Loud BR-R-R-RAAAP then smoke inside cabin

[clmrt]

:eek:

Started car, keyed in a few addresses into the GPS, then shifted into drive.

As soon as I let off the brake a loud BZAP-AP-AP went off. I knew it came from my car, but I had no idea what it could have been. I thought electrical, like an arc or something, which was confirmed in a few seconds by the metallic taste in my mouth - intense, too.

I pulled over and inspected anything and everything - black box under the hood, battery terminals, alternator, fuse box under the dash, nothing. When I got back into the car it was filled with a blue haze of electrical smoke. I almost shat myself.

I rolled down all the windows and set the fan to high - the smoke cleared and did not come back. The acrid, metallic "taste" was still there.

I haven't found any evidence of this actually happening. The short must be hidden somewhere under the dash. Possibly my alignment guy left some shavings under the car from the camber bolt installation, and the shorted on the starter cable, I'll try to look down there tonight.

I've driven about 12 miles since, everything operates normally, no smoke, no smell.

[crouse]

Could one of the power seat motors have shorted out?

[clmrt]

Nope, both work in all respects. I keep thinking of things I may have missed.

I figure since the SPC camber bolt required grinding under the car, a shaving got onto the starter. It may have stuck in place due to the rain, then eventually found it's way onto the starter somehow, I don't know.

Freaked the hell out of me when I had blue smoke and ozone in the cabin.

[martyo]

Stereo? Overhead console?

[clmrt]

Nope and nope, at least those things all work, and no residual odor near them, nor in the cabin.

Must have been external, then drawn in via the HVAC.

[fastblackmerc]

Have you checked under the hood??

[Mr. Man]

Have you checked under the hood??Did you even read the first post? :P:D

[clmrt]

Yep. Everything passed the sniff test. I expected to see the battery, alternator, fuse / relay box, something smoking or at least smelling bad. Nothing.

I'll bet at this point it was the starter. When I jack it up this weekend to drop the rear a tad I'll look in that area. I'm suspicious though, why the cabin would fill with smoke like that if the starter was involved. It LOOKED like someone had just lit a cigar, but SMELLED like boiled battery acid.

If I can't find the cause there then it must have come from behind the dash somewhere.

[stevengerard]

Have you ticked off anyone in the mob lately - maybe it was a hit gone bad;)

[stevengerard]

I have had that same smell with a starter going bad on my 442 but not the arcing sound. wonder if it was a stuck solenoid

[clmrt]

People I piss off on a regular basis -

Wife - nah.

That's about it. Otherwise, with my Italian good looks and the car I drive, people think *I* am the mob.

LOL

[fastblackmerc]

Did you even read the first post? :P:D

Yes I did... I meant really look under the hood... not just a cursory peek. :D

[VMARAUDER]

Had something similar happen in my 98 GM and it was the main harness in dash starting from fuse box - clear across to behind the radio.
Every thing still worked and the cause was a short at the lighter that mysteriously did not pop the fuse but did pop the one under the hood. I think it was caused by the aftermarket sunroof where they piggy-backed a fuse. Went to salvage yard got a fuse box and rewired what I could. Car is in good shape, everything works and I just sold it in mid Feb.
Hope it is not that serious
Good Luck

[clmrt]

Holy crap. Well...I did have a USB charger plugged into the dash socket, still works too.

I'll take a closer look around the entire dash and hopefully I'll at least find a clue as to what happened.

[justbob]

Just make sure every single button, light, and well, everything works and check all fuses in and out.


Self proclaimed Builder Of Badassery.

Buy it, Break it, Build it BETTER.
"Since 2004"

[L.Mark]

When TJ's car filled with smoke it was the heater motor, there wasn't a sound though that she told me about...

[larryo340]

Does the air conditioning blow cold? If not maybe the evaporator burst sending refrigerant into the cabin...R134a smells nasty.

[rayjay]

Just a thought from my memory bank: wasn't there an issue with the wire harness being chaffed where it enters the firewall on 03's?

[Loco1234]

Just a thought from my memory bank: wasn't there an issue with the wire harness being chaffed where it enters the firewall on 03's?


If I recall correctly it rub's between the passenger valve cover & firewall area... But if that is the problem I would think you'd notice other problems...

[clmrt]

Update -

No blown fuses. Every light, button, dash light, radio function, lock, remote, window, cooling fan, power seat, wiper, defroster, HVAC control, AC, trunk and gas door release is working. I put 40 miles on yesterday and inspected every wire I could see by removing the under-dash panels and glove box. I couldn't smell any residual odor of the event anywhere in the interior spaces under or behind the dash.

I could see the harness entering the cabin from the DS firewall, clean ind intact. The same harness from the engine compartment looks good. If I don't find anything elsewhere on the car, I'll look further into this.

After dropping the car I can tell the DS is 1/4" lower than the PS, so I'm going to swap struts to level the car when loaded by the driver, hopefully. When it's in the air I'll take a close look around the starter and any other linkages or connectors.

Thanks for all the suggestions. My confidence in the car is returning, but I want to know what happened.

[clmrt]

Does the air conditioning blow cold? If not maybe the evaporator burst sending refrigerant into the cabin...R134a smells nasty.

If I switch it on, and if it cools at all, it's working, correct? No outside air is drawn in, true?

I'll try it in a few minutes.

[justbob]

You would have more luck growing a third nut than ever getting matching ride heights side to side, and if you did get it even, keeping it there for any stretch of time.

Give up now and except it. Been there, attempted that. I have yet to see one perfect front or rear. Besides, it's a 1/4" in 6', nobody sees these things.


Self proclaimed Builder Of Badassery.

Buy it, Break it, Build it BETTER.
"Since 2004"

[clmrt]

True that. Today they settled to within 1/16". I said screw it! So much for being OCD about that.

The AC pumps cold air as usual.

The starter and all wires look fine. No blackening, no trace of spark or fire.

I have no idea what the hell happened.

[stevengerard]

maybe you had beans for dinner the night before:D

[Marauderjack]

Probably just ran over a worn out Honda of Smart Car!!:eek:;):D

[clmrt]

They usually get stuck in my intake!

[JimmyXR7]

I had the same thing happen when my BCM shorted out, but your fan is still working. the LCM also is known to have problems on the Marauders.
Jim

[clmrt]

What did Tom Hanks say in Apollo 13 when #5 booster failed? Something like "Well, I guess we just had our glitch for this trip".

Nothing strange or smelly has happened since, and all systems continue to operate normally. I'll just wait for the other shoe to drop, carry a fire extinguisher and my AAA card.