NHTSA Complaint #10472853 — 2002 FORD WINDSTAR

APPROXIMATELY A WEEK AGO, THE #10, 15 AMP FUSE WAS BLOWN. REPLACED IT WITH AN APPROVED FUSE AND BLEW RIGHT AFTER I STARTED VAN UP. I HAD NOTICED SOME LIQUID ON GARAGE FLOOR ABOUT 2 DAYS BEFORE THE FUSE BLEW, THE "BRAKE" LIGHT ON DASHBOARD WAS LIT UP. I CHECKED THE BRAKE FLUID LEVEL AND IT WAS VERY LOW. WHEN I ADDED FLUID, I NOTICED THERE APPEARED TO BE A LEAK OF FLUID ON THE FRONT, UNDERSIDE OF THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER. I HAD A FRIEND WHO IS A MECHANIC LOOK AT IT AND HE TOLD ME THE MASTER CYLINDER COULD BE BAD, BUT LOOKED LIKE THE PRESSURE SWITCH WAS WHERE THE LEAK WAS ORIGINATING. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, HE NOTICED THERE WAS A WIRE HARNESS THAT WAS SOAKED IN BRAKE FLUID AND BENEATH ANOTHER ONE WAS WET. HE ATTEMPTED TO CLEAN BOTH OF THEM AND REPLACED FUSES, BUT AFTER USING THE BRAKES THE FIRST TIME(GOING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY) I HEARD A "POP" AND THE FUSE WAS BLOWN AGAIN. THIS PARTICULAR FUSE CONTROLS THE ODOMETER, SPEEDOMETER, THE ABS LIGHT ON DASHBOARD. THE AMOUNT OF FLUID GOING ONTO THE ENGINE IS A GOOD PROBABILITY OF A FIRE STARTING WHEN THE LEAKING BRAKE FLUID IS ON THE HOT ENGINE. THIS SEEMS TO BE AN INCREASING PROBLEM AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. *TR