cruise control not working after work in garage

Soldato
Joined
13 Feb 2003
Posts
6,158
Just got my car back from 'rocker gasket' replacement for an oil leak on my st220. First time driving it anywhere and the cruise control is not working - speed isn't maintained, but the icon in the trip computer display behaves correctly when clutch/brake is pressed etc.

Is this pure coincidence or could they have knocked some related sensor?!
 
They probably disconnected the cable from the cruise control module to the throttle, and forgot to put it back.
 
The plot thickens... They've just said they can't look into it since their equipment can't read my computer... it's saying that there is no cruise control software. They're wiping their hands of it.

Feel a bit mugged off tbh.
 
"Then take it to a Ford dealer and get them to plug it in, on your dime"

They can't wash their hands of it, it worked before.
 
Have a look under the bonnet at the throttle. There should be two cables coming from it - one going to the pedal and one to the cruise control actuator. I reckon they forgot to re-attach the one going to the cruise part.
 
The plot thickens... They've just said they can't look into it since their equipment can't read my computer... it's saying that there is no cruise control software. They're wiping their hands of it.

Feel a bit mugged off tbh.
You are being mugged off. Tell them to fix it.
 
They probably disconnected the cable from the cruise control module to the throttle, and forgot to put it back.

Have a look under the bonnet at the throttle. There should be two cables coming from it - one going to the pedal and one to the cruise control actuator. I reckon they forgot to re-attach the one going to the cruise part.

Did you even read Howards posts above?

Just do this before storming in and shooting up the place etc. It is likely to just be a cable they haven't plugged in. If it is, plug it back in and leave them a suitable review on Google.
 
Yes I did. What's your point? They've had the car back and haven't found a simple fix like that. I don't know actuator from radiator so no point me looking at it
 
Did you even read Howards posts above?

Just do this before storming in and shooting up the place etc. It is likely to just be a cable they haven't plugged in. If it is, plug it back in and leave them a suitable review on Google.
He shouldn't have to though. They should have responded with 'sorry sir, bring it straight in and we'll have a look'.
 
Amleto - I've labelled your picture so you know where to look and what to look for -

st220.jpg


Under the black metal cover you should be able to see something like this with two bicycle brake cable looking wires going to what looks like a big springy coil like this -

st2201.jpg


Make sure you have 2 cables connected like the picture above, if only the "red" is connected that's your problem as the green cable is the cruise control (give it a good wiggle as it may "look" connected but actually just be loose and lying beside it's connection point - it should feel tight like the red labelled cable next to it).

The springy coil they should both be connected to opens the throttle body (a big butterfly valve) and normally the cables are pulled shorter by the accelerator pedal or the cruise control. That springy coil can also be opened by hand by pulling on the red cable attachment point to rev the engine from the engine bay (if no-one is sat in the drivers seat) which is handy to remember too!

Good Luck!
 
The plot thickens... They've just said they can't look into it since their equipment can't read my computer... it's saying that there is no cruise control software. They're wiping their hands of it.

Feel a bit mugged off tbh.

I feel their pain.

The ST220 is a fairly old car now and newer diagnostic tools will probably not be able to access it properly. (If at all)

They would only be able access the on board systems to if they had been trading for over 20 years and had retained their older diagnostic tools.

Something that doesn't happen that much because many diagnostic tool sellers encourage people to trade in their older tools for a discount. :/
 
At ST220 isn't that old, surely of comparable age and technical complexity to the majority of cars going into back street garages these days? It's not a Morris minor. The diagnostic tools/software required to fix a mondeo should be found in pretty much any decent independent garage, it's about as regular a car as you can get. More likely the garage just don't want to look at it and are making (poor) excuses.
 
Something that doesn't happen that much because many diagnostic tool sellers encourage people to trade in their older tools for a discount. :/
Why would any sensible person do that in the knowledge they will then be forced to turn away large numbers of older vehicles (which surely are more likely to break down and need fixing than the newer vehicles) because they no longer have the tools?
 
Back
Top Bottom