1994 FORD EXPLORER Visibilitydefrosterdefoggerhvac System Problems

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM VENTS. ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF, AND VENTS CLOSED. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY DEALER YET. *AK

DEFECTIVE DESIGN OF HEATING SYSTEM CAUGHT FIRE TWICE FROM PINE NEEDLES COLLECTING AROUND THE HEATING APPARATUS UNDER THE HOOD. *AK

PROBLEM 1: ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL OCCASIONALLY WHEN TURN HEATER ON AND ONCE WHEN TURNED A/C ON. HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FIRST TIME USING THE SYSTEM AND SMELLS LIKE WHEN ANOTHER CAR OF MINE HAD THE ELECTRICAL WIRES IN THE STEERING WHEEL BURN AND SMOKE. PROBLEM 2: GAS PEDAL OCCASIONALLY FLOORS ITSELF AND I CANNOT BRAKE THE CAR EVEN WITH ALL MY WEIGHT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. I HANDLE IT BY POPPING THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND SITTING THERE WHILE THE ENGINE GUNS ITSELF. I ALSO PUMP THE GAS PEDAL DURING THIS TIME IN THE HOPES THAT IT HELPS. THIS IS THE SCARIEST OF ALL MY PROBLEMS AND I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH NOT TO BE TOO CLOSE TO PEOPLE WHEN THIS HAPPENS. THIS HAPPENS ABOUT 2X A YEAR AND I CANNOT TIE ANY OF THE INCIDENS TOGETHER AS IT HAS OCCURRED ON RAINY DAYS, SUNNY DAYS.... PROBLEM 3:...

SMOKE FREQUENTLY ENTERS THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE VENTILATION SYSTEM. *AK

THIS IS THE SECOND INSTANCE OF A "FIRE" IN THE HEATER/AIRCONDITIONER DUCTS. *AK

LEAVES ENTER INTO THE VENTILLATION SYSTEM NEAR WINDSHIELD, ACCUMULATION OF DEBRIS IN RESISTOR/BLOWER MOTOR CAUSED FIRE SEVERAL TIMES.

VEHICLE EMITS SMELL/SMOKE IN VENTILATION SYSTEM UPON START UP OF VEHICLE.

I HAD THE HEATER/DEFROSTER ON WHEN I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. THEN SMOKE POURED OUT OF THE VENTILATION SYSTEM INTO THE CAR. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED OFF THE CAR AND ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOWS. I SAW A GAS STATION SO I STARTED UP THE CAR AND PULLED INTO THE GAS STATION. I TOLD THEM THE PROBLEM AND THEY SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE THE HEATING COIL HAD BURNT OUT BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE TIME TO CHECK IT OUT. I TRIED THE HEATER A FEW DAYS LATER AND A BURNING SMELL CAME OUT OF THE VENTILATION. I HAVE NOT PUT ON THE HEAT SINCE THEN.

DEBRIS HAS BEEN SUCKED INTO THE AIR CHAMBER BY THE HEATER/ AIR CONDITIONER. BECAUSE THE FAN MOTOR SPEED IS CHANGED BY VARIOUS SIZED RESISTORS IN THIS CHAMBER, WHEN THE FAN OPERATED AT LOW SPEED, IT HEATED THE RESISTORS AND CAUGHT THE DEBRIS ON FIRE, WITH SMOKE POURING OUT OF THE VENTS, NEARLY BLINDING ME THE DRIVER AND BURNING MY LUNGS. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT I NEEDED TO CLEAN OFF THE CAR TO PREVENT THIS, AND I PAID FOR REPAIRS. CERTAINLY THERE ARE OTHER MEANS TO VARY A FAN SPEED, LIKE MULTIPLE WINDING MOTORS. FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO INJURIES, BUT THE POTENTIAL WAS THEIR TO CAUSE INJURY OR BURN UP THE EXPLORER.

FAN/HEATER WHEN USED ON PANEL, SMELLS LIKE SOMETHING IS BURNING, IF USED AS DEFROST OR FLOOR I DON'T NOTICE THE SMELL AS MUCH. ONCE THERE WAS SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE VENTS, WE TURNED IT OFF AND IT STOPPED. A MECHANIC CHECKED IT FOR US AND COULDN'T FIND ANY SMOKE. IT HASN'T SMOKED SINCE THEN, BUT IT CONTINUES TO SMELL LKIE SOMETHING IS BURNING IF WE USE THE PANEL VENTS.

THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS LEAVES IN THE BLOWER. THEY WOULD HAVE TO TAKE APART THE DASH AND CHARGE ME. DO I HAVE ANY RECOURSE AGAINST THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER FOR THIS SAFETY HAZARD. I FEAR THE VEHICLE WILL IGNITE BECAUSE THE SMOKE IS VERY HEAVY AND BILLOWING OUT FROM THE INTERIOR VENTS AND EXTERIOR IN FRONT OF THE WINDSHIELD.

CONSUMER DROVE APPROXIMATELY 20 MINUTES BEFORE TURNING THE DEFROSTER ON, WITHIN 15 SECONDS HE BEGAN TO SMELL BURNING ODOR, SMELL LIKE LEAVES. CONSUMER SWITCHED THE ENGINE OFF AND SAT AND WATCHED, NEVER SAW ANY SMOKE. WHEN THE SMELL GOT DOWN APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES LATER HE BEGAN TO DRIVE AGAIN, THERE IS AN OPEN INVESTIGATION AT THIS TIME. *AK

LEAVES ACCUMULATED IN HEATER BLOWER ASSEMBLY. APRIL 1994 WE PAID $92 TO HAVE LEAVES REMOVED FROM SYSTEM AFTER WE SMELLED BURNING LEAVES AND BLOWER MOTOR WAS NOISY. IN NOVEMBER 1996 WE PAID $52 TO HAVE BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR REPLACED AFTER IT BURNED UP, FILLING CAR WITH SMOKE BUT NO FLAMES OBSERVED. WE CURRENTLY SMELL LEAVES BURNING EVERY TIME WE DRIVE THE CAR WITH HEATER ON SO EXPECT MORE PROBLEMS SOON.

CUSTOMER STATES HEAT COMING OUT OF VENTS WHILE CAR IS TURNED OFF.

DESIGN OF THE HEATER FAN/UNIT ALLOWS LEAVES TO ENTER AND CATCH FIRE.

WHILE DRIVING WITH THE HEATER ON, BLACK, ACRID, CHOKING SMOKE FILLED THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT SO BADLY THE DRIVER COULD NOT SEE THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD.

LEAVES WERE CAUGHT IN THE HEATER VENT, AND THE LEAVES CAUGHT FIRE, CAUSING SMOKE TO COME THROUGH THE HEATER VENTS. DEALER CLEANED VENTS OUT. *AK

VENTILATION SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. THE UNIT CAN NOT BE TURNED OFF. WHEN ALL SWITCHES ARE IN THE OFF POSITION, YOU CAN HEAR A HISSING NOISE AND AIR BLOWS OUT OF THE VENTS, EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS NOT MOVING.

VENT SLATS FELL OFF.

LEAVES ARE GETTING INTO THE HEATER UNIT, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SMOKE. *AK

LEAVES ARE GETTING INTO THE HEATER UNIT, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SMOKE. *AK