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1994 FORD EXPLORER — VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

fire · 140118 · 1999-03-02

Vehicle

Make
FORD
Model
EXPLORER
Year
1994
Manufacturer
Ford Motor Company
Component
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
0
Fire
Yes
Crash
No
Police report
No
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

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.

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
703952
Machine
JSON-LD · Markdown