Lots of wheels on here...........

http://moto.allegro.pl/listing.php/search?string=kierownica+ford+focus&category=620&sg=0

That is were I bought mine. At the moment I have seen only 2 steering wheels with CC for Focus and lots of them for C-Max. Problem is sellers do not post to UK and most of them do not speak English, but prices are low and it might be worth arranging postage from Poland.

Its a great site. I registered with PAYU and contacted a couple of sellers and they are willing to post to IRL, so i purchased a couple of bits for the S Max already :)

This is like e-bay here, Allegro is much more popular there.

Hi,

This is my first post here, i have read this forum with interest and have installed the cruise control functions on my 2008 CMAX Titanium.

I have been to a freindly garage, while there using the FORD IDS we confirmed that the cruise control is enabled in the GEMS & IC, however we couldnt confirm that it was enabled in the PCM.

Does anybody know how (using the FORD IDS) you enabled the cruise control option in the PCM?

Or alternatively can anybody recommend a garage in relatively near Milton Keynes who can do this for me ??

Thanks

Never used Ford IDS , but i know that with ELMconfig and the ELM 327 modified cable you can access it and switch it on.

just checked for switches and there dose not appear to be a switch on clutch pedal or am i looking in wrong place ? its a shame as i have found steering wheel with cruise control on it.

In the pic of clutch switch i cannot see the black and blue brake switches which i do have that is why i am asking the question or is my quest for cruise over ?

Clutch sensor is required for CC. I've been told by Ford mechanic that he has never seen focus without clutch and break switches, but you never know which part Ford forgot to fit in your car :)

Check one more time. In case it is not there maybe you will find unplugged connector above clutch pedal and you could add the sensor?

A further update in the battle to enable cruise control on my C-Max.

Today i took my car to the Ford Garage in Peterborough who have enabled the cruise control option on a number of people cars. They battles away for 1 1/2 hours before telling me that the Ford IDS system would not allow them to activate the cruise control. They explained that in other peoples cars when they have reprogrammed (may be reinitialised) the option is available.

They said that it is likely to be one of two possible problems

1) The ECM doesnt contain the software internally to enable

2) There is a wiring fault

Does anybody know if the Ford ECUs are all the same but with different software versions or are there different versions of the electronics ?

I guess one option would be to replace the PCM (ECU) with one which will allow me to enable cruise control but i think the cost is going to be crazy.

Does anybody here have any ideas where i can go from here ?

Thanks

Psyence

Before you start throwing money away , buy an ELM327 cable v1.5 off Ebay and try either ELM-FF2 or ELMconfig as the options are present in both program's to activate CC on your C-Max.

£11 for the cable

£2 for a switch and 15 minutes worth of soldering is better than even looking at an ECU

Hi Preee

Thanks for answering my post. I already own an ELM327 and have now tried the unoffical (FF2 / ELMConfig) methods as well as the offical approach via a Ford garage. In both cases the cruise control wouldnt work, and i do believe that the problem probably lies with the PCM.

What im trying to establish is; are the electronics is the PCM always the same ? does the module have a "personality" which is configured by software. If so the i hope i can simply get the PCM software altered.

What the Ford garage told me was, for other cars when the have enabled the cruise Control option, they simply activated it in the GEMS, HEC and in the PCM. However on my car it wasnt showing up as an option to be enabled on the PCM. And it is this that is making me think that there must be a personality descriptor that tells the Ford IDS system what the PCM is capable of.

If you have any more thoughts or ideas please let me know....

Psyence

Hi i'm not sure of an answer regarding the PCM but if i come across anything i will pass any information over to you.

Hi Preee,

Thanks ....

I have been reading up more in to this topic, and over in the Fiesta forums they have been enabling Cruise control simply by altering the AS-BUILT Data and uploading it to the PCM, IC & Gems module. (Very similar to using the ELM-FF2 or ELMConfig software except that they can only talk to GEM & IC).

Does anybody know how to reload the AS-BUILT data using the Ford IDS system ?

Thanks Psyence.

Hi,

Just tried to enable CC using ELMConfig but no luck. I have all the switches and and wires on place and, but my GEM is model-C which may or may not be compatible. Though I just may have some luck and switched srteering wheel with CC buttons to my Ford Focus mk2 2005. Then I used GEM input test and indeed I got beeps and bleeps for each CC buttons. Finally I enabled CC in HEC and GEM moduels using ELMConfig and took my card to ride. However, CC buttons do nothing at all.

Does anybody have any idea I could try? Is Ford dealer able to do some further programming which s required and cannot be done by ELMCofnig or is my GEM module just too old for this? Is it possible to exchange new GEM module from some scrapped car?

Thaks!

Best regards,

J

Hi,

Just tried to enable CC using ELMConfig but no luck. I have all the switches and and wires on place and, but my GEM is model-C which may or may not be compatible. Though I just may have some luck and switched srteering wheel with CC buttons to my Ford Focus mk2 2005. Then I used GEM input test and indeed I got beeps and bleeps for each CC buttons. Finally I enabled CC in HEC and GEM moduels using ELMConfig and took my card to ride. However, CC buttons do nothing at all.

Does anybody have any idea I could try? Is Ford dealer able to do some further programming which s required and cannot be done by ELMCofnig or is my GEM module just too old for this? Is it possible to exchange new GEM module from some scrapped car?

Thaks!

Best regards,

J

I know i'm stating the obvious but you did try and test it while driving ?

I know it does nothing until at least 30 mph

*EDIT* sorry re-read your post you already tried that

I know i'm stating the obvious but you did try and test it while driving ?

Yes I did, I tested it in various speeds and nothing. I'm starting to suspect that PCM module does also need to be reconfigured as somebody already stated and ELMConfig cannot do that, et least yet...

Yes, I read the russian forums using Google Translate and indeed three modules needs to be reconfigured for cruise control:

GEM

HEC

PCM

Using ELMConfig or ELM-FF2 only first two can be reconfigured. Bugger. It seems I need to visit Ford dealer...

Maybe civil-zz will update the PCM function soon or is working on it , goto his forum and ask when /if he intends to activate the PCM tab in ELMconfig

Just a quick question. I want to fit the 3 spoke steering wheel to my car. Will the airbag from my current 4 spoke steering wheel fit the 3 spoke cover or will i need a whole new airbag kit? Car is 2006 ford focus by the way. Thanks :)

I do believe the airbags are exactly the same, you just need to swap the covers over which requires a bit of butchering to remove the old one.

Just a quick question. I want to fit the 3 spoke steering wheel to my car. Will the airbag from my current 4 spoke steering wheel fit the 3 spoke cover or will i need a whole new airbag kit? Car is 2006 ford focus by the way. Thanks :)

You will need only airbag cover:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/AIRBAG-LENKRAD-COVER-ABDECKUNG-DECKEL-FORD-FOCUS-/230615712502?pt=DE_Autoteile&hash=item35b1c482f6

Very good price BTW (postage included).

Great walkthrough Pidu, been looking for a steering wheel for a few weeks now, those wheels are rarer than unicorns.

Cheers

Paul-S

Standard 3-spoke? Really? In this case I have to bring next time my 3-spoke leather steering wheel to UK for sale :)

Hello!

For CC activation you have to perform changes in three modules - GEM, HEC (IC) and PCM. ELMConfig is able to work only with GEM and HEC. I can tell you why. There are some differences btw CONFIGURATION and REPROGRAMMING. configuration is mean that you only change some storage parameters in module nonvolatile memory. And reprogramming is mean that you totally erase all controller microprogram with it's calibration and parameters, and then write back a new one with new parameters which you want to change. So, all modules in Ford Focus can be configured excluding PCM, it need a reprogram to change a work parameters (it' s exactly so, it was performed by module developers for reasons unknown to me). Configuration is relatively simple procedure, but reprogramming requires special skills and i don't have them yet. IDS can do both procedures and for end user there is no differences, but for third-party developer it's a huge one.

Hello!

For CC activation you have to perform changes in three modules - GEM, HEC (IC) and PCM. ELMConfig is able to work only with GEM and HEC. I can tell you why. There are some differences btw CONFIGURATION and REPROGRAMMING. configuration is mean that you only change some storage parameters in module nonvolatile memory. And reprogramming is mean that you totally erase all controller microprogram with it's calibration and parameters, and then write back a new one with new parameters which you want to change. So, all modules in Ford Focus can be configured excluding PCM, it need a reprogram to change a work parameters (it' s exactly so, it was performed by module developers for reasons unknown to me). Configuration is relatively simple procedure, but reprogramming requires special skills and i don't have them yet. IDS can do both procedures and for end user there is no differences, but for third-party developer it's a huge one.

Thanks civil-zz, your explanation makes sense! So it seems that activating cruise control does require visit to garage having Ford IDS or similar hardware and software. Too bad as my local Ford mechanic would charge enormous money for the job (EUR 160) :(