Daniel J. Stern wrote:
> http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/06/16/for...les/index.html
>
> I'd say it's unbelievable, but it's not. Ford's got a long and, uh,
> glowing track record of this kind of stupid ****. What's novel about this
> one is the cause: this time it's not poorly-designed alternators or
> poorly-designed ignition switches or poorly-designed transmission parking
> pawls or poorly-designed fan clutches or poorly-designed gas tanks causing
> Fords to be deathboxes. This time, it's the cruise control deactivation
> switch that causes parked, unattended, switched-off Fords to
> self-immolate.
>
> Yishk.
>
> DS

I guess I haven't run across this specific Ford brake switch but it
sounds like it measures *brake fluid pressure* -- assuming that the
report is accurate. If this is true, why don't they use a momentary NO
switch on the brake pedal (mechanically) like everyone else? And I'm
not trying to sound smarter than Ford engineers, but seriously, to
activate the brake lights, signal the ECM of braking, and/or cut cruise
operation -- I would much rather monitor brake pedal motion. It would
be fine and dandy to have a pressure transducer AS WELL, for double
checking purposes. If a transducer were to fail it would pose a low
current, 5 volt threat to the brake fluid only with the key on verses a
12 volt 10-20 amp fused circuit hot at all times. What gives?

Toyota MDT in MO