Smoke without fire
Discussion
Had a slightly strange one today....
Out for a drive, about 4 miles into it, going reasonably quick (but low revs and car only just warming up) over some fastish roads when I started to smell an acrid burning and then some smoke appeared in the cockpit. Pulled over, cut the engine, opened the door, openend the bonnet etc... There was some black smoke coming from the drivers foot well area (I guess it was about as much smoke as would fit in a large coke bottle if that makes sense!).
I dont think it was coming from behind the lower dash. Seemed to be around the pedals/steering column area.
I was worried that I was about to kiss goodbye to the car!
The smoke cleared quickly.
There was no sign of smoke or flames under the bonnet (and I looked at the rear of the engine bay at the bulkhead area).
I then got back in the car. Everything seemed to work ok ie electrics including cigar lighter.
So I tentatively restarted the car. All running well. Let it run again and looked under bonnet. No sign of fuel leaks, smoke, burining, flames etc....
So decided to drive again. Drove about 15 miles and no sign of problmes.
I wonder whether it was an electrical wire shorting but I would expect the smoke to be white and for something not to work now.
I guess it could be that the car sucked up something onto the manifold and it burnt off.
I dont think it would be a tyre rubbing or I would have heard it and the smoke would be white and outside the car...?
I might take the engine panel off tonight and take a look.
Any ideas as to what might cause an acrid burning with very black smoke?
Out for a drive, about 4 miles into it, going reasonably quick (but low revs and car only just warming up) over some fastish roads when I started to smell an acrid burning and then some smoke appeared in the cockpit. Pulled over, cut the engine, opened the door, openend the bonnet etc... There was some black smoke coming from the drivers foot well area (I guess it was about as much smoke as would fit in a large coke bottle if that makes sense!).
I dont think it was coming from behind the lower dash. Seemed to be around the pedals/steering column area.
I was worried that I was about to kiss goodbye to the car!
The smoke cleared quickly.
There was no sign of smoke or flames under the bonnet (and I looked at the rear of the engine bay at the bulkhead area).
I then got back in the car. Everything seemed to work ok ie electrics including cigar lighter.
So I tentatively restarted the car. All running well. Let it run again and looked under bonnet. No sign of fuel leaks, smoke, burining, flames etc....
So decided to drive again. Drove about 15 miles and no sign of problmes.
I wonder whether it was an electrical wire shorting but I would expect the smoke to be white and for something not to work now.
I guess it could be that the car sucked up something onto the manifold and it burnt off.
I dont think it would be a tyre rubbing or I would have heard it and the smoke would be white and outside the car...?
I might take the engine panel off tonight and take a look.
Any ideas as to what might cause an acrid burning with very black smoke?
I'd guess it could be the following .....
There is idle wiring in the loom which was originally for a stepper which was never used.
The wiring is in the front of the car and passes close to the LHS exhaust header.
If the wiring touches off the exhaust it will burn like you described.
The smoke inside the cockpit is most likely from within the ECU where the idle chip for the stepper has burnt.
If you open the ECU you will most likely see a burnt chip but whe it happened to mine I spoke to the ECU manufacturers who said, as this is an un-used part of the ECU, it is not a problem.
Tidy up the wiring and keep it away from the manifold.
Hopefully this is all that is wrong.
There is idle wiring in the loom which was originally for a stepper which was never used.
The wiring is in the front of the car and passes close to the LHS exhaust header.
If the wiring touches off the exhaust it will burn like you described.
The smoke inside the cockpit is most likely from within the ECU where the idle chip for the stepper has burnt.
If you open the ECU you will most likely see a burnt chip but whe it happened to mine I spoke to the ECU manufacturers who said, as this is an un-used part of the ECU, it is not a problem.
Tidy up the wiring and keep it away from the manifold.
Hopefully this is all that is wrong.
ukkid35 said:
Something plastic dropping on to the drivers side manifold?
Agree with this - once happened to me in the griff -left a plastic water bottle in the engine bay by mistake which ended up on the manifold.Smoke and acrid smell once the engine warmed up - stopped only to find the last remnants of the bottle melting away.
Changed underwear and drove off.
The day before the smoke bomb I was reversing into my garage when I noticed the brake lights illuminating the rear wall. I did think at the time that the first bit of pressure on the pedal wasnt lighting up the lights and that this wasnt quite right. I suspect now that that wasnt a conincidence.
for gots sake;)
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