Cruise Control On/Off Dash Light

Thanks for your work on this NowYaKnow. At least now I have the dash panel wiring setup. I usually buy a factory manual set (including electrical) but this truck is not out of warranty yet. You are right of course about the VSS wire, I made that assumption because the place I bought the cruise from used a mechanic contact to get that little diagram that showed the VSS going to the dash, I did finally figure out it was for the speedo not the light. I could easily use what you sent but I still don't know which wire from the cruise module to hook up to the the Org/LtBlu. When I tested the #1 pin position for voltage I also tested it for continuity to see if it was a ground switch. I got not difference in ohm readings, On or Off. Maybe I'm testing wrong?? Maybe the 30mv is just "in the loop" voltage, because I can't figure an engineer actually intending it to be that? Is it possible for you to get a diagram of the cruise module harness connector? That would really help as well. And thanks again from NowIKnowHalf    

Also did you hard wire the whole cruise, or was your truck prewired? We do those same kits you installed and usually the servo gets plugged in directly to the OEM cruise harness if the truck is prewired. Some of those kits do turn the dash indicator on, and some of them don't depending on the vehicle. If you are not getting any usuable reading on pin 1 from the servo, then I would say the aftermarket doesn't have that feature built in. From everything I can see it looks like the switch to turn on the indicator is internal in the OEM servo. Try setting your meter to read a ground instead of voltage on that pin #1 wire and see what you get when pushing set/resume/etc. Also here is the pinout of the OEM cruise servo. Good luck, Mike

Mike and pcpc, You guys have been great to figure this out!!! I have the factory cc in my 96, so will look at the harness and servo unit to see if I have those wires. Assuming I do, do you think an LED light from Radio Shack would be adequate to function as an indicator? PCPC, talked myself out of the remote start for my manual trans. We don't use our ebrake here in the winter, too risky for the cable snapping in severe cold weather or the brakes freezing with any moisture. Plus, the shutdown routine would take some getting used to. Would have been a fun project tho! Brett

I can't tell you how much I appreciate your info NowYaKnow. I did try a continuity test on Pin1 but only got zero ohms, switched or not. I can't believe the cruise mfg'r makes some with Pin1 hooked up and some not. It's all in the harness. My unit was a total hardwire as I had no dangling harness. My Pin1 was blanked off. I modified the harness (drill/Dremel) and installed a connector on Pin1 with a wire coming out, looks factory. I still don't know why I get 30mv??? I will re-test. Maybe I will try a test light, LED from battery and small fuse to see if Pin1 lights it. I've got to be careful, I don't want to blow the module with input power in the work place. Brett, I'd be careful with NowYaKnow's diagram, I'm sure the Pin #'s are OK but Ford changes their wire colors. You will have to test as I did. Let us know. Signing off for now, NowIknowMore

Brett, also you may have to take out your instrument panel and see why the light does not come on. Did you check bulb? Dumb question? I'm surprised with the factory unit not having the bulb working unless there is no bulb hookup.

There are no dumb questions! When I had my truck in for the cruise control recall, I asked the service manager about the cc light and my year has none. And, even tho I have pwr windows and locks, my XLT didn't come with remote keyless entry, only the XLT Lariat. Sooooooo, I decided to install a remote keyless entry, but decided to go one step further and add in an alarm system. Thanks for the advice re the wiring diagram! I was just thinking about that this morning, if all years were the same. NowIKnowMore!! NowYaKnowMore, thanks for the help with diagram, That is definitely helpful. Well, I'll definitely let you all know what happens Brett In Alaska

Solved! Ok today I hooked up a test LED I purchased from Radio Shack. I bought one that had a resistor in it that limited the voltage to 12V as I was not sure how this would work and wanted to limit any possible damage to my cruise module. The first thing I did was wire the LED to the #1 pin position with the LED + to the #1 pin and the LED negative lead to ground. I did this first as it was the safest test. Took the truck for a drive and clicked the cruise - No light. I then attached the + of the LED to battery and the negative to the #1 pin on the harness. Went for a test drive, clicked the cruise on - and there it was the light turned on. The cruise worked ok, no blips, and the light was on when cruise was engaged and off when not engaged. So that's the factory hook-up. The light ON is not a simple switch but is activated by the internal engagement of the cruise. For instance stopping would auto disengage the cruise, so the light would go off as well. I was right in that all these modules are made the same with #1 pin as the cruise light activation wire but the harnesses are different depending on the truck model and options. So now with the wiring diagram I got from NowYaKnow I can locate the appropriate instrument panel wires and hook up the factory installed dash light, assuming the wires are there. I believe they will be as all the instrument panels are made the same, it's just the harness hook-up that's different. This will take me pulling out the instrument panel and making sure the wires are there and testing them for power and negative. For those that don't want to trace those dash wires or do not have an in-dash light I would suggest a separate LED be installed in the dash with the power wire taken from the ignition switch ON position and the negative wire from the LED attached to the #1 pin in the cruise harness. I will tap into the power wire that I hooked up from the ignition to my cruise. Now my harness came with #1 pin blanked off. I had to do a mod. on the harness and install a correct female connector I was able to get from a wire that was tied back during the installation of the aftermarket factory cruise. The connectors are the narrow type but this modification is not for everybody. I used a drill and a dremel to adapt the plastic around where the connector is held into the harness. It may be possible to purchase the correct harness with the Pin #1 already wired or even find one at a wrecker. A friend has a 98 Ford F150 and it has the exact same cruise module that I purchased for my Ranger, with the exact same harness, except the #1 pin is wired on his harness. I would also imagine that SCS Frigette would have the harnesses available as they manufacture the Ford cruises. But a separate LED wired in will look OK, I just want to try and make mine look stock.    

Today I wired in the cruise engage dash light. As NowYaKnow said the OG/BK wire was the hot wire for the cruise light. I snipped the OG/LB wire behind the instrument panel and hard wired it to the #1 pin on the cruise module. This is not recommended for everyone as it is quite a job getting the instrument panel out. Before I put the instrument panel back I bench tested the light with the OR/BK and OG/LB to make sure it worked. If NowYaKnow reads this maybe you can tell me if any other wire in the system behind the dash is OG/LB. I started out snipping this wire down by the firewall but could not get continuity with the instrument harness, it is disconnected somewhere in the wiring. I don't think it controls anything else and everything is working OK despite it being snipped. But if you get a chance to check it I would appreciate it. What would be easier is to wire a separate light.

There's probably a bunch of ORANGE / light blue wires throughout the vehicle that do different things. Just checking quickly I see another one used in the turn signal system, but who knows offhand what the one you cut is for. As long as you put it back together and everything works, I wouldn't worry about it. Mike