Born Free Leap'n Lions RV Club Info & Discussion Forum

The cruise control on my BF will engage and work fine many times in a row after braking, turning off and restarting the engine, etc. However sometimes it refuses to engage. Driving on the Interstate recently I had it engaged. I had to brake for traffic and when I attempted to re-engage it failed to do so. Then, still driving, I tried several times to get it to re-engage. Turned the cruise control s on and off several times and tried to get it to re-engage--no luck. I drove for about an hour and tried again. Bingo! Worked fine. Any ideas of what the problem may be?

One possibility could be the brake switch out of adjustment. A simple way to possibly test this is, when it won't engage, put your toe under the brake petal and pull up, then try to engage the cruse control again. If that doesn't work you would need to go through a diagnostic process. Good luck.

Virgil

Dallas Baillio wrote:The cruise control on my BF will engage and work fine many times in a row after braking, turning off and restarting the engine, etc. However sometimes it refuses to engage. Driving on the Interstate recently I had it engaged. I had to brake for traffic and when I attempted to re-engage it failed to do so. Then, still driving, I tried several times to get it to re-engage. Turned the cruise control s on and off several times and tried to get it to re-engage--no luck. I drove for about an hour and tried again. Bingo! Worked fine. Any ideas of what the problem may be?

Ford had a series of recalls affecting cruise control in vehicles of that era. I would first verify with Ford dealer that all, particularly the final, fixes were done. This occurred well beyond warranty period and was a safety issue since occasional fires resulted. I would not use cruise control until this was checked out. There was a lot of discussion on RV Net.
Ralkhp

I had all the recalls done. I also tried pulling the brake pedal up with my foot while driving. Yesterday on the Interstate the cruise control would not engage. Today on the Interstate it worked. I pushed and pulled on connections to the brake pedal today, so perhaps that made a difference. Seems unlikely though. What a real pain. I have a medical condition (peripheral neuropathy) that with continuous pressure on the bottom of my feet I develop a burning or tingling sensation. Constant foot pressure on the accelarator brings on the sensation so cruise control is much more comfortable for me.

My F450 cruise control works intermittently, generally is will not engage during rainy periods.
I was searching on the WWW and came across the following information. More information is available at https://www.zehllaw.com/practice-areas/ ... rol-fires/
I am going to take my rig to a Ford dealer to see if the proper wiring harness has been installed on my RV
Warning Signs in Ford Vehicles
If you have one of these vehicles, you should seek to find out if it has been repaired pursuant to the recall. Your local dealer should be able to help you determine if the corrective wiring harness has been installed. If it has not, you should have your vehicle serviced under the recall as soon as possible.
In the meantime, the following are all potential warning signs that the cruise control switch in your Ford vehicle may be defective. If you notice any of these issues, you should seek help right away:
Your cruise control is not working properly
You notice brake fluid leaking in your engine bay
You have a blown fuse near the switch
The fuse for your cruise control cannot be opened
Ford Models Recalled Due to Faulty Cruise Control Switches
The following is a complete list of the Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury models that have been recalled:
Trucks
1993-2003 Ford F-150
1993-2003 Ford F-250
1993-2003 Ford F-350
1993-2003 Ford F-450
1993-2003 Ford F-550
1993-2002 Ford Super Duty
2001 Ford F-150 Supercrew
2002-2003 Lincoln Blackwood
2003-2004 Ford F-150 Lightning
How & Why Control Switches are Causing Fires
Basics of Ford’s Cruise Control Devices
The cruise control switches at issue cost Ford about $21. Manufactured by Texas Instruments, they are installed under the hood – attached to the brake master cylinder on one end and connected to the cruise control on the other. The cruise control switches are wired through the same electrical circuit used to power vehicles’ brake lights. Due to their design and location, all that separates the brake fluid from the switches’ electrical components is a thin film barrier.
The Placement of Ford’s Cruise Control Switches Can Lead to Fires
According to federal law, the electrical circuit controlling a vehicle’s brake lights must be powered at all times so that the brake lights will function even if the car is turned off. Since Ford wired the cruise control switches together with the brake lights, the cruise control switch is powered at all times. This creates the potential for disaster: a continuously-powered switch sitting right next to a reservoir of flammable liquid.
Each time a driver applies the brakes in a vehicle with one of these defective switches, it puts vacuum pressure on a seal in the switch. Over time, this can cause the seal to fail, allowing brake fluid to leak into the switch – which causes corrosion. This corrosion can then cause the switch to overheat and ignite a fire. Since the switches are continuously powered, fires have been known to occur up to several days after the vehicles were last driven.