NHTSA Complaint #10584786 — 1998 FORD F-150

POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL SHORT AT/OR NEAR THE HAZARD FLASHER SWITCH. MOST NOTICEABLE AT COLD START, AND COMING FROM UNDER/INSIDE THE STEERING COLUMN UPPER COVER CASTING. WITH THIS MAKE & MODEL, YEAR, THE HAZARD SWITCH IS LOCATED AT THE TOP OF THE STEERING COLUMN UPPER COVER CASTING. ALTHOUGH I HAVE YET TO SEE ANY SMOKE, THERE IS A MORE THAN SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ELECTRICAL SHORTING NOISE COMING FROM WITHIN THE COLUMN ITSELF. DUE TO THE FACT THAT I CANNOT REMOVE THE COVER MYSELF TO TARGET LOCATE THE ISSUE, I HAVE LEFT IT UP TO A FEW MECHANICS AND DEALERS, BUT THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE (PROBABLY BECAUSE THE TRUCK IS WARMED UP BY THE TIME I GET IT TO A DEALER) ISSUE USUALLY IS MOST NOTICEABLE AT COLD START, AND MORE AGGRESSIVELY WHEN OUTSIDE/INSIDE CAB TEMPS ARE AT OR BELOW FREEZING, BUT HAS BEEN HAPPENING MORE DURING WARMER WEATHER. I CAN GET THE SOUND/NOISE OF THE ELECTRICAL SHORT TO STOP BY TOUCHING OR ENGAGING THE HAZARD SWITCH A FEW TIMES. AND USUALLY WHEN THE ISSUE STARTS THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL WILL IMMEDIATELY FLASH SUPER FAST AT THE SAME TIME, ALL ON ITS OWN, WITHOUT ME ENGAGING THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL. WHEN THE TEMPS REACH AROUND OR BELOW ZERO OUTSIDE, IT'S MORE DIFFICULT FOR ME TO GET THIS ISSUE TO STOP, THEN I HAVE TO RESORT TO PULLING IN THE STEERING WHEEL LEVER AND PHYSICALLY MANEUVER THE STEERING WHEEL UP & DOWN BY HAND. SOMETIMES WHILE AT A STANDSTILL AND SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING IN MOTION. IT ALMOST SEEMS THE COLDER AND MORE STIFF THE WIRES ARE INSIDE THE COLUMN, THE MORE AGGRESSIVE THIS ISSUE IS. IT SOMETIMES FRIGHTENED ME BECAUSE I'M AFRAID THAT IT'S GOING TO CATCH FIRE IF I CAN'T GET IT TO STOP SHORTING OUT IN TIME. IT SEEMS LIKE TWO WIRES ARE COMING IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER OR ONE WIRE MAY BE RUBBING UP AGAINST METAL OR SOMETHING IT'S NOT DESIGNED TO. I'M LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER AND VIABLE SOLUTION TO THIS POSSIBLE DANGER. FORD HAS NO ANSWERS YET. *TR