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2003 cruise control shuts off

29K views 48 replies 24 participants last post by  willybos 
#1 ·
Hi everyone. I just found your forum while searching for some answers on my new Focus, hope your able to help. I just bought a 2003 focus on saturday and today on my way to work the cruise control kept shutting off. I would hit the set/resume button and it would work again for about a minute. after it happened about 5 times I just gave up on using it. On one occasion it accelerated itself about 1-2 MPH and then back down....then accelerate.....then back down. It did this about 5 times and I shut it off.

Any ideas what might be causing this issue? Thanks for any help you can provide.

Jon
 
#2 ·
Posted via FF Mobile Are you hitting the brakes while using it at all? Also when it accelerates and deccelerates are you ecountering hills? Other then that either it could be a faulty fuse or something deeper. Idk what else it could be.
 
#4 ·
Posted via FF Mobile Check the fuse, if not, idk I guess bring it to ford and ask them about it. Arent you stull under warranty? You should be right?, bring it to them and have them fix it, thats what warrantys are for.
 
#8 ·
How to diagnose cruise control problems.

I just had some issues with my CC and have sorted that out, but I found there is a really slick self diagnostic procedure for the cruise control. You don't need a diagnostic scanner to do this either, just the car. From what you describe I think the cruise control servo (motor with a spool of cable that controls the throttle body for CC) is bad, but this test will tell you for sure where the problem lies. This self diagnostic test will work on all Foci from 00-05, in addition to many other Ford models in those years.

The test is basically this: you're going to be turning the ignition key on and off repeatedly and then hitting the cruise control buttons quickly in a specific sequence, and then the cruise control light will blink repeatedly, and the number of blinks tells you where the fault is. It's easy to do once you get it sorted in your head and you won't mess anything up if you don't get it right the first time.

If it's a manual, don't depress the clutch. If it's an automatic leave it in park. First, turn the ignition to the accessory/run position but don't start it. Press and hold the CC off switch and then repeatedly turn the ignition from run to off and back to run again, you should do this 3 or 4 times. End this sequence with the ignition in the run position and then let go of the off switch, and you should see your CC light blink once, which means it's ready to run the self diagnostic. If it flashes 5 times at this point then it's a faulty speed control module, which is that servo I mentioned above. Quickly after the light blinks (like a second after), you then need to hit the other cruise control buttons in this order, and you will need to hit them fairly quickly for the test to proceed:

1. On
2. Resume
3. Coast
4. Set/accel

The CC light should blink once after each button you hit. Kind of take your time hitting the buttons and it's easier to keep track of the flashes, which is important at the end because you need to count the number of flashes that come after you hit "set". There won't be an immediate flash after you hit "set", there will be a slight delay, and then will come another short series of flashes. This next part is all verbatim (except for the parenthesis) from the Ford guide I'm translating here.

0 Flashes (no flash after last button is pushed): suspect circuitry or speed control steering wheel switches.
1 Flash: Static test passed (cruise control should work)
2 Flashes: BPP (brake pedal position) switch is damaged, circuit is damaged, or the brake or clutch pedal was applied during test.
3 Flashes: Brake deactivation switch is open or circuit is damaged.
4 Flashes: Indicates the speed signal circuit is open or damaged (wheel speed sensors, ETC)
5 Flashes: Suspect circuitry or module.

So I guess try to run the test. It's pretty quick and easy once your thumbs get the button sequence down. Then you should at least have a better idea where the problem is coming from. Post back here with results, I'm curious where the problem is for you. Mine was the brake deactivation switch which I'm putting in soon.
 
#15 ·
Thanks for the diagnostic. Mine turns on the indicator in the instrument cluster, but doesn't actually engage the cruise control. With any luck this will tell me where it has gone wrong. Again, thanks for sharing.
 
#16 ·
Okay I just ran the diagnosis minutes ago and flash three times it did haha!!!!!! which means "Brake deactivation switch is open or circuit is damaged"....... dude it was easy and worked like a charm....... so how do i fix the number 3 problem???
 
#17 ·
Ran test!!!!

everything was easy if you fallow step by step..... i read the instructions then wrote down the important steps so it would be fast to read........ ran the test and it was a success on first try.... results read 3 flashes which means Brake deactivation switch is open or circuit is damaged...... soo im going to be honest..... i just started working on cars and yeah so please tell me where to go from here!!!!!!!! thank you very much for all your help!!!!!!![goofydrunk]
 
#18 · (Edited)
My problem was the brake deactivation switch too. Have you had any work done on the car lately where someone would have been in drivers footwell area? Anyway, to get at the pedal switches that interact with the cruise control, you need to remove the panel underneath the steering wheel. I think the bolts are all 6 or 8 mm if I remember correctly. You will also need to get the hood release out of the way, there's a big nut on the back and a crescent wrench will loosen it some (don't remember size, might be 3/4 or something) then you pull it down out of the way; the release cable is just in a groove and the nut holds it in place. You would also need to pop the OBD scan port through the panel for the panel to come free, I think this is easiest if you get the panel loose and then use a small screwdriver or something to wedge it through the gap, look at it closely and be careful with it as it could be an expensive mistake, but it pops through pretty easily. There will be a small panel covering the OBD port and it just pops out with a finger pull at the bottom.

Once the panel is free you can get down in the footwell and examine the pedal assembly and switches. There will be 3 switches in front of the top of the pedals. The brake deactivation switch is the green one on top, stop lamp switch is grey, and clutch position switch is red. They all work the same way, they have spring loaded plungers that either open or close circuits when they extend. In the case of the brake deactivation switch, you hit the brake, the pedal arm moves away from the plunger, the plunger moves out and the circuit opens, deactivating the cruise control.

Odds are very good that green switch is faulty. The BPP switch has a ratcheting mechanism that only goes one way, so for instance, if you were to intentionally pull up on the brake pedal the plunger would go further into the switch and if you then let go of the pedal the plunger might not extend far enough back out to contact the pedal arm, and the circuit would stay open and disable the cruise control. You can test the switch by bypassing the plunger mechanism and using a little jumper wire to complete the circuit. To remove the green brake switch you rotate counter-clockwise and some tabs line up with slots and then you can pull the switch from the pedal assembly; it will be the plunger mechanism and a little wiring harness deal it mates with. You separate the two by taking a small pick or something and pulling out the square little brass tab(that's a misleading description, but you'll recognize it when you see it) it just pulls straight out and then the plunger mechanism will be free from the wiring.

I don't remember now how many wires are involved. If there are only two you can just find the corresponding connections in the bottom of the wiring harness and bridge the gap with a small (thin) jumper wire (just a small wire with stripped, nicely twisted ends like a spliff). This closes the circuit and fools the CC system into thinking that the brake pedal is in its normal position. You could then run the self diagnostic again, and if it passes you will know that the problem was the plunger switch. I'm going to try to check some schematics tomorrow and see if I can identify exactly where the jumper wire needs to go. Incidentally, you could keep the jumper wire in and leave the plunger mechanism out altogether, but then you wouldn't be able to shut off the cruise control with the brake and that's a little dangerous.

The switch was like $25 from a local dealership, so you could just buy the switch and put it in. Also, if the only thing you mess with is that green brake switch, it won't affect the car at all to leave it disconnected while you figure it out; that switch only interacts with the CC system and that's already broken, so you can't harm it anymore by leaving it disconnected.

To install the new switch, just plug the switch and harness back together, and push the square metal tab back into place. Then you have to depress the brake pedal, line up the switch correctly so it slots back in, and then turn it back clockwise until it stops. Be careful not to depress the plunger when putting the switch back in, it could effectively ruin it since it only ratchets in and doesn't come back out all the way. Then you release the brake pedal and the plunger ratchets to the correct position and that's it. Set aside plenty of time and make sure you have a good light source so you can see what's going on around the pedals.

Just realized I wrote an entire novel about a cruise control brake pedal position switch.
 
#20 ·
Most excellent. and welcome to hobbyist car fixing. You can learn lots on these forums. My number one advice is to find a GOOD INDIE PARTS STORE. If the store employees look like they have never heard of a PCV valve, or are experts at selling Air Fresheners, and pushing the counter product of the day... this is NOT your part store.

My part store rocks. There's several parts veterans there... and they sell to many regional repair shops. That's the first clue you are onto something. 2nd clue.. They have super good filters in stock. Look for brands like Hastings, Wix, and Purolator. When you need a part, do they have to order pretty much anything, or can they have it later today, or it's in the back..... If they seem to have nothing in stock for a car as common as a Focus, this is NOT your part store. Do they specialize in shiny lights to put under your dash board? this is NOT a parts store... it's a BS retail operation.

A good part store has real stock, smart people that get you the RIGHT part, and the prices are totally fair. There's no "super protection warranty" for an extra 20$.. none of that crap. Just parts and smart people.

My car part stores are "Car Parts Warehouse" (carpartsplus) and my most favorite. Fisher Federated (Federated Auto Parts). The big losers are the shamrock guys, and the big orange zone. the Red place with the checkered flag isn't on a hate list.. so they get me by in a pinch.
 
#21 ·
This test worked awesome for me as well, but a search didn't lead to any threads about what to look for to fix 4 Flashes ( Speed Signal Circuit open or damaged ). I check 53/54/59 fuses all good. Brakes lights good, speedo works fine.

The car isn't throwing a CEL which I thought it would if a speed sensor was gone. The Cruise worked fine until last week. What should I be looking at for this problem? Its says wheel speed sensor, does a 2001 Focus have wheel speed sensors??
 
#22 ·
My documentation indicates 4 flashes indicates the Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS) or circuitry may be faulty or the cruise control speed control actuator itself may need attention.
Auto or manual vehicle? The VSS is located on the passenger side of the diff on manual gear boxes. If your speedometer isn't acting up, it's likely the VSS communication between the ECU and the speed control actuator. The actuator compares the speed recorded by the ECU against the desired cruise speed and opens the throttle accordingly.
The speed control actuator is behind the LH headlamp. Try removing and cleaning the electrical connector.
Wheel speed sensors are irrelevant; they are used by the ABS braking system, if fitted.
 
#23 ·
Wheel speed sensors are irrelevant; they are used by the ABS braking system, if fitted.
I'll second that, right now my rear passenger side wheel speed sensor circuit definitely has an open and cruise control still works, so it apparently plays no role in the system. Anybody reading this, keep in mind the stuff in parenthesis was my interpretations and assumptions, and in this case wrong. The rest is straight from Ford.
 
#26 ·
This thread is really helpful, but I'm still having a hard time diagnosing a cruise control problem.

I have a 2002 Focus SE auto sedan and the cruise suddenly quit working - no light on the dash comes on and nothing happens when I press the switch.

I do have LED brake light bulbs, high mount stop light bulbs and license plate light bulbs, but I'm pretty sure I used the cruise control after installing them with no problems. Data on this seems inconclusive. (But perhaps I was wrong about it working as that is seeming like the most probable cause).

I wasn't able to get the diagnostic mode to work. When I turn the car on with the OFF button depressed the Cruise light on the dash comes on for the bulb test, but when I left go of it, nothing flashes and nothing flashes when I press the specified buttons either.

I tried removing the green switch and it came out really easily and then I couldn't get it to go back in (but I didn't have the trim panel removed either). I was thinking maybe the switch just came loose from the bracket and that is the problem.

I didn't have a jumper wire with small enough terminals, so I tried using a paper clip across the terminals and that didn't work - but it might not have had good contact.

I took the green switch in the house and verified it had continuity when the plunger was depressed and not when it wasn't.

I was going to try plugging the switch in with a clamp holding the plunger depressed, but when I tightened the clamp, it collapsed the switch (before it was stopping at about 1/2-inch out for the depressed position). I connected the switch and it fell out of the clamp, but I managed to manually depress the plunger by hand while driving, but it still didn't work. Looks like I need to buy a new switch either way, unless there is some way to take it apart and get it to ratchet back out.

At this point, I don't think it is the green brake switch (although it looks like I might be replacing it anyway). It could be the switch buttons, the module, or a wiring fault, or the LED's (which seems likely).

It was a pretty stupid idea if Ford ran the brake lights through the cruise control, but it looks like they probably did. At this point, replacing the LED's back to incandescents is probably the easiest way to see if I can get the cruise control working again. I don't want to splice the factory wiring to install resistors that cost almost as much as the bulbs. And I really hope the cruise will work with LED's in the 3rd brake light as I don't want to go back to 194's as 2/3rds of them were broken and it looks like it would be a real pain to install resistors on each light inside that housing.

If anyone has tips on why the diagnostic won't work, or how to restore the switch, or how likely LED tails are to cause this, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks in advance!
 
#27 ·
Okay - I got the problem sorted out ... it was the bulbs.

I remembered that the rear turn signals and brake lights used the same bulbs and I hadn't changed to LED turn signals.

Swapped the turn signals and tail lights and the cruise works fine when I hold the green switch plunger in. The turn signals flash really fast, but still work. I could add a special flasher to deal with that, but I'll probably just go back to standard bulbs.

Really dumb design by Ford in this case.

So at least on my car, you can use LED 3rd brake lights, but not both 3rd brake lights and tail-lights. (Not sure if LED tails would work if I still had 194's in the 3rd brake lights).

I still need to take apart the green switch and would appreciate tips on that, but I figure I can't break it any worse than I already have ...
 
#28 ·
Good that you got the cruise control issue sorted out. It sounds like you did the same thing I accidentally did and pushed that plunger in right? This was awhile ago, but if I remember correctly there's a circular metal clip that holds the plunger ratchets detents. If you can pull the clip out and manage to hold onto it you should be able to pull the plunger out some and then reinsert the clip and the switch should still be serviceable.
 
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