS AND HAVING YOUR AIR BLASTING THE ARTIC CIRCLE DEEP FREEZE ON YOU AND THEN blammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm------
EVERYTHING SHUTS DOWN BECAUSE YOU JUST LOST 3 TEETH FROM THE AIR BAG EXPLODING IN YOUR FACE ---YOU NEEDED THE POWER ON TO HAVE THE................................TOOO FUNNY--HAVE A GOOD DAY

 

Bozzz94, in your other post, you mentioned testing the continuity of the clock spring before removing it from the junkyard. What was it that you were actually checking? I don't have mine apart yet, but I want to verify that the clockspring is the problem before actually removing it...

 

First post for me on here, great forum. When i bought mine a year and a half ago the cruise didn't work but the horn did. After a while horn went out too. Linkage broke on column and when we replaced the broken shifter we changed the clockspring also now t6he cruise and horn both work great. Hope this helps. T

 

Torsen Rick,

Continuity answer. I removed the air bag. Then I took my Ohm meter and ran a check through the clock spring. I had continuous current through the unit. GREAT-This is the one I bought. Something easier for you to use if you don't have the Ohm meter. Take a power checker. You know, the scribe looking pointer with the light in it and they usually have an in-line fuse in them to. Plug into your fuse box and then into your plug. see if it lights-no-then no good.

If you are at the junk yard take you a 9 volt battery (more than likely your Junk Yard van won't have a car battery in it). Do the same type of self test.

You might have to check a couple before you get a winner. My price was 2 dollars. It really offsets the cost of new in my opinion.--Good Luck Boz

 

I guess what I was asking was if you recalled which pins specifically on the plug for it should actually have power on them when you checked them. Or maybe which portions of the circuit were connected to which. When you had continuous current, where were you applying it and where were you reading it?

 

Basically the interior harness (steering wheel) is connected to the single plug in the middle. This plug (affixed) has 2 wires (covered in yellow wrap). It has a female connector, but only uses to wires. This one is for the horn. The other one (black) is for the cruise buttons. Some connections are spades (pins) and the others are hollow female connections. Simply like I stated after the air bag is pulled (book says for 5 minute disconnect first-I do 30 min)you have access before yanking the clock spring module. This is the time I checked things out and if continuity exists "BINGO" and if not move to another donor. It took me two tries. Pain in the a$$---well yes-but the money feels safer in my back pocket than in the hands of strangers.