Smoke in the Column????

[macman340]

Rewiring the 64 Dart with an Easy 21 circuit aftermarket wiring harness, had everything working using some of the old connectors to the new wires, gas gauge, temp gauge, dash light, turn signals, with the exception of the horn. After running the engine I noticed a puff of smoke coming from under the column itself!
Next attempt to run the car, now no gas gauge or water temp, but the turn signals were still working, again white smoke coming from inside the steering column!

Suggestions? I ordered a new turn signal wiring & was planing of removing the steering wheel and replacing the wiring, anything else in there I should be looking for?

White smoke, didn't have the usual electric smell and didn't smell like plastic melting either really didn't smell like anything!
"Wish my brother was still here"

 

[hemi446]

Something had to get hot if you saw smoke. Maybe moving the turn signal harness around shorted to ground in the column. Just check the old one close and compare any damage to the old turn signal switch to the column and make sure there isn't anything sharp in there to damage the new switch.

 

[Cuda416]

Well, there are only a few wires in the column and the only other source of "smoke" could be from the engine bay if the column seal at the bottom is trashed.

All things being equal, the answer is almost always the simplest.

Sounds to me like some insulation is smoking from inside the column. Don't risk it and keep running it. Take it apart and look. Remove all doubt as to the source and you'll be better off.

That all said, if you don't have gauges, isn't there a 5v source under the dash somewhere. Maybe that fried and it only appeared to come from the column?

-C

 

[macman340]

Well, there are only a few wires in the column and the only other source of "smoke" could be from the engine bay if the column seal at the bottom is trashed.

All things being equal, the answer is almost always the simplest.

Sounds to me like some insulation is smoking from inside the column. Don't risk it and keep running it. Take it apart and look. Remove all doubt as to the source and you'll be better off.

That all said, if you don't have gauges, isn't there a 5v source under the dash somewhere. Maybe that fried and it only appeared to come from the column?

-C

It's possible it worked its way from the bay, the plug is missing on the firewall behind the brake petal & I can see the brake lines + it was pretty warm down there ! I ordered the new turn signal assembly & plan on taking it all apart!

 

[MoparMike1974]

Check the long flat plug on the column for a burnt connection. This is a very common problem on any mopar. I think its a thick red or yellow wire. You should be able to clearly see the burnt spot on the connector housing if there is an issue.

 

[cudajim]

Offhand I'd say you have something not wired correctly such as one of the 7 wires out of the turn signal switch assy. Recheck your wires against a known good schematic. Also, as stated above, you may have a bad wire insulator which could be shorting to ground inside the steering column.

 

[67Dart273]

EDIT...........You can probably ignore all of this post, I just realized that the smoke could be almost anywhere in the driver's dash area and coming UP FROM NEAR the column

Offhand I'd say you have something not wired correctly such as one of the 7 wires out of the turn signal switch assy. Recheck your wires against a known good schematic. Also, as stated above, you may have a bad wire insulator which could be shorting to ground inside the steering column.

I'd agree but there's nothing in there, except the horn button, which must be pushed/ activated, that is "ground"

"The basics" of a turn signal switch that year are this:


INPUT POWER:
1.....power with key on coming from flasher into switch
2.....Power from 4X flasher switch when activated "if equipped"
3....Brake light power only when brakes applied
4....Horn wire is hot but only in series with horn relay coil, IE shorting that wire should not smoke, should only activate horn

Outputs, all "dead" until fed from switch:
5......left rear stop/ turn
6......right rear stop/ turn
7......left front turn
8......right front turn

Only thing remaining might be your shift quadrant lamp if equipped.