https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...-a-2008-a.html

The airbag instructions are in the second post...

 

hey guys! my first post here. I wanna say thanks to the awesome writeup! I have a question I did not see answered maybe you can all help with. I have an 08' F450 XLT. It came with a vinyl steering wheel WITH cruise control but no audio controls. I decided I want a leather wheel, so I bought a leather OEM wheel with the cruise and audio. I just installed it yesterday. very easy, since no wiring harness needed to be changed or anything. Anyway, its nice and all, my cruise control works fine, but none of the audio controls on the wheels work. Did I miss something here? Was it suppose to work as just plug and play? or does the dealer need to program something to be turned on?

Thanks in advance!

 

Which radio do you have?

 

I was hoping you would reply!

I have the standard XLT radio which is just an am/fm single CD player.

 

Your situation might very well answer a question I've had all along.

I have always wondered if my install worked because I ended up with a radio head unit (ACM) from a pickup that had steering wheel controls. When I installed it and ran the self test, it always failed and showed DTC 2404 (Audio Steering Wheel Switch Circuit Fault)... mainly because they weren't present.

Since yours came with a single CD option and no steering wheel controls, I'm thinking the ACM was setup to not read the steering wheel controls. To see if the fault is present, press and hold set buttons 3 & 6 until you get into the speaker self test. During the speaker walk around, press preset button 1 to run the self test and see if it passes or fails.

It is my understanding that the ACM is programmable, but my experience that no Ford dealership service center will acknowledge or attempt it. Even if you could talk them into it, you could probably find an OEM takeout 1CD/AM/FM ACM that had steering wheel controls for around the same cost (I picked mine up on eBay, it was an F550 takeout. fit perfectly with a slight modification to the mounting bracket).

 

Thanks for your reply! I am going to have to try that sequence and see what it says. I was hoping not to have to buy anything else! grrr!

 

My volume button actually quit working today so im in the market for a new right side control. Did anyone find a place to buy the switches without having to buy the whole steering wheel?

 

switches, yes.

I got mine from parts guy ed...

 

Hey, I have one more question for you! I never did that sequence you told me. Instead i am bidding on a OEM 6 cd/radio from a F250 that had steering wheel controls. This should work with mine right? technically once i install that unit my steering wheel audio controls will work? or am i missing something?

thanks

 

Wow, this is a great thread.

I got a 2010 F250 about three weeks ago, I bought it mostly because of the manual transmission. 16K miles and it's Ford Certified.

I was wondering if there was a way to get some audio controls.

The only two super duty steering wheels I see on ebay lack audio controls as well, I'll have to keep my eye out.

My question is, I have a stock single disc radio, so you'll have to let me know if you get it working or if I will need a new head unit. Does anyone know if any newer Ford OEM radio will work (F150, Fusion, etc). Could I upgrade to a 6 disc right away as long as it had steering wheel controls?

Thanks

 

It was my understanding that there was an issue when trying to go from single CD to 6 CD...

I could never understand what that issue might be, and can't seem to remember where I read it either... I think the 6 disk changers have a third plug in the wiring harness that isn't present on most XLs that came with no or single CD players.

Having an iPod, I never use the CD player, so 1 or 6 was all the same, and I never looked deeper into it.

 

****!!! i just won the auction today for the 6 CD changer unit. I guess i have no choice now but to test it out and see if it really works or what is different about it. I will keep you guys updated.

 

ETKMS,

did you break a mirror or something?


It has been a while since I've looked into the operational differences in the ACUs, but i'm about 85% certain about the 3-plug thing...



It's that smallest one between the 16-pin and the antenna connections in this image.

my 2008 XL has no connection to match that.

The original AM/FM ACU used only the large 24-pin connection.
The 16-pin connection was dead-headed into a connector behind the ACU, but present.

 

you might be in luck!

My searching in the last 10 minutes or so seems to indicate that the third plug is a sub-woofer option.

That means, if it IS present on the one you just bought, the unit should function just fine without it. You might have to live with a perpetual DTC, though, if the ACU expects to see something on those pins.

 

Thanks! I guess I will just have to wait and see when it gets here if it works...what is perpetual DTC?