Do I have a bad clockspring??

[14.6@97MPH]

I've got a 1998 LSC and recently lost my cruise control. I've checked all the fuses and they are good. The horn works and I don't have any air bag lights.

But, I can't do the cruise diagnotics posted by mlschultz on .org. To start the cruise diagnostic mode you have to turn the key to the on position and hold the cruise off button. Nothing happens in my car (the cruise lights are supposed to flash). Which would lead me to believe I have no connection and a bad clockspring? I can get the cruise light to go on for a fraction of a second at speed. When I try to set the cruise at speed, the cruise light barely flashes and not 100% of the time?

Any thoughts on this?? Is there anything else I can do to confirm I've got a bad clockspring? I've also got no error codes from my crappy amazon reader.

Ken

 

[DLF]

I'd check for power at the cruise servo in the driver's fenderwell, before I started messing around with the clockspring. It could be any number of things besides the clockspring. Pin 9 s/b hot at all times (fuse 32) and pin 7 s/b hot in run (fuse 34).

 

[DLF]

So what happened?

 

[GMAN]

Might be a good time to check on that cruise control recall.

 

[14.6@97MPH]

My first reaction to the broken cruise control was to put the car in the back of the driveway and drive my other cars, but I guess it doesn't get fixed that way.

Anyway, I finally borrowed a volt meter and once it stops raining (I don't have a garage) I'll test the speed control servo with the info from above.

As far as the recall, I believe I had it done on this car. I'll have to go through my folder to double check, but for as long as I've been around Mark VIII's, I can't imagine I didn't get this done as soon as I got the car 4-years ago.

Ken

 

[14.6@97MPH]

OK, here is the cruise control self diagnostic check by mlschultz on .org...
http://www.markviii.org/htdocs/dc/d...0&topic_id=3828&mesg_id=&page=&mode=full#3894

Scroll down to his post, if it doesn't go right there.

I can get this diagnostics to work on my car now, I'm not sure why. Maybe because I drove it a bunch of miles before trying it this time. Anyway, I'm getting no error? I know the self diagnostics is working because the cruise light is flashing after pushing each button, AND one of the errors that can come up is 'brake pedal applied'. When I do the test with the brake applied, it tells me the brake is applied (it flashes twice).

Has anybody done this self diagnotic test before and are there any thoughts before I start taking the car apart and testing doug's suggestion above? I should have gotten a 'defective speed control servo' error code if that is my problem??

Ken

 

[14.6@97MPH]

OK, car is apart.

Pin 9 is hot all the time.

Pin 7 only blinks .02 volts when power is on for part of a second. About as long as long as the cruise light flashes when I try to put it on. When the power is off, Pin 7 is 0 volts. I also tested the wire going into pin 7 and got the same results.

Also, today, I can not do the cruise diagnostics, it doesn't work.

What's next?

Thanks!
Ken

 

[DLF]

You want to test at the cable and connector, not at the module.

Pin 7 (R/BK) appears to run directly from fuse 34, check it.

NOTE: The wire colors in the connector diagram I posted above don't match what's actually in my car or in the schematic below. Both came from the same factory CD, thanks Ford!

 

[14.6@97MPH]

I've got power at fuse spot 34. I did also try switching out fuses too (for another 15-amp fuse). That didn't work.

Yup, I did test for power at the cable and connector when doing this at pin 7 (spot 7). I even tested the wire itself, same result. (to see of the wire had a bad connection in the connector).

Any suggestions now? If I have a short somewhere between the fuse box and the connector that goes into the cruise servo that would really suck??

Ken

 

[DLF]

It's not a short. If it was a short, the fuse would blow. Most likely a bad connection or open wire along the route between the fuse box and the cruise servo connector.

Assuming that you're checking the correct wire (red with a black stripe), under the correct conditions (key in run), then you're going to have to trace it back until you find the break.

The first thing that I'd do is check that wire for power at the nearest bundle, which is inside the fenderwell. Stab the wire with a pin and check for voltage with the key in run.

It's a PITA, but you'll need to keep tracing it back until you find the problem.

 

[14.6@97MPH]

Finally fixed my cruise control!! I had a bad connection (the red/black wire) that was in the wiring harness under the air filter box. It took me hours to track this down as I started on the other side of the car at the cruise control servo. The wiring harness under the air filter box was rubbing up against some a/c components and wore through the harness wrap, harness tape and then the actual cruise wire.

I’d like to thank Doug (again) for pointing me in the right direction for this fix!

Below are the pics.
- Pic 1 - You can see where I cut the bad wire out
- Pic 2 - The bad wire I cut out
- Pic 3 - My soldered and taped repair
- Pic 4 - Cleaned up repair (you can get a better idea of where the rubbing happened)

Ken

 

[DLF]

You're quite welcome.

I'm glad to see that you got it fixed.

Although I would have used heat shrink tubing instead of tape.

 

[14.6@97MPH]

You're quite welcome.

I'm glad to see that you got it fixed.

Although I would have used heat shrink tubing instead of tape.

There is heat shrink tubing under the tape. That part of the wire will last longer than the car.

 

[DLF]

Check your cars!

I've looked at both my car and a '94 that I have on my lift, and both show signs of rubbing the harness in this area.

I've ordered some -16AN cushioned stainless steel line clamps that I'll install in order to prevent a future problem.

This is something that everyone that owns a Mark VIII should look at!

 

[94m5]

Point taken......

 

[DLF]

And the fix, using an existing screw to secure the clamp.