NHTSA Complaint #10281429 — 1999 FORD WINDSTAR

WE RECENTLY PURCHASED A USED 1999 FORD WINDSTAR SEL MINIVAN. WE TOOK IT TO AN AUTO SHOP TO HAVE AN OIL CHANGE, AND AIR FILTERS REPLACED. UPON RETURNING HOME THAT EVENING, WE NOTICED AND SMELLED SMOKE FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. WHEN WE WENT TO LOOK AT IT, WE FOUND WHITE SMOKE COMING UP FROM BEHIND THE AIR FILTER AND IN FRONT OF THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER. WE THOUGHT THAT SOME FLUIDS HAD BEEN SPILT AND WERE SIMPLY BURNING OFF. WHEN WE WENT TO DRIVE IT LATER THAT EVENING, THE ENTIRE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE WENT DARK. ALL OF THE INTERIOR LIGHTS, THE ODOMETER, SPEEDOMETER, COMPUTER STATION, RADIO, CLIMATE CONTROL, WINDOWS, DOOR LOCKS, A/C, INSTRUMENT PANEL, CRUISE CONTROL, AND TURN SIGNALS STOPPED WORKING. WE MADE IT HOME SAFELY AS THE HEAD AND TAIL LIGHTS WERE STILL WORKING. UPON INSPECTION THE FOLLOWING DAY, WE FOUND THAT THE BRAKE PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL DEACTIVATION SWITCH (2B264) LOCATED UNDER THE MASTER CYLINDER (BEHIND THE AIR FILTER) DEVELOPED A LEAK. IT HAD BEEN LEAKING FOR SOME TIME AND HAD LITERALLY EATEN AWAY THE ELECTRICAL PLUG. THE WIRES HAD BEEN EATEN THROUGH AS WELL AND HAD CROSSED AND CAUSED THE SHORT. *TR