Jump to content

Smoke through steering column


jboulukos

Recommended Posts

I had been running the car in D with the parking break on tuning the carburetor for a few minutes.  Finished tuning, drove it up and down the driveway a couple times.  Then I turned off the car for a few seconds and attempted to start it again but it wouldn't start.  I noticed a faint light white smoke coming out of the hazard light switch opening on top of the steering column that lasted 5 seconds.  The wipers did not work. The sound of the seat belt warning light buzz was distorted and the same buzzing each second was amplified by the radio speaker when I turned the radio on.  The CHG and OIL-P lights were both on.  I decided to check a few things.  The battery had 13.4 V.  I then changed all of my fuses.  I thought I may have been low on gas because I had it running a while tuning.  Checked the carburetor float window and gas level was normal.  Also, the brake pedal was significantly more firm to depress.  I decided to turn the car on to check the fuel gauge.  It went up to the E and the wipers started working however were noticeably slow.  After having the car on for a few seconds I noticed white smoke coming out the hood from the battery area.  Went I lifted the hood to check I could not get a good read on exactly where it came from.  I tried to turn the car on again to see if it would cause the smoke again however there was none.  Took off the battery, which is one year old.  Then opened the black box behind the battery took out the choke relay? and examined it.  The thing looked fine.  

What else can I check?

Coil?

Ignition switch? 

Rheostat?

Link to comment
  • Replies 106
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Sounds like you have a ground out somewhere, at least from your description.  

 

I had this issue when there was a small split wire under my dash that went into the fuse box, it would every now and then barely touch the metal part of the dash bracket and ground out, it wouldn't pop any fuses but it was enough to turn some of the wires hot and eventually cause some of the issues you were describing, like the weird lag with buzzer noise and the really slow wipers.

 

Were any of the wires hot coming off your battery?   Check to make sure none of your power wires are exposed, and that you have a good solid ground.

 

Other than that it might fall under some of the more mechanically inclined guys around here.

Link to comment

I had been running the car in D with the parking break on tuning the carburetor for a few minutes.  Finished tuning, drove it up and down the driveway a couple times.  Then I turned off the car for a few seconds and attempted to start it again but it wouldn't start.  I noticed a faint light white smoke coming out of the hazard light switch opening on top of the steering column that lasted 5 seconds.

 

Smoke may be from the ignition switch which is in the clam shell on the steering column. Take apart and look for melted or overheated wires.

 

I assume the starter turns the engine over, but it does not start???

 

The wipers did not work. The sound of the seat belt warning light buzz was distorted and the same buzzing each second was amplified by the radio speaker when I turned the radio on.  The CHG and OIL-P lights were both on.  I decided to check a few things.  The battery had 13.4 V.  I then changed all of my fuses.  I thought I may have been low on gas because I had it running a while tuning.  Checked the carburetor float window and gas level was normal.  Also, the brake pedal was significantly more firm to depress.

 

Without the engine running there is no brake booster assist. This is normal.

 

I decided to turn the car on to check the fuel gauge.  It went up to the E and the wipers started working however were noticeably slow.  After having the car on for a few seconds I noticed white smoke coming out the hood from the battery area.  Went I lifted the hood to check I could not get a good read on exactly where it came from.  I tried to turn the car on again to see if it would cause the smoke again however there was none.  Took off the battery, which is one year old.  Then opened the black box behind the battery took out the choke relay? and examined it.  The thing looked fine.  

What else can I check?

Coil?

Ignition switch? 

Rheostat?

You say turn the car on. To be clear do you mean it now starts or do you mean just turn the ignition on???

 

White smoke in the battery area is likely a fusible link. It will be attached to the battery positive terminal or very close nearby. Besides the large cable to the starter there may be a smaller one going to the 'black box' near the battery where all the car's wiring goes. Look here for the fusible links. The burnt link will appear crispy or melted.

  • Like 1
Link to comment

 

Smoke may be from the ignition switch which is in the clam shell on the steering column. Take apart and look for melted or overheated wires.

 

I assume the starter turns the engine over, but it does not start???

 

 

Without the engine running there is no brake booster assist. This is normal.

 

You say turn the car on. To be clear do you mean it now starts or do you mean just turn the ignition on???

 

White smoke in the battery area is likely a fusible link. It will be attached to the battery positive terminal or very close nearby. Besides the large cable to the starter there may be a smaller one going to the 'black box' near the battery where all the car's wiring goes. Look here for the fusible links. The burnt link will appear crispy or melted.

 

Car did not turn over or start at all.  No noise from starter.

Link to comment

Fusible link then. No power getting through. This begs the question... what caused the fusible link to blow?

This is what I have done recently in the past week:

-added a new carb insulator

-adjusted the carb with the tachometer hooked up, parking brake on and car in drive

 

Where can I get a fusible link?  I have another ignition switch assembly with key but I don't want to fry that one if theres something wrong somewhere else.

Link to comment

Also, I have recently had difficulty with the vacuum lines between the carb and the valve cover.  I may have twisted them a bit and noticed one doesn't quite want to stay put.  I need to go back in there and try to get it back so they aren't pulling or twisting themselves off.

Link to comment

I should say "likely' the fusible link. It fits. Also it needs to be verified. Find out if it is, because if there's one perverse law of the universe, it's that things are never what they seem. Find the fusible links and inspect them.

 

The hose between the valve cover and the air filter isn't a vacuum line really. It's part of the PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) system. As fumes are drawn out of the crankcase fresh filtered air from the air filter is drawn in to replace it through this hose. Engine will run perfectly normal even without it, but you may smell fumes..

  • Like 1
Link to comment

I should say "likely' the fusible link. It fits. Also it needs to be verified. Find out if it is, because if there's one perverse law of the universe, it's that things are never what they seem. Find the fusible links and inspect them.

 

The hose between the valve cover and the air filter isn't a vacuum line really. It's part of the PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) system. As fumes are drawn out of the crankcase fresh filtered air from the air filter is drawn in to replace it through this hose. Engine will run perfectly normal even without it, but you may smell fumes..

I meant the tiny hoses that lay between the carb and the valve cover.  I need to button them up.  I will definitely check the links off the positive battery terminal and the wires under the steering column clam case.

Link to comment

Hoses.

 

I don't know the B-210 carb but one will be for vacuum advance to the distributor and usually this also sipplies the purge signal to the charcoal canister. Take note that this hose may also first go through a TVV (thermal vacuum valve) that only allows a vacuum signal through once the engine is warmed up. The other hose is for the EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) valve

Link to comment

Ok, I did my search for messed up wiring.  First, went to the fusible links.  One is green and one is yellow.  I smelled the green one and it smells like a blown firecracker, burnt smell.  So, that was my front smoke.  The yellow fusible link that connect with the positive battery terminal end did not smell burnt and seemed intact.  Ok, so not I understand that I need to find why the fusible link blew.  The other area where I saw smoke prior to the fusible link blowing was under the steering column.  I took off the steering column cover and looked at the wires with a flashlight.  The wires seemed intact.  Is there a way to test them with a multimeter?  Also, can I get that green fusible link at an auto parts store?

 

Here are the pictures.

 

Fusible links: yellow and green

IMG_5487.jpg

 

I had this box disassembled so I decided to restore it with some flat black

IMG_5489.jpg

 

Ignition wiring/steering column wiring

IMG_5490.jpg

 

Hazard wire examined, looked fine

IMG_5491.jpg

Link to comment

Only the left side is the link. It has two connectors so it can be removed. Green? that's a 40 amp rating. I think you can still get them. Or you may have to just buy the wire and solder it in. The wire to the right is likely white and just discolored. It's not a fusible link.

 

Never replace with a higher rating, the whole point of a fuse is that it be the weakest link and it blows rather than melting other wires together. A 40 amp fuse will also work but a fusible link is unique as it can briefly handle a much higher load than an ordinary fuse. An ordinary fuse will blow immediately, a fusible link will take longer and blows only if the load is severe and continues. A sudden short load doesn't affect them.

 

IMG_5487.jpg

 

 

I was thinking the ignition switch or the wires to it. The ignition switch carries the highest amount of current to the fuse box.

 

IMG_5490.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment

I found some green fusible link wires for sale on eBay.  If I obtain one, I can solder the wires together not using the original white plastic connectors?  One end to the white wire and the other to the other connector?  cut the white plastic off, twist the wires together and solder?  

Link to comment

Ok, I'm going to use the multimeter to check the fuse box for short circuits.  Do I need the battery to be hooked up when checking the fuse box?  Since the wipers were very slow, could the wiring at the wipers be the culprit?  I'm a complete novice with this stuff.  It's scary to have the car sidelined with an electrical issue.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Yes battery needs to have both poles hooked up.

 

Wipers going slow....yeah check the ground there too, do like the guy on the video did to test the grounds, a lot of people dismiss it as an important part of a circuit when in fact it is as important as the voltage going to each and every circuit.

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Battery could be low.

Battery posts and cables not making good contact. This could also generate smoke when trying to draw huge amounts of current for the starter. Best check that fusible link with a meter it may not be blown. Clean and tighten the battery cables first.
 
 

  • Like 2
Link to comment

Battery could be low.

 

Battery posts and cables not making good contact. This could also generate smoke when trying to draw huge amounts of current for the starter. Best check that fusible link with a meter it may not be blown. Clean and tighten the battery cables first.

 

 

Great.  I had the negative terminal pretty loose in order to slide it off to work on the car.  That might have started all this.  I tested voltage of the battery and it was 12.7 which I think is at normal.  

What's the best way to clean the battery terminals?  Wire brush the contact surfaces?

Link to comment

I would not recommend soldering in the fusible link. It is meant to be replaceable and is there to save the rest of the harness from fire due to a short.

 

You can get insulated connectors to use in place of the factory connectors.  The spades are the standard large size. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.