OMG My Car's On Fire!!!

[Jimmyboy]

While driving in the busiest traffic just now in through the busiest junction I could smell burning and noticed a small trail of smoke coming up from the steering column!! As it happens I was close to my house so came straight and cant seem to get it to do it again. Any ideas? It smelt like burning plastic which isnt great to breathe in! It seemed to come from the gap between the back of the sterring wheel as it joins the dash right in front of the speedo.

 

[Tom B]

Ouch! That sounds very nasty, and you're lucky it could be something quite bad!

So when's it going to the dealer for them to pull the dash out?

 

[Copra]

dissconnect the battery and get it trailered to garage. i wouldnt take any chances!

 

[Phill]

dissconnect the battery and get it trailered to garage. i wouldnt take any chances!

Unless it's still under warrenty and you fancy a new car

 

[Neo_VR]

Ill put my money on the ignition barrel, once had a cavalier that started smoking.. and the igniton barrel burst into flames

 

[Jimmyboy]

****! Anyone got anything positive to say?!!!!
I dont like the sound of this, not really sure why it stopped though, when I got back to my house I left the engine running but cos Id been concentrating on driving I hadnt noticed that it had stopped. Im gonna have a quick trip in it later to see if it does it again. Yes it is under warranty and yes I wouldnt mind a new car!
Dont you just hate cars when you get a problem with them!

 

[Jimmyboy]

Just out of interest being insured against fire, what does that mean exactly? I presume if covers you if someone sets your car on fire deliberately but does it also cover any fires caused by the engine or electrics etc?

 

[basstard]

Dunno if it has something to do with this but I can remember my dad's golf mk2 did something very similar, some smoke coming up from the levers/steering column just in front of the speedo.
I was kinda young and can't remember what this was caused by but I can clearly remember it was nothing serious.

Best luck mate!

 

[Tom B]

****! Anyone got anything positive to say?!!!!!

Cars with smoke coming out of them aren't good!

 

[Phill]

Surely if the car still has warranty and suddenly bursts into flames due to electrical fault, SEAT would be to blame and therefore would need to pay out so you don't claim on YOUR insurance?!?!

 

[Copra]

yeah id say so phill!

 

[edc]

Surely if the car still has warranty and suddenly bursts into flames due to electrical fault, SEAT would be to blame and therefore would need to pay out so you don't claim on YOUR insurance?!?!

Can you show that it's an electrical fault? Can you show that it's somethign Seat have known about or some design fault? Can you mitigate (obviously not cos if you continue to drive with it smoking then you are hardly doing that!).

 

[m15try_1]

jimmyboy how long u ad the car for.

 

[Jimmyboy]

Ive had the car since it was 4 months old and its still under warranty until November, gonna call the dealer in a minute and see when they can have a look at it.

 

[LCR_225]

While driving in the busiest traffic just now in through the busiest junction I could smell burning and noticed a small trail of smoke coming up from the steering column!!

Hi, It just so happens the same thing happened to me a while back. I flashed a car to let them out when the high beam was stuck on. No matter what i did it wouldnt switch off. After a long time of head scratching and wondering why it wouldnt switch off a small trail of smoke was coming from the left hand side of the steering coloum (at the back) then i got a strong smell of burning plastic so i quickly pulled out any fuse that i saw until the high beem light went out. (phew)

Did you say it was on the windscreen wiper side of the steering coloum? As you may need a new wiper switch/stalk as my intercator switch/stalk was changed under warrenty. I think they had a few cars with this problem.

Hope this helps

 

[Jimmyboy]

Nice one mate that sounds possible as it came from the left hand side (the full beam side) only thing is the lights haven't stuck on full beam though. Maybe coincidence but I dont very often use the full beam but had done on the previous night driving down a country lane. I think I may have sussed one thing though that since it happened I adjusted the steering column down so I could see in and havent moved it back and it hasnt done it since. On the way home from work tonight though I moved it back so the column was close to the dash again and I started smelling burning. Whatever is getting hot obviously isnt touching the thing thats burning unless its in this position. Its going to the dealer tomorrow morning so I'll let you know what it was.

 

[LCR_225]

I had to call the AA out as i couldnt drive it without lights at night (for obvious reasons ) but when he arrived he put the fuses back in tried it...it was fine... after a trying a few more times with it working ok, it started burning again. so we removed the fuses and i drove home without main beam and whilst trying not to indicate incase it started again.

I would have thought they would just change your indicator switch and wiper switch as i think it comes all joint together.

But let me know what they do at the dealer.

 

[Jimmyboy]

The dealer had all the trim around the steering wheel off but couldnt find anything at all. The said theres a possibility it may be something within the indicator stalk but cos its a sealed unit they cant see. They have ordered me a new one anyway to be safe so when its fitted I'll ask to have the old one and I'll take it apart and have a look. Bit of a mystery though.

Incidentally I took it to Kings (formerly Great Covert) in North Baddesley and even though the car wasnt officially booked in as I had only called the previous day they still managed to clean it inside and out. Bloody good!

 

[greenboy]

Had the same thing a few months back, traced it to the wiper stalk, got an almost new one of ebay for £5, job done!

 

[Liamx]

Holy thread ressurection Batman! This thread's over 6 years old!