1999 ranger 4.0 xls...bought a truch with a few issues. Seller glued broken cruise control on/off switch so it looked ok, but it now is obvious tabs broke and it hangs there. Cruise appears to function, but is a little jerky. Saw a replacement set of switches for $102...can I get access to tab screws by removing upper and lower shroud, or do I have to disassemble steering wheel and deal with airbag?....turn signal assembly is loose, but works fine...loose mounting screws???.....same access question...help?

 

Price seems pretty steep on a set of cruise switches. I'm finding tons on eBay for under $40 and many of them are free shipping. They rarely fail. In fact what's wrong with yours now is the typical fail area.


To gain access to replace the cruise control switches, you'll need to remove the air bag. Disconnect the negative side of the battery. On each side of the steering wheel cover, there will be a 1" circle cover on each side that needs removed. Remove those and the bolts that fasten the airbag. They take an 8mm socket. Unclip the eletrical connection and remove the airbag. Place it some place safe. The cruise control pods are held to the steering wheel with phillips head screws. The electrical connectors can be pretty cumbersome. I use a pair of channel locks carefully.


Accessing the multi-finction switch(wiper/turn signal/brights switch) can be done by removing both halves of the steering console cover. You may even have to drop the column from the under-dash bracket to gain enough access to remove the top cover. The switch shouldn't be loose or wiggling. I suspect possible loose screws.

 

Thank you. Just what I needed. I am also having problems w/ ABS light. Code reader at OReilly's said rear sensor and what I thought the guy said was speed sensor. Changed rear sensor and ABS light went out at startup, abn I bef
gan to get ABS 'stutter' at the end af breaking, the lastcouple of feet of the stop. Front breaks seem to not stop while the stutter pulsing is happening. No pull to either side, which I have read can indicate which front wheel sensor (speed sensor?) Is failing. Any helpful info anyone can offer?

 

Yup, I've seen a lot of broken tabs on the cruise pods.
Superglue or gorilla glue is a good temp fix, but eventually they'll break apart.
You might find a plastic welding cement that may hold up better, but it may still only be a temp fix.

Post a thread in the classified section here, there are lots of guys/gals who go hunting for parts at their junkyards. You may luck up & find somebody who can get a set for $50 or less.

I have a couple sets, but I'm in the process of LED modding them... speaking of which... I've seen LOTS of people complaining that the bulbs inside burn out. The buttons will still work but they won't light up at night. Kinda sucks because there isn't a simple plug-n-play bulb replacement.

As for the loose turn signal switch, it could just be loose screws or at worst the mounts on the switch assy are broken. A new switch will run about $90 from the dealer or parts store (I had to replace mine a while back) but again you might luck up & a junkyard hunter may have one in their box of Ranger parts for sale.

Like Fx4 mentioned, it isn't too hard to get to the cruise pods or the multifunction switch.

 

I know older thread, but I am old too and I don't have a problem with people poking at me.

My question it, "Can the switches be replaced with temp on (NO) push buttons ?

Since it seems there are little to no aftermarket steering wheels with the necessary switches for cruise, can push buttons be used on an the aftermarket wheel to active the cruise controls ?

 

Sure, anything can be done. Get a wiring book for your year Ranger, and wire in a switch to bypass those on the steering wheel. The switches can be had for cheap on ebay, and within 20 minutes, replaced. The only hard part is seperating the switch from the connector; they can be a tough bear to seperate.

 

I think I will start a new thread on it, thinks.