Replacing Multifunction Switch

[COBRA_ESQ]

To those of you who sent me a PM, the dealer took the part back.

From this experience and past, I highly reccomend the parts department at McCarville Ford in Centereach, NY. You can buy online and the discount off list is often 20%+. Talk to John, tell him Rich with the 03 Cobra sent ya.

 

[Wellard]

Multi-functionan switch replacement

I was trying to replace my MFS this afternoon with little success.

I haave problems getting the steering column covers off. Is there a trick to this? It didn't help that I couldn't get the column tilt lever off - any guidance on how best to do this would be great!

Thanks in advance!

 

[jfman]

I agree that it's a pain to do.

You have to force it over the haxard switch. On my truck, I did not eve remove it. I just separated them so I could access the screws that hold the MFS on.

Good luck !

 

[Wellard]

Thanks.

I was reluctant to force it, as it wasn't obvious to me at the time as to whether I should be taking the dash apart to allow the covers off... it was hard to judge how far under the dash the covers were tucked in.

I'll have another try tomorrow and see if I have better luck... knowing that I was doing thre right thing helps. It was just a pain working around the transmission lever and the column tilt lever.

I'll put some WD40 on the column tilt lever and see if I can loosen it. Knowing that its metal (by having some of the paint chip off) means that I know I can put some force into turning it, then just touch-up the black paint afterwards.

 

[COBRA_ESQ]

I found the same problem with the tilt lever. I left it on and worked around it. Really was not as hard as it looked.

 

[aldive]

Not sure whats going with your MF switch; I found this to be a simple 20 minute job.

 

[Wellard]

I found the same problem with the tilt lever. I left it on and worked around it. Really was not as hard as it looked.

Thanks I got it all done today. Figuring out how everything fitted together was the hardest part. I ended up losening up the dashboard to give the column covers more room to move so that I could get room to access the switch. I left the tilt lever in place and ended up working around it.

 

[Wellard]

Not sure whats going with your MF switch; I found this to be a simple 20 minute job.

I'm glad that you had no issues. You have to remember that ease is a relative term. "A simple 20 minute job" for one may not be for another as it depends on wheter you're used to ripping apart your car and have experience doing so. Your comment would have been useful if you had posted step by step instructions and photos, otherwise it didn't help me do the job in 20 mins.

 

[BilHam]

96 Explorer-- My wipers haven't functioned right since I got the truck. The intermittent setting goes randomly, but the low/high was fine; until last night. Now the intermittent stops unless I lightly touch or wiggle the turn knob. low/ high is touchy, but mostly works okay. I think it's only a matter of time before it fails.
I did the clean the contacts thing last summer, with some (not much) improvement. Washer button still barely works. Blinkers are fine.
I found a Multifunction switch/ stalk from a 1992 Ford F250 on eBay, new.
Will that work in my 4X4?

 

[Curtis]

The intermittent setting goes randomly, but the low/high was fine; until last night. Now the intermittent stops unless I lightly touch or wiggle the turn knob. low/ high is touchy, but mostly works okay. I think it's only a matter of time before it fails.

I had this same problem, I replaced the GEM, the wiper motor, the multifunction switch... still happened... Then I checked the relay under the hood, it was loose. As soon as I touched it.. the wipers turned on (cause I Was in the process of testing) and I havent had a problem since.

 

[DonLuc]

The tilt lever on my 99 sport simply unscrews itself out, like any ordinary bolt. After you remove the 3 screws from the bottom of the steering column cover, the top half needs to be pulled toward you, then up and off around the gear selector. The bottom just slides out from what I remember. Then, you need the torx head bits to remove the switch and just unclip the harnesses and you're done with that.

My switch was making a buzzing sound and I purchased a new part from Ford and later I realized the buzzing was from a bad connection at the wire harness. Some wires had backed out of the harness and therefore were not making a solid connection anymore. So, I'd check the harness and wires for any loose connections first, then replace the part if needed.

It can be done in 20 minutes...

 

[aldive]

It can be done in 20 minutes...

Or less the second time.

My 20 min job was the first time I ever looked at the switch.

 

[Gator Jeff]

I have a smoker... again! Both times, there seems to be no loss of functions or other gremlins, just the whisp of white smoke from the hazard switch in my steering column. Last time, I got it replaced just within the warranty, but this time, I'm on my own. Needless to say, thanks to Al's write-up, I'm doing it myself.

Is there anything I can do to prevent this again or am I looking at just replacing the switch every 50-60,000 miles?

 

[MLCinNCTX]

I just got a new Ford switch from "Thepowerstrokeshop.com" it was like $45.00. They are a Ford dealer in Indiania and have a web store with an excellent discount. Just FYI.

 

[Gator Jeff]

Thanks, I'll definitely look into that. The parts guy at my Ford dealership takes pretty good care of me, so I'd probably have to save quite a bit for me to take advantage. I guess I'm just old fashioned in that I'd rather take care of the local that takes care of me than spend a little less with a stranger.

Since this got bumped though, I'll repost my ????. Anyone know why they tend to start smoking and is there a fix. BTW....I haven't seen any smoke since that night, but that's how the first one started, too. Very infrequent and then finally almost everytime I started the truck.

 

[COBRA_ESQ]

To those of you who sent me a PM, the dealer took the part back.

From this experience and past, I highly reccomend the parts department at McCarville Ford in Centereach, NY. You can buy online and the discount off list is often 20%+. Talk to John, tell him Rich with the 03 Cobra sent ya.

Sad to say McCarville is no more.

 

[Cali' Explorer]

Jeff-
From what I remember, I believe it has to do with the lubricant they use at the point of contact. The lubricant dries out and causes poor content. The smoke is basically the by-product of the bad connection.

In my experience, it seems to be more frequent if you are the type to hold your blinkers on slightly instead of fully clicking them into position, if that makes any sense. But, I would honestly say that only lasting 1 year is way too short unless you do a lot of driving and blinker flipping?

 

[Gator Jeff]

Thanks Steven. I think it's been about three years and 50K miles. I do use my blinker all the time, but I usually do full clicks.

Do you happen to know what kind of lubricant is used and more important, can I just relube that connection as PM? 20 minutes or so, once a year to relube my switch seems to be worth not shelling out $50 or so for new switch every three years.

 

[AJRK]

I'm replacing mine this weekend. Thanks Al for the great write up and pics!

 

[Neva2wicked]

Al, I want to thank you for this write up. I have yet to completely finish what is needed, but you've given me incentive to get my mother-in-law's truck back on the road so she could actually use it.

After reviewing things more, I've noticed that her ex boyfriend happened to ghetto-rig the left taillight to the front. That was probably part of the problem as far as the headlights refusing to turn on (we had to basically hold the highbeams just to drive around cause they wouldn't stay on and the regular driving lights wouldn't work at all).

Also, with the multi-###tion switch, alot of the connectors were pulled free from the stalk. Does anyone know if I will need new connectors or if I can just push them back in and not have to worry about them coming loose later down the road. We tilt the steering column quite a bit mainly due to my fiancee's family is around 4'8/ 5'1, and I'm 6'3 so driving with the wheel up to my chest isn't an option. :lol:

once again, thanks alot.