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Westy1999
Samba Member
Joined: June 29, 2015
Posts: 159
Location: U.S.
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 Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 8:24 am Post subject: Smoke from dash! |
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While letting my 87 westy warm up I smelled something burning. Then I noticed thin wisps of light grey smoke coming from the passenger side dash close to the windshield. Driving it comes and goes even when no heater fan is running.
I cant see where the smoke is coming from and all my lights, radio, cig lighter, etc work. I took off the grill and can't see any problem. Opened up the glovebox and took out the ashtray to look into the dash and everything looks fine. The engine seems fine.
It's possible that the smoke was heat coming off the window but that wouldn't explain the burning smell...which isn't exactly an electrical fire type of smell, however.
I haven't done anything to the van lately except install a new headlight but I'm using the bulb from my old one and didn't touch the wiring.
Any thoughts? |
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canasync
Samba Member
Joined: June 28, 2010
Posts: 656
Location: BC
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| Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 8:29 am Post subject: Re: Smoke from dash! |
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Sounds like a wire burnt up. May have been caused by a wire rubbing on metal wearing down the plastic and shorting out.
First of all check your fuses as a blown fuse will probably indicate which wire to look for.
_________________
1987 Syncro
3 knobs
PumpeDüse TDI (17mm Garret Turbo, bigger injectors, stage 4 malone tune, intercooled)
Cruise Control
Remote Start/locks
Custom Lift
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1985 2wd Vanagon Pre-runner in the making
soon to be powered by 2.5L Subaru
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bluebus86
Banned
Joined: September 02, 2010
Posts: 11075
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| Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 8:35 am Post subject: Re: Smoke from dash! |
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| Westy1999 wrote: |
While letting my 87 westy warm up I smelled something burning. Then I noticed thin wisps of light grey smoke coming from the passenger side dash close to the windshield. Driving it comes and goes even when no heater fan is running.
I cant see where the smoke is coming from and all my lights, radio, cig lighter, etc work. I took off the grill and can't see any problem. Opened up the glovebox and took out the ashtray to look into the dash and everything looks fine. The engine seems fine.
It's possible that the smoke was heat coming off the window but that wouldn't explain the burning smell...which isn't exactly an electrical fire type of smell, however.
I haven't done anything to the van lately except install a new headlight but I'm using the bulb from my old one and didn't touch the wiring.
Any thoughts? |
windshields dont smoke.You have a real problem here. Id stop using the van immediatly and find the soource.
by continuing to use the van you risk a major van ending fire or maybe just an extremely expensive destruction of the front wire harness.
you MUST find the source and correct it before driving the van again.
you have elimiated some componnents as the source already, probably not the fan now headlights, as it appears the smell and smoke does not correspond with their operation.
drop the fuse panel (disconnect battery first) with a bright light, look under the fuse panel and all along under the dash, remove ashtray, and inspect, look for melted or discolored wires. if you find nothing bad, then hook up the battery, start the engine, and again look with a bright light with the fuse panel dropped, ash tray removed, and start carefully touching the wires, feel for heat.
you may want to pull the steering colunm cover and check under there too, and behind the glove box.
a problem like this usually does not heel itself, and often will get worse ($$$$$$) if not corrected.
so sorry to say, you should stop using the van till this is resolved, there is risk of a fire.
good luck
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Stephenmarklay
Samba Member
Joined: August 10, 2016
Posts: 526
Location: Spokane
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| Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 10:22 am Post subject: Re: Smoke from dash! |
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| Westy1999 wrote: |
While letting my 87 westy warm up I smelled something burning. Then I noticed thin wisps of light grey smoke coming from the passenger side dash close to the windshield. Driving it comes and goes even when no heater fan is running.
I cant see where the smoke is coming from and all my lights, radio, cig lighter, etc work. I took off the grill and can't see any problem. Opened up the glovebox and took out the ashtray to look into the dash and everything looks fine. The engine seems fine.
It's possible that the smoke was heat coming off the window but that wouldn't explain the burning smell...which isn't exactly an electrical fire type of smell, however.
I haven't done anything to the van lately except install a new headlight but I'm using the bulb from my old one and didn't touch the wiring.
Any thoughts? |
Its easy take out the glove box and look in that area if the smoke was from their.
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Gnarlodious 
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Joined: September 28, 2013
Posts: 2323
Location: Adobe Jungle USA
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| Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 10:55 am Post subject: Re: Smoke from dash! |
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A suspect area is the heater cables. Wires through the area can easily get pinched and grounded. The cables and casings are not necessarily well grounded so you can get current leakage and overheated insulation without a dramatic meltdown or burned fuse.
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the joker
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Joined: October 12, 2006
Posts: 1287
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| Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 11:32 am Post subject: Re: Smoke from dash! |
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this is your westy warning you, most don't  and just burn up
check your fire ext
 good excuse to take out your dash and replace things$$ |
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Westy1999
Samba Member
Joined: June 29, 2015
Posts: 159
Location: U.S.
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| Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 12:01 pm Post subject: Re: Smoke from dash! |
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| Looked everywhere and it seems like the smoke is coming from the stereo area but Christ it's a mess of wires in there with all kinds of haphazard splices. Checked the extinguisher and won't be driving it until it's all sorted but it's my daily driver so what a pain |
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mtnride1
Samba Member
Joined: March 30, 2011
Posts: 194
Location: la quinta, CA
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| Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 12:15 pm Post subject: Re: Smoke from dash! |
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Happened to me a few months ago. Popped off the console cover and found one small wire shorted. Fixed and no problems since then. Good Luck there are a lot of wires in there.
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87 westy 2wd (NED) |
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Merian
Samba Member
Joined: January 04, 2014
Posts: 5212
Location: Orygun
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| Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 12:15 pm Post subject: Re: Smoke from dash! |
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It is NOT safe to leave the battery connected. Take it all the way out.
That should have been the FIRST thing done.
You have a lot of labor ahead of you. I expect you will also want to hunt down the PO and kill him, assuming you survive.
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levi
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Joined: February 11, 2005
Posts: 5522
Location: Las Vegas
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| Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 1:02 pm Post subject: Re: Smoke from dash! |
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| bluebus86 wrote: |
| Westy1999 wrote: |
While letting my 87 westy warm up I smelled something burning. Then I noticed thin wisps of light grey smoke coming from the passenger side dash close to the windshield. Driving it comes and goes even when no heater fan is running.
I cant see where the smoke is coming from and all my lights, radio, cig lighter, etc work. I took off the grill and can't see any problem. Opened up the glovebox and took out the ashtray to look into the dash and everything looks fine. The engine seems fine.
It's possible that the smoke was heat coming off the window but that wouldn't explain the burning smell...which isn't exactly an electrical fire type of smell, however.
I haven't done anything to the van lately except install a new headlight but I'm using the bulb from my old one and didn't touch the wiring.
Any thoughts? |
you MUST find the source and correct it before driving the van again.
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This.
And although I encourage folks to do as much of their own work as possible, there are times to bring it into a shop and let a pro have at it.
If you saw and smelled smoke, take it to a trusted shop.
Btw, just a few days ago I caught a very brief whiff of burning wires.
I was out in the desert Southwest and was certain it must have come from under the dash.
Turned out to be from the rear tail light housing area.
Just because you don't see burnt wires where you expect them doesn't mean you're ok
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djkeev
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Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32625
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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MsTaboo
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Joined: June 02, 2006
Posts: 4096
Location: East Kootenay, British Columbia
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| Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 3:10 pm Post subject: Re: Smoke from dash! |
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| Westy1999 wrote: |
| Looked everywhere and it seems like the smoke is coming from the stereo area but Christ it's a mess of wires in there with all kinds of haphazard splices. Checked the extinguisher and won't be driving it until it's all sorted but it's my daily driver so what a pain |
This mess of wire behind the stereo is very common. People who should not touch wiring think "how hard can it be?" and try to install their own stereo instead of paying a shop to install.
Yes, installing a stereo is very simple, if you know what you're doing.
But at the first sign of PO haphazard splices, everything should be stripped out back to the stock harness. A coupler that matches up to the stock wire harness is available from decent car stereo shops.
I've had cars where there must have been twenty feet of extra wire stuffed into the dash with exposed connections (or masking tape). All that extra wire starts getting in the way of the heater controls and shorts happen.
You're better off without a stereo than having a flaming van.
Best bet of course is to have a Bentley factory service manual and trace out your wires.
Good luck getting it sorted out correctly. And yes, disconnect the battery until the mess is fixed!
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bluebus86
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Steve M.
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Joined: July 30, 2013
Posts: 6832
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
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| Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 10:18 pm Post subject: Re: Smoke from dash! |
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There are so many wire splices and electrical tape on the wire harness on my Syncro I just decided to replace the whole wire harness and start from scratch with it...it is just a mess everywhere. Driving it one more time into storage tomorrow and parking it until I've replaced it. This is one case where it is easier to replace than try to fix.
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Westy1999
Samba Member
Joined: June 29, 2015
Posts: 159
Location: U.S.
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| Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2016 7:22 am Post subject: Re: Smoke from dash! |
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| smoke stopped! Now what? I'm in my van waiting at the shop for the mechanic to show up and I don't know what to do. I hate intermittent problems. |
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pablum
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Joined: December 17, 2015
Posts: 562
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| Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2016 8:00 am Post subject: Re: Smoke from dash! |
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You should find it if you groom your dash wires like a monkey picking nits. But that would be a pain, right?
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Westy1999
Samba Member
Joined: June 29, 2015
Posts: 159
Location: U.S.
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| Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2016 9:03 am Post subject: Re: Smoke from dash! |
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| I'm thinking it was a heater core leak. |
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bluebus86
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Posts: 11075
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Merian
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Joined: January 04, 2014
Posts: 5212
Location: Orygun
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| Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2016 12:08 pm Post subject: Re: Smoke from dash! |
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| Westy1999 wrote: |
| smoke stopped! Now what? I'm in my van waiting at the shop for the mechanic to show up and I don't know what to do. I hate intermittent problems. |
now find it before it starts again and burns you to death
it appears you ignored the advice to not drive it; disconnect the battery and be safe 
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Westy1999
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Joined: June 29, 2015
Posts: 159
Location: U.S.
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| Posted: Tue Oct 04, 2016 6:36 pm Post subject: Re: Smoke from dash! |
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Found the cause.
The overhead light above the driver's side was smoldering and smoke started pouring out of it. I can't get the headliner fully off but the battery is disconnected and the smoking stopped.
Any tips on removing the overhead liner? I can't get it away from the 'spice racks' that seem to be holding it down. All the screws are removed.
Also...between the liner and the top there is white insulation which I'm hoping is not fully of asbestos.
I'll be getting it towed to a mechanic tomorrow but any suggestions on what to do tonight to mitigate expenses tomorrow? (I'm not sleeping in it since it stinks now.)
(And yes, I did disconnect the battery yesterday and I didn't drive it except 5 minutes to the mechanic's and was disappointed i couldn't get it to smoke for him.) |
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