IMPORTANT: Recall 05S28 for 93-95 ATX

[projectSHO89]

The 93-95 ATX SHOs were included in the 05S28 Speed Control Disconnect fiasco ...er recall.

The SCDS, mounted on the bottom of the SHO's master cylinder, fails internally and allows the brake fluid to enter the electrical circuit of the switch. Depending on how the fluid flows, it can either short to ground completely (which blows the fuse) or partially. If it shorts partially, the heavy current can cause the connector to smoke or in extreme cases, cause a fire whcih may lead to loss of the vehcile and anything surrounding it.

Apparent side effects of blowing the fuse include no brake lights, no cruise, and an inability to shift the ATX out of PARK.

This same switch failure on the F150/Expedition has resulted in numerous vehicle fires with collateral damage.

If you are an owner of a 93-95 ATX, call your Ford dealer and schedule the free recall service. If your SCDS is working normally, they will install an additional harness that contains a fuse link to protect the vehicle in the event the switch fails with a short circuit. If the switch's connector shows visible signs of fluid leakage, they will also replace the switch.

 

[Guido0136]

Any way of knowing if your car has already had this fixed or replaced. I have only had my 94 ATX for a month or so, and I know the dolt err.. last owner would not know.

Is there something I can look for. perhaps a picture of the old and the new???

 

[hawkeye18]

Easiest way to find out is to look under the master cylinder (removing the air box helps greatly in this endeavor) and see if the wiring harness coming off the switch looks 15 years old, or < 1 year old.

For more info on this phenomenon (and yes, I've been preaching it since, oh, two and a half years ago), look at this thread that I started:

http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=76641

And in that thread are also instructions on how to perform this recall yourself if you're too lazy/far away from a ford dealer to have them do it.

 

[badcamelot]

Just as an FYI. My 93 was apparently built with the 'correct' switch to begin with. I will not go into all the details about how this came about, but Ford (not the dealer) informed me that when the cars were built, some had the 'correct' switches installed and some did not. They used the words 'correct' and 'not correct' instead of faulty/bad/dangerous etc and my car - according to the dealer - has the correct switch.
So there may be some cars that dont need the service performed beacuse the original switch is the 'correct' one.
Mine looks like a sealed housing under the master cylinder, the 'not correct' switches appaently are not.
I would be willing to email a picture of what my switch looks like to someone so it can be posted and ease confusion and perhaps someone should post a picture of the 'not correct' switch. I'd post the picture IF I knew how.

 

[hawkeye18]

Just as an FYI. My 93 was apparently built with the 'correct' switch to begin with. I will not go into all the details about how this came about, but Ford (not the dealer) informed me that when the cars were built, some had the 'correct' switches installed and some did not. They used the words 'correct' and 'not correct' instead of faulty/bad/dangerous etc and my car - according to the dealer - has the correct switch.
So there may be some cars that dont need the service performed beacuse the original switch is the 'correct' one.
Mine looks like a sealed housing under the master cylinder, the 'not correct' switches appaently are not.
I would be willing to email a picture of what my switch looks like to someone so it can be posted and ease confusion and perhaps someone should post a picture of the 'not correct' switch. I'd post the picture IF I knew how.

Did you not read the link I posted earlier? Go back up and click it.

 

[badcamelot]

I didnt before, but I just did. Thank you for all your effort. My suggestion was to take a picture of what the 'correct' and 'not correct' swithes look like attached to the master cylinder (apparently they are visually quite different) so that others could simply raise the hood and look.
But your CSI case file was great!
Thanks

 

[_JR_]

Would a ford dealer repalce this stuff for free since its under a recall or would the car owner get stuck with the bill?

 

[shonuffmine]

JR don,t you work at a ford dealership??? if not just call the local dealer set up an appointment n the bill is on them, doesn,t cost ya anything

 

[93_SHO_FL]

Is there a statute of limitations on the recall vs. howold the car is? I see this was posted here in 09, but was there a time limit from the time recall was issued to the time people had to have this done for free? Thanks.

 

[lowc]

anythiny saftey related has no limitations

 

[93_SHO_FL]

That's what I figured, but I wanted to be sure before I called Ford dealer and got the runaround. LOL Thanks

 

[Green93ATX]

Just thought I'd throw my .02 in here. I went and had the recall installed. First time my car had been to a dealer( this was about 3 years ago). They installed this big ass ball of wires with integrated fuses and it took up so much space that I could barely see the ATX dipstick. I guess I would have left it but the cruise control quite working the next day! So I went back to the same dealer and asked if they had an updated switch and they said they did, it solved all the problems and it was cheap. So I bought the switch and put it in myself. It was a ***** which explains why they put in the ball of wires in the first place. As soon as I took out their ball of wires and put in the new switch my cruise control came back and has worked ever since.

Gotta love Ford's approach to problems.

 

[RonPorter]

Yep. The recall doesn't replace the switch, it puts a fusible link into the wiring. Had it done a coupla years ago. Cruise quit last Fall, and I had to pay them for a new switch in my F250.