NHTSA Complaint #10058160 — 1993 FORD EXPLORER

1ST CASE WAS SUMMER TIME, ENGINE WOULDN'T EVEN TURN OVER WHEN TRYING TO START IT. AIR CONDITIONER HAD BEEN ON EARLIER. TURNED THE AIR CONDITIONER SWITCH TO OFF AND ENGINE STARTED AND RAN JUST FINE. ATTRIBUTED THE PROBLEM TO BAD COMPRESSOR LOADING DOWN THE ENGINE. $900 LATER WITH NEW COMPRESSOR AND CONVERSION TO NEW REFRIGERANT I ASSUMED EVERYTHING WAS FIXED. TRUCK IS 2ND VEHICLE NOT USED MUCH UNTIL WINTER. DECEMBER WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, I ACCIDENTALLY PUSHED THE HEATER SWITCH IN, (AIR-CONDITIONER ON MODE) AND THE ENGINE INSTANTLY SHUT OFF, AS WELL AS ALL THE LIGHTS AND THE HORN. RESET THE SWITCH AND ONCE AGAIN EVERYTHING WAS FINE. NEVER BLEW A FUSE! EXPECTED A WIRE HARNESS FIRE AFTER THAT! I'D EXPECT THE LOAD LINE TO THE COMPRESSOR TO BE ON A SEPARATE CIRCUIT AND ISOLATED BY A FUSE LINK OR REPLACEABLE FUSE! REPLACED THE $95 SWITCH AND INSPECTED IT. IT WAS ALL MELTED INSIDE. I WONDER IF THE SWITCH WAS THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM AND THE COMPRESSOR WAS ACTUALLY GOOD SINCE THE AIR WAS COLD WHEN IT WAS RUNNING. COULD IT GO FROM GOOD TO INSTANTLY SEIZED? COULD THE CIRCUITRY IN THE EXPLORER SPORT ALLOW A LARGE CURRENT DRAW TO MELT THE SWITCH? IF SO FORD OWES ME FOR THE COMPRESSOR AND LABOR. CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY A FUSELINK OR FUSE DIDN'T BLOW. ONLY A DEAD SHORT WOULD KNOCK OUT THE LIGHTS, AND HORN. LUCKILY THE SWITCH COULD BE SWITCHED OFF, AS I ROLLED TO A STOP. SECOND ITEM TO REPORT WAS THAT WHILE REPLACING THE BAD RESISTOR COILS FOR FAN'S SPEED CONTROL, THE HEATER ENCLOSURE WAS PACKED WITH LEAVES- VERY DANGEROUS. VACUUMED EVERYTHING OUT. NEED TO FIND OUT WHY THERE IS NO SCREEN SOMEWHERE. *AK