I was driving my escape in town and stopped at a traffic light. Someone came running to my truck telling me my truck was on fire. I jumped out and there was smoke pouring out of the drivers side tail light area.
The driver behind me told me it looked like it was coming from the wheel and maybe the hand brake was on. I alway set my brake when I turn my truck off and so I couldn't tell if I had left it on or not. I drove to my destinatin and when I came out I could not shift out of park. I utilized the interlock bypass and drove home. a few days later I was told the brake lights and tail lights were not working. I changed the stop light fuse (24) and everything seemed fine. I had an uneasy feeling and pulled over and found smoke pouring out of my tail light again. I removed the fuse and the smoke stopped. I took the vehicle home. On isnpection I found the U-Haul tail light convetor on the trailer harness melted down. I removed it and replaced the fuse. Now my brakes lights stay on all the time and I can start the truck without depressing the brake pedal. There is also a loud metallic ringing noise coming from under the driver side engine compartment. I disconnected both the brake switch and the crusie control switch on the brake pedal and there was no change. If I remove the fuse, I have to use the shifter bypass and the brake lights don't work (as expected) and the loud noise goes away. But, everything else seems to work ok. I don't know if it is connected or not, but the catalytic converters were replaced by a muffler shop in the previous two weeks. Could be a coincidence, but they did have to remove a lot of stuff in and around the engine to get to the manifold.
The part that stumps me is that with the fuse in and the switch removed the brake lights are on - I'm thinking a relay maybe, but I'm not sure where the relay is.

 

I'm puzzled by what you refer to as the shifter bypass.

I would think with the stop lite fuse out, stoplite switch disconnected and stop lights still being on, the only other way power can get to the stop lites might be thru the emergency flasher circuit. Are your front signal lites staying on when your stop lites are on? Based on the answer you provide , will suggest what path to pursue. hanky

 

Hanky, you normally have to press the brake to shift out of park. If the stop light fuse blows you can't shift. When this happens you can press the bypass on top of the steering column and shift out of park.
The flashers seem to work fine.
Bill

 

What I'm driving at is not how the emergency flashers work, but if the signal lites and stop lites are on at the same time. In the rear, the stop lights and signals are the same bulbs (unless you have separate signal lites) and in the front the signal and emergency flashers are the same bulbs, if the stop lites are on due to a cross circuit in the emergency flasher lite switch and signal lite switch the front signal lites will also be on. Need to know this to proceede.
,,,,,,,,,hanky

 

They're not on - they are seperate lights.

 

Normally the wire from the stoplite switch goes directly to the stop lights via the signal lite switch. This is what I would do. Open up that smoking light , put the fuse in and see just where the heat is taking place. Its odd that only one light is affected. Check everything in that area and also the wiring to the plug that melted to the tailight converter. Something has a source of voltage and is feeding it to the stop lite circuit. I have no idea what you might find , but if anything is burnt or showing sign of excessive heat you should see it.
hanky