Vehicle came in with customer complaint of rear a/c inop and the odometer / message center only has dashes displayed. This vehicle was a 2001 Ford Windstar but this repair applies to several years of Windstars.
Having seen this problem before I checked to see if any fuses were blown and fuse number 10 was blown it is the lighter colored blue in the picture. According to Mitchell On Demand, number 10 fuse supplies power to the following systems: Shift lock actuator, instrument cluster, climate control switch assembly, blend door actuator, power sliding doors, reverse parking aid, speed control, a/c clutch cycling pressure switch,rear defrost relay, and brake pressure switch.
Also as mentioned earlier I have seen this problem before and went to the culprit. The brake pressure switch on the end of the master cylinder. I disconnected the connector and positioned it out of the way and then replaced the fuse. All systems went back to work with the exception of the cruise control and it was not working because of the switch I had disconnected. I then referred the customer to the dealership as this part is under recall for catching on fire.
The brake pressure switch is located and the end of and on the bottom side of the master cylinder. The picture was taken looking down between the master cylinder and the breather tube. Disconnecting this switch will remove the short until the switch can be replaced and on most Ford vehicles it will be done under a recall. Contact your local dealer with your VIN number to see if the recall applies to your vehicle. If you need to change the switch yourself, have the new one ready, remove the breather assembly, unscrew the switch and screw the new one end, install wiring adapters that come in the kit from Ford and you are done.
Fuse # 10 on your vehicle supplies power to a lot of stuff. Some of which are the driver’s and passenger heated seat systems, abs, speed control, sliding door modules and a/c. If disconnecting the brake pressure switch does not remove the short I would recommend getting a wiring diagram and a healthy dose of patience.
I am having the same type of issue. My #10 fuse blows as soon as I turn the key. The odometer, speedometer, and a/c are not working. I have an “03 Ford Windstar. We have already replaced the brake repair kit.