Ford Repair: Ford Windstar, hydraulic brake system, ford windstar

Question
I have a '99 Windstar. Recently I've had trouble with a fuse. The fuse keeps blowing and the ABS light stays on. That fuse also runs the air conditioner, speedometer and odometer. My husband bled the front brakes and replaced the fuse. It worked fine for about 15 miles then when I put the emergency brake on the fuse blew again and the ABS light came on. He thinks if he bleeds the rear brakes the problem will be corrected. The brakes themselves are in great shape. Thanks.

Answer
It sounds like you have an electrical problem.  The fuse blows when too much current is going through a circuit.  More likely you have a wire shorting out, or a component is going bad and drawing more current than it should.

Bleeding the brakes is removing air from the hydraulic brake system.  Bleeding is only necessary when replacing a hydraulic component, such as a wheel cylinder or caliper, etc.

If the fuse blows repeatedly when engaging the emergency brake, I guess I would start by tracing and inspecting wires in the emergency brake indicator circuit; but the electrical short could be in any of the circuits drawing on that fuse and may be very difficult to find.  

I would caution you against investing too much money and time, and I would recommend taking it to a reputable dealership.

Sorry,
Dave