2001 FORD WINDSTAR — STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS

FLUID FROM POWER STEERING SYSTEM LEAKED ONTO SOME HOT ENGINE COMPONENT, PROBABLY THE EXHAUST SYSTEM, AND PRODUCED A ROLLING FIRE AT THE REAR OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BELOW THE FIREWALL. VEHICLE WAS BEING PARKED IN A PARKING SPACE IN FRONT OF A SERVICE STATION WHEN FIRE ERUPTED. MY SON WHO WAS INSIDE THE STATION, SAW THE FIRE AND RUSHED OUT TO WARN US OUT OF THE VEHICLE. STATION PERSONNEL BROUGHT A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND MY SONS (THE OTHER WAS DRIVING) RAISED THE HOOD AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE FIRE WAS BURNING FIERCELY AND WAS DIFFICULT TO REACH, BUT WAS EXTINGUISHED BEFORE ANY FUEL SYSTEM COMPONENTS BECAME INVOLVED. SMOKE HAD COME FROM UNDER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT TWICE PREVIOUSLY DURING THE DAY, BUT WE ASSUMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD BEEN OVERFILLED AND THE EXCESS WAS BEING VENTED AND BOILING OFF ON THE TRANSMISSION. I CALLED FORD WITH THE ASSUMPTION THAT EXCESS TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LEAKING AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD PROBABLY BE ALRIGHT. SINCE THIS WAS MY MOTHER'S FUNERAL, WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE IN THE VEHICLE TO THE CEMETERY. SMOKE AGAIN CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD WHEN WE PARKED AT THE CEMETERY, BUT CLEARED QUICKLY. WE HAD DRIVEN ABOUT 10 MILES FROM THE CEMETERY WHEN THE FIRE OCCURRED.