Horn & Cruise not working

[FaFaFoHi]

I have looked at the relevant threads here and have checked both fuses. the horn will beep when you lock the doors or hit the panic button. the clock spring was replaced recently, and ford dealer blamed the garage that did the clock spring for damaging connections. took it back t the previous garage and they tested continuity on the clock spring and no issues found. they rigged up a horn button on the dash, but it is pretty ugly. ford says there is a short between C220 and C146. I pulled the horn & cruise wiring diagrams from Auto Zone and if they are accurate, the only real common intersect between these two connections is the EATC module. I have found the electronic version for sale on Ebay, but mine is the old school knob type. I knob for fan speed, 1 for temp, and 1 for directing air flow. Are the two interchangeable? could the short lie in there? the ac blows fine, no check engine lights, no cruise light on the dash....should there be? Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[2000StreetRod]

C146 or C148?

According to my 2000 wiring diagram the horn related connector under the hood with the YE/LG wire that goes to the horn relay is C148 not C146. The continuation of the YE/LG wire that goes to C220 for the horn clock spring has a branch that goes to the RAP module. The horn relay is energized by grounding the YE/LG wire. This can be done by the clock spring/horn switches or the RAP module. Since the horn beeps when you lock the doors or hit the panic button then the circuit from the horn relay to C220 is good. If the YE/LG wire were shorted to ground the horn would sound continuously. I assume that your kluge manual button merely shorts the YE/LG wire to ground energizing the horn relay.

Your problem is somewhere between the C220M YE/LG connection pin to ground. If you have EATC then C220 has 8 pins instead of 6 pins for no EATC. I suggest you disconnect C220 and measure the resistance from female connector pin 4 (BK/WH wire) to ground. If it is not a short then check the ground connection located left front of engine compartment near radiator. If the resistance is a short to ground then the path is open between male C220 pin 5 (YE/LG wire) and pin 4 (BK/WH wire). It could be the clock springs or the horn switch. Measure continuity with the horn button depressed while turning the steering wheel.

EDIT: In looking at the speed control diagram I now understand why you were saying C146. There are 5 sliding contacts shown. One is a common to ground. Two are for speed control. Another is the one for the horn. And the 5th is for backlighting. An easy way to check the common sliding spring and the path to ground is to check the backlighting which comes from the instrument panel illumination. When you have backlighting on the instrument cluster there should be backlighting on the steering wheel mounted speed controls.

 

[FaFaFoHi]

the speed controls do not light

 

[2000StreetRod]

instrument back lights?

the speed controls do not light

Do the instrument back lights work? If so, then disconnect C220 and measure the resistance of the BK/WH wire (C220F pin 4) to ground. If that's a short (less than 1 or 2 ohms) then the common clockspring is broken or not making connection. That would explain no horn and no backlighting but not the speed control not working. It looks like honking the horn normally disables speed control. I wasn't aware of that and it is not documented in my Owner's Guide but it makes sense from a safety standpoint. The 1K resistor provides power to the speed control switch input when the speed control is on. The power comes from the horn relay via the horn clockspring. The voltage to the speed control input when the speed control is on is battery voltage. When either the coast, set/accel or resume button is depressed the voltage is reduced to the speed control switch input by the selected voltage divider. If battery voltage is 13.0 volts then coast would be 1.4 volts, set/accel would be 5.3 volts and resume would be 8.9 volts. I suspect either the C220 connector is messed up or multiple clocksprings are broken/not making connection.

 

[FaFaFoHi]

thanks for the tips!. I have a buddy with a VOM meter and we will check it out.

 

[morgfarm1]

One thing to check out with Cruise.. When I bought mine, some noob unplugged the sensor harness from the Master Cylinder, might look and see if you find it. Here's a picture of it after I found it.

 

[1998Exp]

That noob must have been scared of the infamous fires related to the CC disconnect switch (that you are calling a sensor). The correct solution is to do the recall, which installs an in-line fuse.

One thing to check out with Cruise.. When I bought mine, some noob unplugged the sensor harness from the Master Cylinder, might look and see if you find it. Here's a picture of it after I found it.

 

[1998Exp]

For a while the dealers were out of these fused harnesses, so when someone showed up for the recall, they simply disconnected the CC plug and told them to keep it out until they get the part. Might have been what happened.

That noob must have been scared of the infamous fires related to the CC disconnect switch (that you are calling a sensor). The correct solution is to do the recall, which installs an in-line fuse.