Trucks Catch Fire While Parked
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Junior User
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Trucks Catch Fire While Parked
Did you see the CNN article last night about Ford trucks catching fire due to brake pressure switch failure? This sounds real serious, particularly if you park near a house or in a garage. Has anyone had any experiences with a fire that starts near the brake booster? Has anyone looked at fixes?
Freshman User
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Carolina Coast
I saw that too. I have a 2002 Explorer and the number stamped on the switch is F3TA-9F924-CA followed by 1072A. I am wondering what the part numbers are for the bad switches and what the part number is for the replacement.
Junior User
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Sandy, UT
I saw this last night also... very disturbing. Said it may effect as many as 16million vehicles??? They said it comes front the pressure switch that turns your cruise off when you hit the brake. It's located at the front, top of the master cylinder. I think I may just un-plug it for awhile until I can find a replacement switch to correct this. They even had video of a fire marshal replacing a fuse on his own truck and right after he closed the fuse box the switch started puffing smoke and starting fire.... if he wouldn't have un-plugged it; it surly would have caught fire.... I wonder what they were thinking having a switch like that stay “hot” all the time even with the key off. Especially when only what looks like a small foil film between the electronics and flammable brake fluid. Makes me wonder what other parts are poorly engineered….
N8
N8
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From: Sandy, UT
I don't remember what year they said they started using the switch but it was in the 80's... look at your master cylinder and see if it has the switch with a cord coming out right in front of the brake fluid resivor.... oh, you must have cruise control also I believe.
Tuned
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: north carolina
Guys,
Ford has issued a recall for certain vehicles affected by this problem. I got a recall letter a few months back for my 2K Expedition. Was instructed to disconnect the switch and wait for parts to be produced and distributed to dealers. A second letter about a month ago told me the parts were available and to bring the vehicle in to the dealer for replacement.
The interesting part is that there are lots of vehicle types using this same switch. But, Ford has not recalled all of them. Sounds fishy to me since its exactly the same switch. If the potential exists for underhood fires on Expeditions, then why is there not same potential for F150's and Explorers?
My son has a 97 Explorer with exactly the same switch, but no recall as yet on his vehicle. I'm going to disconnect the silly thing as a precaution until the Ford lawyers get their act together.
Ford has issued a recall for certain vehicles affected by this problem. I got a recall letter a few months back for my 2K Expedition. Was instructed to disconnect the switch and wait for parts to be produced and distributed to dealers. A second letter about a month ago told me the parts were available and to bring the vehicle in to the dealer for replacement.
The interesting part is that there are lots of vehicle types using this same switch. But, Ford has not recalled all of them. Sounds fishy to me since its exactly the same switch. If the potential exists for underhood fires on Expeditions, then why is there not same potential for F150's and Explorers?
My son has a 97 Explorer with exactly the same switch, but no recall as yet on his vehicle. I'm going to disconnect the silly thing as a precaution until the Ford lawyers get their act together.
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Joined: Apr 2003
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That was close
I just posted a thread asking about a blinking ABS light.
Well I found the problem. The fuse for the brake pressure switch on the master cylinder blew. It is # 13 in the fuse box. I had already disconnected the wire to the switch so I did not notice anything right away. However I was curious why the fuse blew because I was driving it last nite.
When I replaced the fuse and got everything working again, I plugged the switch in and immediately the switch startde smoking and crackling profusely.
It was a good thing that I was right there and got it unplugged in time.
97F150 4WD
Well I found the problem. The fuse for the brake pressure switch on the master cylinder blew. It is # 13 in the fuse box. I had already disconnected the wire to the switch so I did not notice anything right away. However I was curious why the fuse blew because I was driving it last nite.
When I replaced the fuse and got everything working again, I plugged the switch in and immediately the switch startde smoking and crackling profusely.
It was a good thing that I was right there and got it unplugged in time.
97F150 4WD
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Junior User
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Sandy, UT
wow... lucky you... that's exactly what happened on the video. I'm going out to the parking lot to disconnect mine right now...
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Rather than waiting for 10,000 lawyers to agree on how to fix this, here’s what I did.
I cut the continuously live feed (green in my case) to the brake pressure switch and fed it with a T connector on the Fuse E (purple/orange wire) feed to the cruise control unit. For added safety I put in an inline 3A fuse. So now the switch is only live when the ignition is on and the dedicated 3A fuse protects it.
Cruise control works as it should and I can sleep nights.
I'm not interested in the recall because as I understand it Ford replaces a dangerous switch with a switch that can be dangerous. Having a continuously live switch in a combustible environment is a recipe for disaster!
I cut the continuously live feed (green in my case) to the brake pressure switch and fed it with a T connector on the Fuse E (purple/orange wire) feed to the cruise control unit. For added safety I put in an inline 3A fuse. So now the switch is only live when the ignition is on and the dedicated 3A fuse protects it.
Cruise control works as it should and I can sleep nights.
I'm not interested in the recall because as I understand it Ford replaces a dangerous switch with a switch that can be dangerous. Having a continuously live switch in a combustible environment is a recipe for disaster!
Last edited by hladun; Jun 17, 2005 at 03:18 PM.
Junior User
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: Sandy, UT
Great idea... I was contemplating something similar but you took out the time it would have taken me fumbling with the multi-meter... why the heck didn't ford wire it that way in the first place? And to think they've left it this way for like almost 20 years without a improvement??? Amazing...
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