Adaptive Cruise Control not working properly

Tiny
MDAHNCKE
  • MEMBER
  • 2016 FORD EXPLORER
  • 3.5L
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 60,000 MILES
The Adaptive Cruise Control works fine for 6-10 miles and then it disengages and states "Adaptive Cruise Control Sensor Blocked". It will not work again until the car is stopped, the engine is shut off. Then after restarting, the Adaptive Cruise Control works fine again for another 6-10 miles. There is no Apparent Blockage of the sensor. What is the problem?
Monday, September 16th, 2019 AT 1:22 PM

7 Replies

Tiny
BMDOUBLE
  • MECHANIC
  • 1,139 POSTS
The cruise control module on your explorer is mounted behind your front bumper on the driver side. It is a radar type sensor that has to be aligned mechanically with a level and then put into calibration mode with a scan tool then driven. Most of the faulty ones that I have replaced have come from body shops with front end damage or curb check damage.
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Monday, September 16th, 2019 AT 2:12 PM
Tiny
MDAHNCKE
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
If the sensor was out of alignment it would never work at all.
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Tuesday, September 24th, 2019 AT 7:57 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 50,321 POSTS
If I can jump in here. I have seen the clock spring behind the steering wheel cause this, but to be sure we need to scan the CAN which you can do with a scanner from Amazon for about $50.00. here is a video to show you how:

https://youtu.be/InIlnsjOVFA

Here is how you change out the clock spring in case my hunch is correct. Check out the diagrams (below). Please let us know what you find. We are interested to see what it is.

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Friday, September 27th, 2019 AT 7:05 PM
Tiny
BMDOUBLE
  • MECHANIC
  • 1,139 POSTS
Not to ruffle feathers, but I deal with these every single day and if it were a clock spring or a CAN network issue the system would not engage at all, at any time, never, nada, zilch. And if it the sensor was out of alignment it actually will work for a period of time because I've had to align and re-calibrate dozens of them after they came from the body shop. Retrieve the codes from the CCM and we can go from there.
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Friday, September 27th, 2019 AT 9:25 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 50,321 POSTS
Good input, my though was an intermittent short in the spring. Be good to find out for sure.
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Sunday, September 29th, 2019 AT 9:58 AM
Tiny
BMDOUBLE
  • MECHANIC
  • 1,139 POSTS
Roger that Ken! Anything is possible for sure! I just see this stuff way too much and I'm the lucky guy in the shop that they would send this stuff to lol!
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Sunday, September 29th, 2019 AT 10:27 AM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 50,321 POSTS
Lol yep! Good to have you in the field helps us keep up-to-date.
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Sunday, September 29th, 2019 AT 10:31 AM

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