Three problems related to battery cable have been reported for the 1998 Ford Windstar. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
I have a 1998 Ford Windstar. It first started with my cruise control switch catching on fire and causing wires under my hood to burn. . . Now for the last year I have been having problems with my passenger sliding door. . The sensor on the dash would show that the door was ajar(not closed) I could take the battery cable off for a while and the door light would go off. Now I have had to remove all the bulbs in the lights inside the van to keep my battery from running down this morning I get up and my battery is dead and acid from the battery is all over the post and cable wires. I talk to my mechanic he says this is due to some problem in the electrical system he said he has had to work on several Windstars for the same problemsome kind of sensor fault defect.
The vehicle had been parked for about 15 mins before it caught on fire. The doors locked, and the windshield wipers were running on their own. The fire department came and had to cut the battery cable to stop the vehicle. The keys were left inside the vehicle on the console in between the two front seats. A report was filed with the fire department. The dealer stated they had not received any reports of fires on Windstars. Manufacturer was contacted, and caller filed a complaint. They will get back to him. Vehicle was totaled, and it was towed away. The caller did not know what started the fire.
The negative battery cable cover is broken and replaced.