1997 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY — SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

AS HEAD OF ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT AT TEMIC AUTOMOTIVE, N.A., NOW OWNED BY CONTINENTAL TEVES, I WAS INVOLVED IN THE INVESTIGATIONS INTO HUNDREDS OF CASES OF 'THERMAL INCIDENTS' ON ABS CONTROLLERS ON NEARLY EVERY PROGRAM. THE INCIDENCE WAS HIGHEST, ON THOSE VEHICLES WITH THE GREATEST EXPOSURE OF THE CONNECTOR TO THE ELEMENTS. OUR INVESTIGATIONS SHOWED THAT A DIRECT BATTERY TO GROUND SHORT WOULD DEVELOP IN THE PRESENCE OF MOISTURE AND CONTAMINATION, AND EVEN A 'SEALED' CONNECTOR DESIGN WOULD NOT PREVENT THIS. THE HIGHEST FAILURE RATE WAS ON THE CHRYSLER MINIVAN. AN INTERIM FIX USING A RAYCHEM GASKET WAS EMPLOYED, AND EVEN USED AS A SILENT RECALL FIX ON MANY CUSTOMER VEHICLES. IT IS MY OPINION NOW, THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALLABLE ISSUE, SHOULD SUCH AN DIRECT SHORT SITUATION DEVELOP THAT IT MIGHT LEAD TO A VEHICLE FIRE. I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY VEHICLE FIRES DIRECTLY TRACEABLE TO THIS. I WOULD THINK THE PROBABILITY WOULD BE VERY LOW, BUT I'M SURE IT IS NOT ZERO. I THINK THE ACTIONS TAKEN, AND THE VEHICLES EFFECTED, AND THE LACK OF WARRANTY COVERAGE FOR A KNOWN DEFECT IN MANY CUSTOMER CASES SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BY NHTSA. THE TIME PERIOD OF INTEREST WOULD BE FROM MY 1997 UP UNTIL 2000 OR 2001. THE MAIN PLATFORMS EFFECTED WOULD BE CHRYSLER MINIVAN, JEEPS AND FORD EXPLORER. *NM