ford recall
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Postmaster
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,982
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From: Clearwater, Fl
ford recall
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20111687/
3.4 million more, 6 million since 2004
cruise control,engine fires
3.4 million more, 6 million since 2004
cruise control,engine fires
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,413
Likes: 14
From: cape may county NJ
I have been waiting to see if my Bronco was going to be recalled and it has.Anybody know what I need to do to disconect my cruise on a 93 full size bronco so it wont burn to the ground.
Elder User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 530
Likes: 1
From: Harrisonburg, VA
my 95 I noticed my cruise had stopped working and I had already read on here about the switch on the master cylinder so I unplugged it then when the recall came out I took it to the ford dealer and the tech went out and looked then came back and told me the connector fell off and he can't find the wires so I told them that the cruise had stopped working so I unplugged it because I wasn't about to let my truck burn down then I could tell that they didn't really like that I did that so when I left I found that it had just fell down underneath so I pulled it back up to where they could easily find it and then left thinking what had I gotten myself into. They said the switch was leaking so they replaced it with an updated one and also used a harness that connects from the new switch to the old plug, now I've heard about a fused link but I didn't get that and that they said that they were on backorder and they haven't gotten back to me on that.
On a side note it would've been nice to have gotten a recall notice in the mail from ford and I called their 800 number but they said that my truck is too old and they don't go back that far. I prob. wouldn't have known about the recall if it wasn't for this site then calling the dealer afterwards to confirm my truck was included.
On a side note it would've been nice to have gotten a recall notice in the mail from ford and I called their 800 number but they said that my truck is too old and they don't go back that far. I prob. wouldn't have known about the recall if it wasn't for this site then calling the dealer afterwards to confirm my truck was included.
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 42,561
Likes: 423
From: Long Island USA
The only problem I have is - why is the switch leaking internally in the first place?
Brake fluid shorting out the switch is was causes it.
Brake fluid leak? Isn't this safety related?
Brake fluid shorting out the switch is was causes it.
Brake fluid leak? Isn't this safety related?
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,577
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From: Southern MD
If the switch isn't leaking, there is minimal chance of a fire.
They installed the new fused harness on my '94 E-150 on the last recall.
They only replace the switch if it is leaking
Took all of 30 seconds, and I was outta there.
They installed the new fused harness on my '94 E-150 on the last recall.
They only replace the switch if it is leaking
Took all of 30 seconds, and I was outta there.
Posting Guru
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Posting Guru
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the same thing theya re saying can happen in 1992-2004 vehicles happened in my 1990 about 5 years ago, wiring harness caught fire in the garage, backed it out, put out the fire. had to get the entire melted glob of a wiring harness replaced.
Elder User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 530
Likes: 1
From: Harrisonburg, VA
I called the dealer today to talk their service dept. about the fused connector and said that if they replaced the switch with a new one because it was leaking then they don't use the fused connector but I remember them specifically telling me that they was on backorder to check back later but I haven't had that much time to go back there... so anyways my question is do we get the fused connector or not? They couldn't find me in their system so I have to run it over there for them to look at it.
luckily yall got notices from ford whereas I never received anything about the recall.
luckily yall got notices from ford whereas I never received anything about the recall.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 19,762
Likes: 1,079
From: St Louis
Originally Posted by krewat
The only problem I have is - why is the switch leaking internally in the first place?
Brake fluid shorting out the switch is was causes it.
Brake fluid leak? Isn't this safety related?
Brake fluid shorting out the switch is was causes it.
Brake fluid leak? Isn't this safety related?
I read the complete NHTSA engineering evaluation report a while back. The switches, made by TI to Ford's specifications, have a Kapton membrane that was only supposed to be subjected to pressure alone.
Due to a design anomoly in the master cylinder itself, the switch is actually exposed to both pressure and vacuum while in operation. The vacuum causes the Kapton membrane to flex the wrong way and weakens it. Eventually, it leaks and allows fluid to seep through the switch into the electrical portion of the switch. It all goes downhill from there.
The exact same switch has been used in many Ford models, most with almost zero failure rates. The only ones that have been failing are the switches that get installed into vehicles with the master cylinders that subject them to vaccuum.
The situation has been agravated by Ford placing the switch on an always hot circuit fused at 20 amps. Some models have it fused at 15 amps, these typically blow the fuse before the thing goes up in smoke. The 20A circuits often don't blow in time.
If you're really curious, all the data is on NHTSA's site.
FWIW, all the owners who are affected by the most recent round, you should be getting your notices soon. It takes a few weeks to organize a mailing that large since Ford has to pull the registration data for every vehicle from every state's registration database then print, and mail. It takes time to do a mailing of several million pieces.
Steve
