Coincidence or Failure: Electrical Fire, 2 trucks 1 week apart.
My 1997 F-150 caught fire a couple of weeks ago. The truck was parked 'off' for 2 hours, when fire broke out. Luckily someone noticed the flames and smoke, immediately came and told me, and I had a fire extinguisher in the back. Minimal damges.
It appears to have started due to a faulty cruise control sensor switch that is mounted in front of the master cylinder. It must have stayed in the on position even with the truck off asnd the key out of the ignition. The switch got so hot that it melted the plastic master cylinder reservoir, and then ignited the brake fluid, which caused a melt down of the speed sensor, abs sensor, brake line, some of the wire harness, etc.

The kicker is that this same fire stated in my brother's f-150, same year, same style a week earlier. he lost his '97 f-150, his 2004 f-150 that was parked next to it, and on the other side he lost a 2000 f-150. he lost 3 trucks, all caused by the '97 f-150.

Please check your cruise sensor switch mounted on the front of the master cylinder, and replace it. Maybe they're starting to fail once they are approaching 8 years old.

 

Thanks for the heads up. I have a 97 myself. How much is the part? Is it difficult to replace? Thanks

 

very easy to replace the cruise sensor switch.
it is right in the front of the master cylinder assembly.
the cost is around $20.00, just unplug the plug assembly and unscrew the switch, and install the new switch, and push the plug assembly back in it.

 

Easy enough, thanks!

 

Last night my 2001 F150 caught fire, and it was just as you explained - 2 hours after it was parked, someone noticed it and called the fire department. A faulty cruise control module? Sounds likely since my cruise hasn't worked in a while... We'll see what the insurance adjuster says about it. Thanks for sharing the misery.