Last edited 2025.08.05
Escape's cruise control (ACC/IACC) is a great thing, but this is for motorways. For cities, a more usable thing is a speed limiter. I had such a limiter in my previous car, and was missing it in the Escape.
Kugas do have speed limiter - a "LIM" button on the driving wheel activates it. There are two possible options - a manual one, where the driver sets the maximum speed (ASL - Adjustable Speed Limit), and an "intelligent" one, where the current road speed limit is the maximum (ISA - Intelligent Speed Assistant). The latter is comparable to the IACC, only IACC keeps the desired speed, and ISA prevents us from exceeding it. The current road speed limit is based on camera/map data (same as for the IACC).
The "LIM" button in Kugas is where the "X" is in the Escape. The "X" deactivates cruise control (in the same way as pressing the brake for a brief moment), and is not something I used a lot.
Below you can see steering wheel switch packs from Kuga MK3 (JX7T-9E740-AC, left) and Escape 2020/MkIV (LB5T-9E740-AE, right):
In the Escape, you can use Forscan to configure ASL and ISA in PCM, IPC and APIM (do a file backup of each module's Asbuilt before changing the values):
PCM:
Speed Limiting Features: With ASL, With ISA
IPC:
Adjustable Speed Limiter: Enabled
Intelligent Speed Assistance: Enabled
APIM:
Adjustable Speed Limiter Device: Enabled
Intelligent Speed Assistance: Enabled
(note that this post erroneously listed BCM instead of PCM, thanks for @marcel46fr for notifying there's no such "features" in the BCM).
(another note is that the PCM change in Forscan is to be done in PCM Module Configuration for 2020 and in PCM Vehicle ID block configuration for 2022, which can be seen here).
After this APIM needs to be reset (keep Seek Right and ON pressed for more than 5 seconds), and DTSCs removed.
At this point in Sync3 in Driver Assistant we can configure the Speed Limit, and choose between the manual (ASL) and intelligent (ISA) versions (Polish language here, but the graphics should still explain it):
In the intelligent mode you can adjust the limit to the tolerance between 1-10 km/h above the road limit.
But, how to enable the limiter anyway?
In the SCCM module you can configure what type of the switch packs the car has. Unfortunetely, just configuring there Kuga's left switch does not work - SCCM displays "B137F - Steering Wheel Left Switch Pack", and IPMA complains about "U0401 - Invalid Data Received from ECM/PCM A". So it does identify the switches connected, and you can't just use "X" to enable the limiter.
I had to buy Kuga's switch pack, then. Kuga's part number for it is "JX7T-9E740-AC", you can probably also search for LV4T-9E740-CCW (this CCW is confirmed to be working, but same numbers ending with CDW and CEW have problems). Used parts available e.g. on ebay, or replacements on aliexpress ("VWAG AUTO Parts Store" seem to have them, see here for confirmation they do work). It appears the same part is also used in Puma, as I saw a Polish advertisement for left+right Puma switches, and it was JX7T-9E740-AC for the left one and KX7T-14K147-AB for the right one (quite neat right one, with MODE and SPORT buttons, and configurable in Forscan, so likely to work as intended). But I decided to be reasonable about it and buy just what I need.
Anyway, look carefully, as there are packs that have more than one button difference, and that's another part number, and it would mean loosing e.g. LCA button for a "cancel" one.
This is a topic that tells about replacing a steering wheel switch pack - @360alaska was enabling Lane Center Assist in his Escape SE (it also made me believe I can do the same for the LIM): https://www.fordescape.org/threads/how-to-enable-lane-centering-assist.117546
In short, what needs to be done (partially citing the original poster):
Then, configure the buttons in the SCCM:
SCCM:
Steering Wheel Switch Left: 10 - JX7T-9E740-A* / LV4T-9E740-C*
And clear the DTSCs.
The speed limiter should be working now. By pressing the "LIM" we can turn on the function, in mode as configured in Sync3. "+" and "-" set the value (keeping it pressed longer jumps to the nearest multiplifier of 10, and then next, so from 33 we go to 34 and then 40, 50, 60, same down). Pressing the "LIM" again deactivates the limiter (we can press RES to activate the last preset). Pressing the "LIM" while the limiter is deactivated turns off the limiter.
With this switch pack, the limiter and the cruise control buttons act similar: turn on -> deactivate -> turn off (with the previous pack, cruise control button was: turn on -> turn off, and "X" was used for deactivation).
In the intelligent mode (ISA) the current road limit value is used (even 20 km/h):
It can be kicky when it switches to a highe value and the pedal is pressed...
In the manual (ASL) mode you set the limit by yourself (30 km/h or more):
You can always override the limiter by pressing the pedal to the metal.
That's all, folks.
Escape's cruise control (ACC/IACC) is a great thing, but this is for motorways. For cities, a more usable thing is a speed limiter. I had such a limiter in my previous car, and was missing it in the Escape.
Kugas do have speed limiter - a "LIM" button on the driving wheel activates it. There are two possible options - a manual one, where the driver sets the maximum speed (ASL - Adjustable Speed Limit), and an "intelligent" one, where the current road speed limit is the maximum (ISA - Intelligent Speed Assistant). The latter is comparable to the IACC, only IACC keeps the desired speed, and ISA prevents us from exceeding it. The current road speed limit is based on camera/map data (same as for the IACC).
The "LIM" button in Kugas is where the "X" is in the Escape. The "X" deactivates cruise control (in the same way as pressing the brake for a brief moment), and is not something I used a lot.
Below you can see steering wheel switch packs from Kuga MK3 (JX7T-9E740-AC, left) and Escape 2020/MkIV (LB5T-9E740-AE, right):


In the Escape, you can use Forscan to configure ASL and ISA in PCM, IPC and APIM (do a file backup of each module's Asbuilt before changing the values):
PCM:
Speed Limiting Features: With ASL, With ISA
IPC:
Adjustable Speed Limiter: Enabled
Intelligent Speed Assistance: Enabled
APIM:
Adjustable Speed Limiter Device: Enabled
Intelligent Speed Assistance: Enabled
(note that this post erroneously listed BCM instead of PCM, thanks for @marcel46fr for notifying there's no such "features" in the BCM).
(another note is that the PCM change in Forscan is to be done in PCM Module Configuration for 2020 and in PCM Vehicle ID block configuration for 2022, which can be seen here).
After this APIM needs to be reset (keep Seek Right and ON pressed for more than 5 seconds), and DTSCs removed.
At this point in Sync3 in Driver Assistant we can configure the Speed Limit, and choose between the manual (ASL) and intelligent (ISA) versions (Polish language here, but the graphics should still explain it):

In the intelligent mode you can adjust the limit to the tolerance between 1-10 km/h above the road limit.
But, how to enable the limiter anyway?
In the SCCM module you can configure what type of the switch packs the car has. Unfortunetely, just configuring there Kuga's left switch does not work - SCCM displays "B137F - Steering Wheel Left Switch Pack", and IPMA complains about "U0401 - Invalid Data Received from ECM/PCM A". So it does identify the switches connected, and you can't just use "X" to enable the limiter.
I had to buy Kuga's switch pack, then. Kuga's part number for it is "JX7T-9E740-AC", you can probably also search for LV4T-9E740-CCW (this CCW is confirmed to be working, but same numbers ending with CDW and CEW have problems). Used parts available e.g. on ebay, or replacements on aliexpress ("VWAG AUTO Parts Store" seem to have them, see here for confirmation they do work). It appears the same part is also used in Puma, as I saw a Polish advertisement for left+right Puma switches, and it was JX7T-9E740-AC for the left one and KX7T-14K147-AB for the right one (quite neat right one, with MODE and SPORT buttons, and configurable in Forscan, so likely to work as intended). But I decided to be reasonable about it and buy just what I need.
Anyway, look carefully, as there are packs that have more than one button difference, and that's another part number, and it would mean loosing e.g. LCA button for a "cancel" one.
This is a topic that tells about replacing a steering wheel switch pack - @360alaska was enabling Lane Center Assist in his Escape SE (it also made me believe I can do the same for the LIM): https://www.fordescape.org/threads/how-to-enable-lane-centering-assist.117546
In short, what needs to be done (partially citing the original poster):
- remove the upper steering column shroud by prying with a trim tool between the upper and lower column shroud (you can access the clips by turning the steering wheel left and right). The other part of the shroud is at the cluster, but you won't need to detach this if your screwdriver/tool for unclipping the airbag is not longer than around 15 cm.
- disconnect the 12V batter and wait for 15-20 minutes
- with the steering wheel in the 90 degree position insert a flat blade screwdriver and pry up to release one side of the airbag. Rotate the wheel to the left to 270 degrees and do the same for the other side.
- disconnect the horn and airbag connectors (prying up on the orange clips for airbag ones) and set the airbag aside

- disconnect the electrical connectors to the left and right button packs and gently pry the trim surround out with a trim tool (you don't need to touch the clips, just pull the trim)
- swap the button pack by removing and replacing two torx screws.
- assembly everything back
Then, configure the buttons in the SCCM:
SCCM:
Steering Wheel Switch Left: 10 - JX7T-9E740-A* / LV4T-9E740-C*
And clear the DTSCs.
The speed limiter should be working now. By pressing the "LIM" we can turn on the function, in mode as configured in Sync3. "+" and "-" set the value (keeping it pressed longer jumps to the nearest multiplifier of 10, and then next, so from 33 we go to 34 and then 40, 50, 60, same down). Pressing the "LIM" again deactivates the limiter (we can press RES to activate the last preset). Pressing the "LIM" while the limiter is deactivated turns off the limiter.
With this switch pack, the limiter and the cruise control buttons act similar: turn on -> deactivate -> turn off (with the previous pack, cruise control button was: turn on -> turn off, and "X" was used for deactivation).
In the intelligent mode (ISA) the current road limit value is used (even 20 km/h):

It can be kicky when it switches to a highe value and the pedal is pressed...
In the manual (ASL) mode you set the limit by yourself (30 km/h or more):

You can always override the limiter by pressing the pedal to the metal.
That's all, folks.