Troubleshoot Cruise Control Not Turning Off after Brake Depression After Brake Controller Install

Published 03/05/2014

Question:

I had my four-door install a brake controller in like 2013 Ford escape when in cruise control if I put the brakes on it said of stopping it at Green gages and goes faster The dealer replaced that controller with a different controller no difference Cruise control on depression brake pedal cause it to go faster and very hard to stop sometimes me to turn off the key The dealer is out of ideas please help

asked by: George H

Expert Reply:

It sounds like the problem is in the wiring of your brake controller. It sounds like whoever installed the controller just cut the brake switch wire from the brake pedal of your vehicle and ran it to the brake controller instead of just tapping into that circuit.

You can test this by applying the brakes of your vehicle and seeing if the brake lights on your vehicle will illuminate. If all of the brake lights do not come on then my theory is correct.

You would want to trace the brake switch wire from your brake controller to where it connects to your vehicle and see if it tees into your vehicle wiring or if it is connected to just one side of a wire. If this is the case you will need to reconnect the wire from your vehicle wiring. You will have to look for a loose cut wire in the same area of the same color and reconnect it.

Also, if quick-splice connections were used to make the connection the problem could be that they pressed to hard on the quick-splice and it severed the core of the wire and now the brake switch circuit is not able to travel past that quick-splice.

The reason I think this is the problem is that your cruise control is staying on after you have applied the brakes, and since cruise control should get turned off as soon as the brake lights are activated it makes me think the problem is there.

expert reply by: Jameson C