Comments by "Comm0ut" (@Comm0ut) on "How Recalls Are Costing Automakers Like Rivian And Ford Billions Of Dollars" video.
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Even worse was the utterly fookin' stoopid design choice to use a hydraulic kickoff switch in the first place!
Ford then made a second foreseeable mistake instead of changing the design to a brake pedal-actuated mechanical switch. That switch used a diaphragm membrane of Kapton which was found to be dangerously faulty because it becomes brittle but on top of that Ford ran an "always hot" wire to the switch so when the Kapton failed it shorted the constantly hot wire! When caught early it just burned the engine compartment (a burned circle in the hood above that switch is the telltale but only when the fire is rapidly put out. Typically it destroys the cab at minimum but owners have lost garages and homes because the fluid can ignite when the owner is elsewhere thanks to the always-hot switch.
That idiocy totaled many trucks which were never reported as switch-related fires but I've seen them in salvage yards where the shop I worked for sourced parts. I like my Fords but I don't use cruise anyway so I disconnected them (I do not consider their fix sufficiently reliable because it's a mitigation not complete failure proofing.
Ignition switch fires were also common going back before the cruise switch fires. Other makes of course have their issues but the public should never forget profit renders humans blind and stupid, especially if they themselves are technically illiterate which is the case with most non-technicians.
Replacing Kapton is now a very big business but only on aircraft. Since assertions without supporting facts are worthless, here ya go!
"https://www.autosafety.org/ford-cruise-control-deactivation-switch-recalls-and-history/
Ford Cruise Control Deactivation Switch Fires
On April 25, 1996, Ford Motor Company recalled 7.9 million vehicles for defective ignition switches that could short circuit and start fires in parked vehicles with the engine off because the switch circuit was hot or powered at all times. In a virtual replay on October 9, 2009, Ford Motor Company announced the last of its six recalls for defective Cruise Control Deactivation Switches that suffered from the same failure mode as the earlier ignition switch – an electrical switch in a continually powered, non-fused circuit. (In both cases, the suspect switch was made by Texas Instruments.) This latest recall in the series brought the total number of vehicles involved to 14.9 million. The switches, which run continuously even when the vehicle is not in operation, are prone to fail over time and cause electrical fires. One side of the switch is electrical and the other side is flammable hydraulic fluid, a combination conducive to fire. Fires in these vehicles have caused numerous house and garage fires, and resulted in deaths in several states.
Ford had knowledge of the cruise control switch defect for many years before 2009. The first recall related to these switches (99V-124) was announced by Ford on May 13, 1999, pursuant to NHTSA investigations PE98-055, upgraded to EA99-006. Ford agreed to recall 263,000 1992-93 Lincoln Town Cars built from November 4, 1991, through November 30, 1992, and the 1992-93 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis built from February 5, 1992, through November 30, 1992. More than 100 complaints were identified by Ford and NHTSA during the 1998-99 investigations, yet Ford continued to use the same switches in vehicles though model year 2004 vehicles. "
Kapton is used on many aircraft and IMO should be the subject of more than one class action suit. (I'm a retired fighter fixer working avionics then engines then crew chief) and wrenched cars/trucks/motorcycles/machinery since the late 1970s. I encourage any curious gearhead to read more about recalls and why they happen. My switches are unplugged at the master cylinder and will remain that way.
"https://www.interconnect-wiring.com/blog/aircraft-kaptontm-insulated-wire/
Which aircraft have Kapton™ insulated wire? First line fighter aircraft, as well as patrol, ASW, attack, transport, and helicopter aircraft are all subject to wiring problems because they possess Kapton™ insulated wire. Some aircraft involved on the military side include F-16, F-14, F-15, F-18, F-4, S-3, E-2C, P-3, EA-6, SH/UH-60, AH-64, and AH-1 models. Some examples on the commercial side include A310, A320, A330, A340, B727, B737, B747-400, B757, B767, DC-10, MD-8x, MD-11, L-1011, G-II, G-III, HS125-700, 212, 214, S-61, S-70B, S-76.
Now, why is this important? It was discovered that the older the Kapton™ wiring gets, the more brittle and vulnerable the insulation becomes. Cracking and embrittlement of Kapton™ wiring harness insulation is widespread and has caused short circuits in key aircraft systems. For these reasons Kapton™ wiring is being phased out of use in many new aircraft types. Unfortunately, countless aircraft are flying today with cracks in the insulation of wiring harnesses down to the metallic conductors, and are only replaced when the problem occurs as a result of this dangerous situation. The only really safe solution to the dangers posed by the use of Kapton™ is the replacement of ALL older aircraft with new ones not utilizing Kapton™ wiring."
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