A mix of Ford vehicles mainly composed of vans and SUVs are being recalled due to a faulty switch which can eventually lead the vehicle to overheat and catch fire. Among the notable Ford models include the Ford Windstars, Ford Explorers and Ford Rangers. The cruise-control deactivation switches were said to be the culprit of these potential fire hazards when brake fluid leaks onto them. They reportedly stay hot even if the car has been turned off. There has already been one casualty, Al Gavegan Jr. who died in August 14, 2007 when his 1994 Mercury Grand Marquis was parked in his garage and caught fire in San Antonio.

As a remedy, affected vehicle owners are advised to park their cars outside their garages to avoid potential fire accidents. This is not a new problem. Here are the affected vehicles for your reference:

• 1995-2003 model year Ford Windstars
• 2000-2003 model year Ford Excursion diesels
• 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 Ford F-Super Duty diesels
• 1992-2003 Ford Econolines
• 1995-2002 Ford Explorers and Mercury Mountaineers
• 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 Ford Rangers
• And 1994 Ford F53 motorhomes

(Source) Injury Board

Tags: 2002 ford explorers, brake fluid, cruise control, culprit, deactivation, duty diesels, econolines, fire accidents, fire hazards, fluid leaks, ford excursion, ford explorer, ford models, ford rangers, ford vehicles, ford windstars, mercury grand marquis, motorhomes, windstars ford

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How dangerous is a floor mat when it comes to associating it with car accidents? Well as far as Toyota is concerned, the current recall in the car mats that they package with their Toyota Lexus is still a puzzle. A fatal car crash which claimed four lives in Southern California last month has forced the arm of Toyota to order its dealers to make prior inspection of car mats in the light of this unfortunate tragedy.

It seems that the car mat caused the Toyota Lexus to get out of control, forcing it to crash into another vehicle, turn over and burst into flames. But to this day, no one knows if these car mats were truly the culprit but just the same, Toyota has taken the initiative for this tragedy.

Some tips to drivers when it comes to car mats though. Avoid the thick mats to be used in cars. Do not place more than one mat since this may become a reason for your accelerator to get stuck. Check out your car now. This could make all the difference between life and death on your end.

You can watch the report here.

Image Credit

(Source) Yahoo

Tags: accelerator, car accidents, car mat, car mats, Cars, culprit, fatal car crash, flames, floor mat, initiative, life and death, puzzle, southern california, thick mats, Toyota, toyota lexus, unfortunate tragedy, yahoo

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A few days ago, Petron Corp. Philippines revealed that the alternative fuel, E10, had harmful effects on vehicles. Corrosion, which was pointed out as the main culprit that could pose severe threats to a car’s fuel and gas intake parts, were attributed to other factors such as the use of previous types of fuel and inferior replacement parts. This was what Department of Energy Secretary Angelo T. Reyes revealed in the light of the fear that the celebrated E10 fuel may be doing more harm than good for vehicles.

According to the DOE secretary as well, the purity of local ethanol was 99.8 percent, just above the 99.3-percent standard. This may seem like an answer but the number of car owners complaining about the E10 ethanol fuel may be something to consider as well. If the case were for just a couple of motorists, then this excuse could be accepted. However, that is just the thing; there are no definitive numbers to actually pinpoint if majority of car owners using the E10 fuel have indeed had problems with it.

Finally, the E10 ethanol fuel was claimed to likewise help clean fuel tanks. Now this seems contradicting if you tie it up with the motorist claims. If actual numbers of complainants can be shown, the actual judgment on whether the E10 is good or bad for cars can be adjudged. But for now, it has been a battle of opinion which is not resolving anything as far as this issue is concerned.

Image Courtesy: Petron Fuel Success

(Source) Philippine Daily Inquirer

Tags: alternative fuel, car owners, corrosion, culprit, department of energy, doe secretary, e10 ethanol, e10 fuel, energy secretary, ethanol fuel, excuse, fear, few days, fuel tanks, judgment, motorists, petron corp philippines, philippine daily inquirer, purity, replacement parts

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