My truck is a 2001 Supercrew, so of course when the recall on the cruise control came out, I called and my truck was not on the list - my build date was in February of 2001. I've read the cruise links from time to time, and I learned to be a bit leary of my cruise anyway, but I never unplugged because usually I don't use it.

I started driving on the interstate more recently, and used the cruise a few times. I tried it yesterday, and it wasn't working. When I got home, I spaced it off, as I went through the typical evening of having three kids age 6 or under.

Tonight, I went out to look at fuses to see if I could figure out what happened, and I took a look at the deactivation switch just to see if it was the culprit. Sure enough, it was wet inside of the connector, and it smelled like brake fluid. There's no chance it was something that was spilled (it's never low), and the outside of the master cylinder is bone dry.

I've read that my year of truck will blow a fuse first before it catches fire, but Holly Crap - talk about a close one! I should've unplugged it in the first place . . . just glad it didn't go up in flames.

So - I'm going to call the dealer in the a.m. - even if it's not part of the recall, that can't be right.

 

What fuse did it blow again?

I'm having issues where a fuse is blowing every time I put the gear in Reverse. The fuse that is blowing for me also controls the cruise control, reverse lamps, climate control selector and DRL.

THanks

 

It actually wasn't a fuse, it was the deactivation switch on the end of the master cylinder. I couldn't find any fuses that were blown, and everything else still works that should be on that circuit (DRLs, back up lights, etc.). When I told the tech this on the phone, he said that it sounded like the deactivation switch. Since I'm not part of the rebuild, they said they could fix it, but I'd have to pay for it (including diagnostics - which I think he said was $75 just to hook it up . . .). Or I could buy the part for around $20 and switch it myself and see if it worked. Payday is Friday . . . so my cruise is still unhooked. I figured for $20, I'd rather just try it myself and see if it worked.

Do you have auto climate control? I don't have it on mine, so that wasn't affected. I've read in other posts that that can mess things up as well. Then again, it could be as simple as changing the switch for you as well. Unplug your deactivation switch and see if there is any brake fluid in the connector . . .

There is a diagnostic you can run on the cruise as well - if you do a search you can find it. I was going to try it on mine, but the brake fluid in the connector seemed a dead give away. If it doesn't work, I'll run it myself as well.

Good luck!

 

New part is 14 bucks. Takes all of 5 minutes to replace.

Your 01 does not have the fuse that will blow quickly to prevent overheating/fire hazard.

Go to NHTSAweb site and fill out a report on the failure. They are looking for additional failure data to see if the recall should be expanded.

Steve

 

RedCrew, I taped my up with electrical tape after unplugging. A friend of mine's dad is a mechanic at a Ford Dealership. He said if you got a Ford, ini van, Truck etc. SUV, all have the same connector until 04! period. And that the recall have a long way to go. I have a 02 F150. I am waiting on Ford before I replace mine incase there is another issue. My 2cents

 

Steve, I have been told ALL those switchs until 04 are the same. There was only one switch and it stays HOT on the Ford's. The film cracks allows the fluid to it the hot switch and then there is fire. he said there are not different switches on different vehicles, all the same.

 

Well my truck is part of the recall I just got another notice in the mail yesterday but so far haven't had the time to take it to FORD to fix it yet.

 

Correct, but they're not all failing. Just because they are the same model switch, does not mean that they are the SAME switch. Different batches, different lot numbers, different process changes, and different suppliers for the raw materials all come into play. Maybe it's a specific compound in the brake fluid eating away at the seal? Maybe that brake fluid was only used from that supplier for a year and a half, and only then at specific plants? In other words, maybe the failure has nothing whatsoever to do with the switch itself and all other vehicles will not be affected unless the brake fluid from an F-150 is transfused into it? There's a whole lot of Maybe's.....

Until Ford has figured out exactly which switches are failing and which ones aren't, and, more importantly, why, the recall won't be expanded. Once they can nail down what's going on and which vehicles are affected, they'll be able to figure out who also need them replaced.

Case in point: I have a '98 Explorer and my sister has a '97 Ranger, both with the *same* switch as my F-150. My F-150 has the *same* switch as JMC. JMC's failed, mine was recalled on teh F-150, and the Explorer and Ranger switch (which are two and three years older with 50k each more mileage than my F-150) are 100% A-OK, completely intact, and work daily.

Replace it if it'll make you sleep better at night. Until the recall is expanded and it can be shown what vehicles are affected and why, we're all just beating a dead horse here.

-Joe

 

Are there any threads containing pics of this switch (where it is located, what it looks like, etc.)?? My truck was built in Nov. 2000, but I never received a notice, but I would like to inspect the switch anyway.

 

Yes, do a search on Cruise Control or Cruise Recall. The culprit switch on my 2000 Expedition was orange. The pic someone posted was orange as well.

 

Safety and Maintenance forums. There are at least two threads with pics.

-Joe

 

Joe I tried to send a reply .. maybe lost it.. I think you are mostly correct, except, several year models have been recalled.. (not likely a batch issue like other products) all I was saying is, fact : the switch stays hot when off and if I were going to gamble, id gamble on a 20 dollar switch replacement or unplug it.. I am sure FORD can't or keep up with an immediate 5 yr recall. Thats all i am saying. They would never do a wide yr recal at one time.

take care

 

Sound advice which most of us have been preaching from the start.

FWIW, I was chatting with one of the engineers involved in teh testing just this afternoon again. We crunched the (really rough) numbers. Figure this problem is unique to the '97-'03 F-150. Ford sold more than 3/4 of a million of those trucks every year. Now, figure (conservatively) that that number is accurate. (They actually sold more, but old age, accidents, retirement, etc.... say it's a spot-on average, just for arguments' sake).

Now, at 750,000 trucks per year, times six years, that's 4,500,000 trucks. Now, multiply that times $15/truck just for the part alone, and we're talking $67,500,000 in parts alone (not to mention that they need to come up with 4.5 million switches!!) Now, add to that a half hur of labor at a labor rate of $90/hr for a dealership employee to install it ($45 x 4,500,000 = 202,500,000) for a grand total of $270,000,000 to replace the switches in ONLY the last generation of F-series pickups.

Now..... Add to that number the OTHER vehicles which also used that switch: Expeditions and Navigators of the same generation, Explorers and Rangers from roughly '95-'01 (Ford sold close to a million Explorers in '98 alone!! (975,000 to be exact... and that's without including Mountaineers!!)) Don't forget the B-seris Mazda pickups, Crown Vic, Town Car, Grand Marquis, Continental, Mustangs, Tauruses...... TAURUSES!!!! The mighty taurus, which has never had a brake pressure switch failure and is the heart and sould of rental fleets across the country should be recalled because a similar part in another vehicle failed and started a fire?? I don't think so....

In short, a complete and total recall of every vehicle equipped with that switch would literally bankrupt the company. Ford gets a government bail-out, my stock goes to pennies, my job goes overseas, and you guys all lose the valuable insight into the problem because I can't pay my cable internet bill...... (where did that turn left?!!?) But I digress....

Obviously it's a big problem. Let us pin it down and figure out what's happening. If it's a bad part across the board, I assure you NHTSA will figure it out, and Ford will do the right theing with or without them. They (like every other auto company) can't afford the bad press that comes with doing otherwise.

-Joe

 

We're going on a trip, and I decided to just buy the replacement switch and change it myself. Lightningcrew, the switch is under the only electrical connector on the end of your master cylinder. It's a two-wire connector.

I'll go to the NHTSA and report it - which I agree, everyone who's had a problem should do.

What I don't get is regardless of whether it's officially part of the recall or not - why doesn't Ford just fix it when they see it, and it's obviously a problem? I know, I know, it's a matter of money and investigating which batches are bad and such, but people are getting hurt from this one. To me, it's obvious my truck does have the wrong switch, and anybody who looked in the connector and saw the brake fluid would agree. So why not just have the techs to change them when they see ones like this?

This is probably all stuff you guys have heard before, so sorry for venting a bit. And $25 is only about a half a tank of gas anymore, so it's not really the $. I'm still gonna save my receipt and the old switch, though.

By the way, got the switch installed, and that did fix the problem - the cruise works great now.

Thanks again, guys.