1996 Ford Explorer - Cruise Control Trouble

Your vehicle may fall under the expanded Field Service Action 05S28... this is the one for the cruise cancel switch mounted on the brake master cylinder. While there are no guarrantees that this is the concern, checking with your local dealer *may* indicate that your vehicle is covered and having the recall performed *may* cure your concern.

Since there is a definite chance that your unit is covered under the FSA AND your cruise has stopped working, I would NOT delay in exploring this possibility.

Jim,

Thank you for your response.

I check with a Ford dealer and I was told that the FSA05s28 did not include the Explorer. It was for the 1994-2002 F150, 1994-1996 Bronoco, 1997-2002 Expedition and 1998-2002 Navigator.

Now I do not get any dashboard indication when I turn on the cruise control and press the coast button when I reach the desired speed - a few days ago the dashboard indicator would flash once when I pressed the coast button at the desired speed. I realize it could be a number of things but where is the best place to start. Does the 1996 Explorer cruise control have self diagnostics like the 1999 Explorer. If it does, it is the same procedure as the 1999 Explorer?

Thank you for any advise. Alex

I'm unsure if the two share the same diagnostic procedure.... I do know that the shop manual (and I'm sorry I can't remember what years may be involved or if it has been corrected in DVD/CD editions) contain one inappropriate test step. The one instance I can recall involves a cruise actuator being diagnosed by another tech in our shop. For scheduling reasons, I was the "benefactor" of the other techs diagnosis. The actuator didn't cure the concern and I repeated the pinpoint test and came to the same conclusion. A quick (well, maybe not as quick as they promise) call to "luke warm" line revealed the bad direction.

In this case. the symptoms were, as far as I can recall, about the same as yours and the fix was the switch on the front of the master cylinder. You'll have to pardon my sloth in not referring to the manuals but my last customer today was the epitomy of "the customer from hell"....

At the risk of sounding like a whiner, I'd like to recount this just to add "depth" to the delicate relationship we have between customer. service adviser and tech. The "subject" is an 04 F550 with a purpose built deck (power tongs for the oil patch... sorry I wont explain, I've already hijacked the thread once).. Park light fuse blows immediately. Since this ubit s still covered under the B to B warranty, my first task is to divorce the wiring on the deck from the wiring on the truck. Aside from the act that there is about 500 pounds of ice, mud and snow trapped in the area I must access, there is no concern. right? Well that lasts right up until the customer becomes aware that if the concern is in the truck, Ford will foot the bill including time to access the concern. But, if the concern is in the deck.....

Anyway, I spent better than an hour getting things so I could at least see the wiring and ensure that WHEN I get droolled on, it would be sort of clean, the customer decided to unload on me. What unmitigated gall that I would suggest that this concern may involve someone other than Ford. Looking at the deck, it has been in service longer than the truck with abandonned wiring all over the place... all of it MY fault.

Having enjoyed a few portions of Mr. Seagrams finest product, I felt that I had an opportunity to add a little window into the life of a tech...

Jab me in the ribs tommorrow and I just might look at the manuals.

Uncalled for boast... my son, turned 18 on Friday the 13th, just qualified for a mortgage on a home... fairly modest by local standards ($150K+)... While other Dads are worried about what their kids are up to, I feel proud...

Jim,

Thanks again. I will check out the switch by the master cylinder.

Congrats to your son. I am sure you had alot to do with his qualities.

Alex