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Thread: Question about F150 electronics. Eric?

  1. #1
    Tuner in Training
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    Question about F150 electronics. Eric?

    First off, I have to apologize that this isn't directly HPT related, but I was told Eric would be the ideal person to ask about this, or direct me to someone who knows. I'm posting it publicly because there seem to be some very knowledgeable people on here who also may be able to offer assistance.

    I have a 96 Cobra that I'm putting a Coyote swap together for. My holdup right now is what ECM to use. I was going to pick up the Ford Racing controls pack, but it really, really bothers me that there isn't cruise control support. So I had the idea that since I'm going to build a junkyard F150 Coyote motor, maybe I can also use the F150 ECM, harness, and electronics, and be able to wire up the cruise to work.

    So my questions:

    1: Is it likely that the F150 ECM will be supported by HPTuners? (Maybe it's super similar to the car ECM, I'm not sure.)

    2 (Which is the one I can't get answers on): The F150 ECM gets signals via high-speed Can-Bus from the steering column module. I'm very familiar with the Can-Bus system in my VW, which uses a central communications module to talk to all of the other modules, and is somewhat easily reprogrammed to add or remove modules. Is Ford's system like this, or is it possible to just have the ECM and column module in a 2-module loop? I realize that even if this is possible to do that it would require a lot of wiring, but I have no issues with that. I just have no idea if it's something that's feasible, or if it's pretty much hopeless.

    So any ideas on this one?? Thanks a bunch in advance.

  2. #2
    HPT Employee Eric@HPTuners's Avatar
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    The F150s will be supported. You should be fine without the steering module.

  3. #3
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    Thanks for the reply. I was under the impression that the steering wheel buttons fed the steering column module, which then sent info on cruise speed to the ECM. I may have been incorrect.

  4. #4
    HPT Employee Eric@HPTuners's Avatar
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    I am not 100% on it, but I do believe the steering module is used for the electronic assisted steering.