C420sailor
Explorer Addict
- Joined
- July 29, 2008
- Messages
- 2,316
- Reaction score
- 1,891
- City, State
- Long Island, NY
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 98 XLT SOHC, 99 EB 5.0L
My '99 EB has the 'fancy' wheel with the cruise, HVAC, and radio controls in it. It's nice, but finding parts sucks. Unlike the XLT/XLS wheels, no new cruise control switches are available, leaving only used switches on eBay.
My cruise didn't work when I got the truck, and I traced it to the 'ON' button not activating the system (via the diagnostic test). I ordered a replacement button unit on eBay for about $40. Cruise worked!
Well, that win lasted about 9 months.
I pulled the "new" button unit out, split it open, and started probing with my digital multimeter. The button itself was good, so I started checking for continuity between the second connector pin from the bottom (just to the right of "C2" and the lower solder joint (1) on SW1. No continuity. I checked for continuity between that pin and C3. Checked good. Checked between C3 and the switch solder joint---no continuity.
I had a bad trace between C3 and SW1---the trace that runs down the right edge of the board.
If you look closely, you'll see a '3' next to SW1. Zoom in and you'll see a broken trace. This trace was actually corrosion green, and I scraped it away just before taking this photo. Corrosion got to the trace and ate through it, breaking the circuit to the ON button (SW1).
I decided to attempt to fix it, as this seemed to be a common failure, and spending another $40 for a failing button unit didn't seem smart. I took a small piece of stranded wire, approximately 22AWG (I think) and cut it to perfect length and soldered it from contact 1 on SW1 to the right side of C3.
As you can see, my PCB soldering skills aren't good. I've got a 20 year old super basic Radio Shack iron, no magnifying glass, and the solder I was using was WAY too thick. If you've got a proper soldering station with thin solder, you can make this solder job look professional.
Regardless, be careful to not bridge contact 1 with the metal switch case or any other contacts/joints/etc. You're connecting SW1 contact 1 to the right side of C3 ONLY.
I reassembled everything, threw it in the truck, and it passed the diagnostic with flying colors!
My cruise didn't work when I got the truck, and I traced it to the 'ON' button not activating the system (via the diagnostic test). I ordered a replacement button unit on eBay for about $40. Cruise worked!
Well, that win lasted about 9 months.
I pulled the "new" button unit out, split it open, and started probing with my digital multimeter. The button itself was good, so I started checking for continuity between the second connector pin from the bottom (just to the right of "C2" and the lower solder joint (1) on SW1. No continuity. I checked for continuity between that pin and C3. Checked good. Checked between C3 and the switch solder joint---no continuity.
I had a bad trace between C3 and SW1---the trace that runs down the right edge of the board.
If you look closely, you'll see a '3' next to SW1. Zoom in and you'll see a broken trace. This trace was actually corrosion green, and I scraped it away just before taking this photo. Corrosion got to the trace and ate through it, breaking the circuit to the ON button (SW1).
I decided to attempt to fix it, as this seemed to be a common failure, and spending another $40 for a failing button unit didn't seem smart. I took a small piece of stranded wire, approximately 22AWG (I think) and cut it to perfect length and soldered it from contact 1 on SW1 to the right side of C3.
As you can see, my PCB soldering skills aren't good. I've got a 20 year old super basic Radio Shack iron, no magnifying glass, and the solder I was using was WAY too thick. If you've got a proper soldering station with thin solder, you can make this solder job look professional.
Regardless, be careful to not bridge contact 1 with the metal switch case or any other contacts/joints/etc. You're connecting SW1 contact 1 to the right side of C3 ONLY.
I reassembled everything, threw it in the truck, and it passed the diagnostic with flying colors!
