Car question...

[SPratt74]

Ok. So, I have an old car. I have stated in the past that I know about cars, but today was a completely new experience lol. I know what the color of smoke means on the outside of the car, but what about the inside of the car? I have never seen this happen before.

What happened was, I was on the way home from a meeting on the other part of town when I noticed white smoke was coming from around my steering wheel. I was like, is it dust, or what is that? It was definitely smoke! It only lasted for like 30 seconds, but then it was fine. My car was fine. Nothing happened to where it was any noise or anything like what usually happens.

I looked online, and they said this can happen to new cars that have air bags (and of course a couple of other possibilities). I didn't know this. But I do not have an air bag. I have a 92. But anyways, I do not have a clue as to what happened.

I'm almost afraid to drive it now. I managed to get it home thank goodness, but is my steering wheel having problems, or was it because of the weather and how hot it is? Sounds silly I know to think that, but I've had it to where the heat was a problem for me before with my car. Even my mechanics have said that to me as well.

And it wasn't the air conditioning or anything like that. It was around my steering wheel only. I've never had a problem with anything like that before. This is definitely something new. I'm thinking it could be a leak some place even inside doesn't have to be an outside leak, but then what kind of leak?

Grrr... maybe I should become a mechanic. I really do know about cars lol. This is probably the last leg my car is on before it's going to completely die on me lol. Maybe it's trying to tell me something lol. It's a shame, because it only has 94,000 miles on it. I was hoping to keep it to at least 100,000 miles lol. Oh well.

And yes, I plan on taking it to a mechanic. It's just I feel silly telling him it's the steering wheel since you wouldn't think a steering wheel would do something like that, but that's what is going on. It could be nothing, and they might say I'm fine. But still. Smoke and cars has never been fine in my experience lol.

[Joe]

Something could have shorted out. On a car that old a wire could have rubbed through the insulation. Do all your electrical accessories work?

There's a metric ass-ton of wires going up and down your steering column, you know. Cruise control, ignition, horn, etc.

[SPratt74]

Something could have shorted out. On a car that old a wire could have rubbed through the insulation. Do all your electrical accessories work?

There's a metric ass-ton of wires going up and down your steering column, you know. Cruise control, ignition, horn, etc.

Well, so far all of the electricals work. I drove it the rest of the way home and it worked fine. But I didn't know about all of those wires in the steering column, so I learned something new with that lol. (I should have thought of that, but oh well lol.) And from what I read online, it could be an ignition problem. But I haven't used the the other things in a long time and what have you though. So, you did teach me something after all Joe!

Oh, do you think it's ok to drive? I just need to get it to the dealership which isn't that far away. (I just don't want to pay a toe truck for that.) And I don't want it to start a fire or anything on the way. That would be the worst. I had a friend that went through that, and she was all shaken up by it. The poor thing.

Oh but I am going to sell it back to the dealer. I'm just going to get rid of it. Sell it for it's parts. It's not worth keeping the car any more. I've spent more money fixing it than what it's actually worth. But overall, it was a good car. And a good travel car believe it or not! Plus... cars aren't built like how they used to be built. I'd doubt anything could hurt my old car whereas like a new car could possibly be destroyed. So, I'll miss it for a variety of reasons. But I'm also in some ways happy to get rid of it though!

[samina]

i've got another car question... anybody ever try to jump-start a car and have the cables start to smoke, to the point where it seems an electrical fire is imminent, and eventually burning off all the protective rubber & plastic?

that's what happened to me tonite. brand-new cables. and they were connected & grounded properly. i couldn't get them off, so i got my neighbor who burned his finger pretty badly. he'd never seen anything like it...

man, that's some scary kaka. i'm pretty hard to freak out. i was very nearly there. yeesh.

[Peaches]

No clue, but you've got my sympathy. I hate jump starting cars. God forbid I ever have to be the one to figure out how to do it. (I'm such a girl.) Have been lucky and have had guys stop to help me when I've needed my car jumped. I'm always waiting for an explosion or something.

[SPratt74]

i've got another car question... anybody ever try to jump-start a car and have the cables start to smoke, to the point where it seems an electrical fire is imminent, and eventually burning off all the protective rubber & plastic?

that's what happened to me tonite. brand-new cables. and they were connected & grounded properly. i couldn't get them off, so i got my neighbor who burned his finger pretty badly. he'd never seen anything like it...

man, that's some scary kaka. i'm pretty hard to freak out. i was very nearly there. yeesh.

Oh you poor thing. You sure they were connected properly and everything? That's the only thing that I would know would cause it. I have some cables that I keep in my car just in case, and I've never had a problem like that. But I have heard of it happening if you aren't set up right. Where's Joe when you need him lol???

Smoke is kind of scary coming from a car no matter what it is. I'm not sure if I'm going to buy a new one even though I would love to. But if they have to change out some wires, then maybe it wouldn't be as expensive. Cars frustrate me though. I'm so sick of mine that I want it to just die on me lol. However, I should be careful what I wish for since I have to drive it to the dealership tomorrow morning. I don't want anything to happen on the way even though I'm having someone follow me to take me to work lol.

[samina]

talked to my dad -- generally savvy about such things. suspects there's a short in the wire to the starter. we'll see what the mechanic says later today. the cables were definitely connected properly.

it's been a heavy week with car issues on my end too, spratt. i know how frustrating trouble with them can be, as this is one area in which i am not knowledgeable, and currently both my son's car needs work as does mine. it's one area i can't take care of myself in, other than to hire someone.

[Joe]

Smoking jumper cables shouldn't be indicative of a starter short. If you're abso-freakin-lutely certain they were grounded properly (positive to dead batt, positive to good batt, negative to good batt, negative to dead ground) it could be that the wires inside are frayed or the connection between clamps and wires is shot and shorting out.

Didn't you make nice with a Ford mechanic recently, anyway?

[samina]

we'll see what the mechanic says... the cables were brand new and, yeah, the connections were as you said.

i did make nice with a mechanic recently -- not ford, tho. this car is going to a different one, tho -- a volvo specialist an hour away who is a long-time friend of the family, someone i trust. the car needs a lot of work. and he's a mentor-type i love to connect with my son. don't really have anyone looking out for us like that, so he's a rare entity. worth the extra distance...

[samina]

btw, i used my homemade rhyme to make sure i connected things properly... "positive-live, positive-dead, negative-live, ground the dead..." :)

[SPratt74]

talked to my dad -- generally savvy about such things. suspects there's a short in the wire to the starter. we'll see what the mechanic says later today. the cables were definitely connected properly.

it's been a heavy week with car issues on my end too, spratt. i know how frustrating trouble with them can be, as this is one area in which i am not knowledgeable, and currently both my son's car needs work as does mine. it's one area i can't take care of myself in, other than to hire someone.

Well, we can go through the troubles together then! :p

I only know things, because my car is so old. But I've never had to deal with the inside of my car. I've had to get my air conditioning fixed and that kind of thing, but nothing to do with the steering wheel. So, we'll see!

I'm also curious to see what yours is doing. I looked at my cables last night when I was cleaning out my trunk, and I'm dumbfounded on that one lol. So, I hope you post what your mechanic says as I'll post mine later on when I get home from everything.

[cornutt]

Smoking jumper cables shouldn't be indicative of a starter short. If you're abso-freakin-lutely certain they were grounded properly (positive to dead batt, positive to good batt, negative to good batt, negative to dead ground) it could be that the wires inside are frayed or the connection between clamps and wires is shot and shorting out.


I've seen it before where the positive going to the starter rubs up against something and abrades the insulation off, and eventually the conductor touches metal. This is about the only kind of short that will draw enough current to burn up a good set of jumper cables. It was lucky that it didn't burn up the alternator in the car that was providing the jump.

[mamboqueen]

Funny, whenever I have to jump my car, I think "Puerto Rico" positive = red. I don't have anything for negative = green. New Guineau? bahh!

When I was young, I prided myself on being able to stick a pen into the choke to get the car started. They're now made so much more complicated. Now it's AAA to the rescue!

[DancinAnne]

Yeah, I used to dink around with my car when they were simpler. But since I bought a new car a couple of years ago with a bumper to bumper warranty, I just take it to the dealership. Thus far all it has needed are oil changes and I always do the new car recommended maintenance checks. Plus I have Honda's equivalent to AAA. Not sure if I've ever even popped the hood on this car. I like it!

[Joe]

I've seen it before where the positive going to the starter rubs up against something and abrades the insulation off, and eventually the conductor touches metal. This is about the only kind of short that will draw enough current to burn up a good set of jumper cables. It was lucky that it didn't burn up the alternator in the car that was providing the jump.
Well, I've shorted the alternator to the car, and it burned up the fusible links in the cable to the battery. Had to solder new fusible links into the cable. After unwinding yard of spiral wrap to get the freakin cable out of the harness it was bound up in.

[tj]

Pardon the hijack, but I've got an 8 year old car that's starting to show it's age. I lowered the two rear windows the other day to try to let out some of the heat, but the rear left window's motor must be getting old as it wouldn't roll the window back all the way. I managed to manually pull up the window, but it's still not 100% closed (maybe 99% of the way). Suggestions?

[Joe]

Replace the motor? The regulator could be bent out of shape too.

[tangotime]

[quote=mamboqueen;453195]Funny, whenever I have to jump my car, I think "Puerto Rico" positive = red. I don't have anything for negative = green. New Guineau? bahh!

Yankee dolaaah ?

[tj]

Replace the motor? The regulator could be bent out of shape too.
Yeah, I had to get the motor replaced in one of the other windows already. Probably this one, too.