NHTSA Complaint #10599053 — 2005 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500

I STARTED MY TRUCK AND TURNED THE AIR CONDITIONER ON ITS HIGHEST SETTING WHILE I LOADED MY TWO CHILDREN INTO THEIR CAR SEATS. I HAD ONE OF MY CHILDREN IN THEIR CAR SEATS AND WAS PUTTING THE SECOND ONE IN HIS WHEN I SMELLED SMOKE AND QUICKLY REALIZED THERE WAS SMOKE BLOWING OUT OF THE VENTS. I GOT MY BOYS OUT OF THEIR SEATS AND SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF. I OPENED THE DOORS AND SEARCHED FOR SOMETHING TO EXTINGUISH FLAMES. AFTER GRABBING THE GARDEN HOSE AND RETURNING TO THE TRUCK I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE DASH BUT I DIDN'T SEE ANY FLAMES. I WAITED TO SEE IT THE SMOKE WAS GETTING WORSE BUT IT WASN'T. I OPENED THE HOOD AND NOTHING WAS SMOKING IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I FELT AROUND THE CONSOLE AND NOTICED THAT THERE WERE A NUMBER OF AREAS THAT WERE EXTREMELY HOT. A DAY LATER I TRIED TO SEE IF I COULD FIND THE LOCATION OF THE FIRE. I DISCOVERED THAT ANYTIME I HAD THE AIR CONDITIONER ON AND THE BLOWER ON ABOVE LEVEL "3" SOMETHING WOULD BEGIN TO SMOKE. BEFORE THIS PROBLEM WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER OCCURRED ALL OF THE LIGHTS ON MY INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD PERIODICALLY TURN OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THERE ARE DEFINITELY SOME MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL WIRING ON THIS VEHICLE. I HATE TO THINK WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I DIDN'T CATCH THE PROBLEM IN TIME. *TR