Technology has provided us with several promising benefits for automotive components. However, these controls have the potential to stop working unexpectedly, leaving us with no idea what is the causes of why things are going wrong. And lastly, techniques for resolving those difficulties.
Problems And Solutions To Try
- If you find out that the clock spring is broken, replace the old Clockspring.
- If the control system is in the wrong setting, you should use the LCD screen to change the remote-control system.
- If there's dirt inside the steering wheel button, remove the steering wheel to clean inside the buttons.
- You should tighten the head unit back wire if the wires are loosened up.
- If the switchboard is not functional, try removing the wheel to replace the switchboard.
- If the stereo is stuck, reboot the screen or update the latest software.
Now that you're aware of the causes and solutions of why your steering wheel buttons are not working let's discuss more about the steering wheel. Continue reading to find more information and details about the steering wheel buttons.
Ford Steering Wheel Buttons Not Working
We compiled a generalized list of Ford vehicles' usual steering wheel button fixes, mainly for the Fiesta, Fusion, F-150, and F-250. Note that there are specific fixes in the Ford forums; however, your experience may vary depending on the year and make of your vehicle.
Clockspring malfunction
A clock spring is a coil of flat wiring looped inside a steering wheel assembly. The exterior assembly is divided into two parts: one that supports the steering wheel and the other that connects to the steering column.
Depending on the vehicle and where you reside, this component may be known as a spiral cable, airbag clock spring, steering wheel clock spring, or cable reel.
How To Replace a Clockspring?
Replacing a clockspring might be difficult for those without experience; however, we will provide an in-depth guide on how to replace your Clockspring properly. Note that these steps might vary depending on your Ford year and make.
- Ensure that the vehicle's machine is off and the wheels are straight.
- Unplug the negative battery cable and wait for at least 15 minutes to ensure that you have completely drained the car from its battery.
- Proceed to remove the steering wheel and its airbag.
- Once you have removed the steering wheel, you can now pull the plastic trim upwards, exposing the Clockspring.
- Below the lower plastic trim, undo the T25 screw and the 7mm bolt.
- Once you have removed the T25 screw and the 7mm bolt, pull the lower plastic trim downward.
- Unscrew the T10 screws on the Clockspring.
- Press the clip of the electrical connector and disconnect it from the Clockspring.
- Do the same thing for the upper left connector on the clock spring.
- Pull the clock spring out of its socket.
- Install the new clock spring and push it until you feel a snap.
- Rescrew the T10 screws.
- Reconnect all the cables and reinstall the steering wheel and airbag.
The Remote-Control System Might Be The Problem
The remote-control system might potentially be to blame for the steering wheel control buttons stopping working or acting improperly. Here's an in-depth solution on how to fix the remote-control system.
- To get to the LCD, start your truck.
- Then, on the screen, go to General Settings.
- Hit the User-defined bar located beneath the Steering Wheel.
- Following that, you must click and hold on the Functioning bar.
- After you've granted permission, click the Functioning button. It should be located on the steering column.
- Wait 5 seconds before proceeding.
- Finally, you've linked the pushbutton on your screen remote system to the handbook.
- Then repeat the process for the remaining single buttons in the string column.
- Finally, start your vehicle engine to see whether your functions are operational.
Loose Wires
Loose wires can also affect the relay of your buttons for them to work on your command. Here are steps to tighten up those lose
- Remove the negative battery cable (10mm).
- Plug the key and rotate the steering wheel until one of the airbag mounting bolts (7/32 or 5.5 mm) is visible from the backside.
- Disassemble and turn 180 degrees until the other is visible. Pry the airbag off with a small screwdriver (extreme caution required), release the yellow connector, and set the airbag apart from leather or vinyl pointing up.
- Tighten to 37 ft. pounds with a 24mm socket.
- To reinstall the airbag, repeat the procedure.
- Connect the wire and keep in mind that the system will have to relearn its settings. Thus, the car may run differently for a while.
Broken Switchboard and Replacement
The switchboard itself might be damaged, or only one of the buttons. If a single damaged button is not repaired, it might have an impact on the rest of the buttons. This may imply that the entire switchboard must be replaced to ensure complete operation.
This would include disassembling the steering wheel, which you might want to leave to a professional. Attempting to repair such issues on your own might lead to difficulties.
How Much To Repair Steering Wheel Buttons?
The cost of repairing steering wheel buttons will vary depending on the type of Ford vehicle. However, it will average charge you between $9 and $180. If you want high-quality steering wheel controls, the cost will be more than $300.
Other Possible Problems and Respective Fixes
There are a few possible fixes, but keep in mind that this is still highly dependent on your situation. If unsure, we suggest taking your Ford vehicle to a nearby dealer to have checked the underlying issues on your steering wheel buttons.
Bad Clockspring
If you're unable to do the replacement yourself, try rotating the steering wheel and halt at every 1/8 turn while simultaneously testing the switches. Do this in both directions.
Sticky Steering Wheel Control Buttons
Remove the steering wheel and the buttons afterward. Use hot water and a toothbrush to clean the gunk and dirt from the buttons. Reinstall the buttons, then the steering wheel, and you're good to go.
Controls are all inverted and doing the wrong actions
Either replace the buttons on your steering wheel or the Clockspring.
Seek button not working as intended on a USB flash drive
Use the Delayed Reboot Utility flash drive.
What Are The Ford Steering Wheel Buttons And Their Functions?
Before you can figure out what's wrong with these buttons, you must understand how they function. Here are the commonly found buttons on your Ford steering wheel:
Cruise Control
This includes controls for adjusting and altering the speed
Sound System Controls
Buttons for changing the volume or browsing preset radio station
Direction Indicators
The steering wheel has direction indication buttons. Select the appropriate button. Press the button immediately three times for the indicator to flash three times. A prolonged press activates the direction indicator.
Lighting Controls
The main lighting control is positioned on the instrument panel's lower left side. You may use this lighting control to turn on and off the parking headlights, instrument panel lamps, license plate lamps, rear lamps, and headlamps.
Voice Control
The Voice button enables Voice Recognition, allowing you to give a demand or interrupt the SYNC™ 3 voice.
Installing the Reboot Software in Your Ford Vehicle
Sometimes, a good delayed reboot is an answer to all of your problems. Here's how.
- Start your Ford vehicle and turn on the sound system.
- Insert your Delayed Reboot Utility flash drive into the USB port of the vehicle.
- It will automatically begin the installation process for you, and it should take a couple of seconds to complete.
- A dialog box will notify you after successfully installing the patch.
- Remove the flash drive from the USB Port.
- Turn off the vehicle for about 30 seconds or so.
- Start your vehicle again.
- A black screen might greet you at the first minute. Then it will notify you that it's performing scheduled system maintenance.
Summary
Fixing your Ford steering wheel button controls is not as easy as it seems. Most of the fixes require manual labor and are sometimes complicated.
Also, most of the problems stem from a broken clockspring which requires intensive fixes. If you can't seem to diagnose the root cause, bring your vehicle to a Ford dealer.
We hope this article helped you, and as a bonus, here are a few more informative articles:
Ford F150 Radio Not Working Here's How To Fix It