Love the forum.

I just purchased an F150 (see signature). It's just a plain work truck w/air. I was looking on ebay for an aftermarket cruise control for it, and stumbled across an auction for the factory cruise control buttons for the steering wheel.

In the auction it stated all I needed to do was install the factory buttons to the steering wheel, connect the wires, and take the truck to the dealer to "turn on" the cruise control. The auction stated all of the parts for the cruise were already installed on the truck at the factory, and after I installed the buttons, all that was left to do was to activate the cruise control.

Here's my questions. Is this true? If so, isn't there some way to activate the cruise without taking the truck to the dealer to activate it? I would imagine the dealer would want quite a bit of cash to perform this procedure.

If this is true, I bet one of you smart ones out there would know how to activate the cruise control. Any instructions you have would be deeply appreciated.

 

Dealer "turn on" the cruise control? That sounds dumb. Cruise control uses a brain "box", and this box gets input from a speed sensor (tach lead or transmission output sensor). There's a brake switch shutoff, and some other small stuff. Simple components.

Sounds like the seller is trying to make you a fast deal. Yes, there are the buttons on the steering wheel (on and off on the left side, set, decel, and resume on the right). But you need the above mentioned components to make it all work. I doubt that Ford installed the cruise brain box, switches, etc. on all trucks unless the truck had the cruise control option. That would have been a waste of money for Ford.

 

I've heard that all that needs to be done to put cruise control on 04+ F-150s that don't have it from the factory is to install the steering column components (which I assume to mean switches and wiring harness), then have the proper elements turned on in the computer. This sounds semi-plausible, since with the electronically controlled throttle, the computer technically controls the throttle. Hopefully someone who knows for sure will post up, as I would like to know if I could realistically add cruise control to my XL.

On a side note, tumunga, it appears we have virtually identical trucks, haha. Power to the V6, 5-speed XL F-150s, the greatest setup available!

 

I bet you can take me in the 1/4 though. You have that racing stripe on there. I bet it adds at least 42 hp at the wheels...{snicker}

 

Oh hellz yeah, dez stripes add mad powa!

Hahaha, I know they're not for everyone, but I love the rally stripe package, I think it makes the plain white "work truck" look MUCH better Just gotta get the grill surround and upper bumper painted to match, and it will look even better!


On topic - Anyone have any input on the cruise control? Ford has been less than helpful...

 

These guys:

http://electronman.stores.yahoo.net/fof20facrco.html

sell a "kit" which looks like just the steering wheel switches, for
$115. Anyone know how big a deal it is to install them in the steering wheel? Has anyone had their dealer, or someone else, turn on the CC in the ECM?

 

I guess it doesn't sound to dumb now, does it?

Or, maybe it does. Who cares.

Now, if I can figure out how to "turn on" the cruise control without taking it to the factory...

 

Alright, I finally got some form of an answer from a Ford dealer. I talked to a service tech this afternoon, and he told me that the necessary parts and service to add cruise to an 04-08 F-150 is to get the switches and a new steering wheel, have them installed, and then have the computer reprogrammed to turn on the cruise control.

So, it does indeed seem relatively simple, though I'm not sure why the steering wheel would need to be replaced...The service tech didn't really have an answer, just that a new one would be necessary. He also said reprogramming the computer would cost $84+tax. I got a quote for the parts, and Ford told me ~$94+tax for the switches, and then around $300+tax for a new steering wheel, depending on which one I got. I'm not ordering any parts, as I want to try and figure out if a new steering wheel really is necessary...Hopefully this helps.

If anyone has any more input, please let us know...And if you add/have added cruise, please post up the process/parts needed

 

Switches and activation for under $200? That doesn't sound too bad. If the steering wheel has to be replaced (which doesn't make sense to me), I wonder what one would cost at the junk yard with the switches intact?

 

A new steering wheel is not needed on the 04 1/2-08 because the blank tab pop outs are already there. I am having C.C installed by my local dealer next week for 360 + tax )($160 for parts and the rest is labor). The CC comes in a kit and is a real simple install ( check this web site to see the kit http://thecruisecontrolstore.com/ I not donig it myself because I want it to be coverd by the factory warranty.