WHILE PARKED AND IDLING, ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS STARTED MALFUNCTIONING - INDICATOR LIGHTS, WIPERS, BRAKE BOOSTER, RADIO - ALL TURNED ON WITH OR WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. SMOKE BEGAN TO POUR FROM THE TOTALLY INTEGRATED POWER MODULE (TIPM) IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, WHICH THEN BRIEFLY STARED ON FIRE. ONLY DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY ALLOWED THE MODULE TO COOL DOWN AND STOP SMOKING.