Smoke coming out of the Steering Column

I figure it's the ignition switch.
Any other ideas before I open it up?
I was coming out from the turn signal stalk.

What do you mean by SMOKE?

are you talking about just a smell of burnt material,

are you having visible smoke?

How much

smoke coming from the steering wheel is new to me, could you describe it a little.

I keep picturing clouds smoke like you could get from the exhaust. if that's what it's like, please take a picture.

Let me guess, you took it in for a brake job and they ended up hooking up the exhaust manifold to the steering column. :laugh3:
Those Darn Discount Places!!!




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Honestly, I've seen a lot of problems reported here over the years. However, this has got to be the first for smoke out of the steering column. If it were mine, I would definitely be taking it apart to find the cause.
Warning: Don't even mess with it if it has an airbag and you aren't trained properly for servicing it. You might kill yourself!

I had this problem in a ford once..Just whisps of smoke from the column. I thought it was fitting it I was driving it to thr bone yard for Prom $$$$ LOL


Must be electrical you would think.

Confused passenger...can't find the ashtray?

I doubt if a smoking ignition switch could cause smoke to come out by the turn signal stalk. The ignition switch is closer to your feet but it is attached to the column. You do have the multifunction switch for the turn stalk located at the base of the stalk. Usually something would have to be shorted to get a switch to smoke. Do all the stalk related functions work? If not, that will get you pointed in the right direction.

I'm thinking electricla too.
It's a 88 so no airbags.
My plan is to take it apart and see what's burnt.
I'll take pics.
Thanks for the input.

BCParker said:

What do you mean by SMOKE?

are you talking about just a smell of burnt material,

are you having visible smoke?

How much

smoke coming from the steering wheel is new to me, could you describe it a little.

I keep picturing clouds smoke like you could get from the exhaust. if that's what it's like, please take a picture.

Click to expand...

It started as a wiff coming out from the turn signal stalk end.
I turned off the motor and it stopped too.
I turned it over and it started again.
Except this time I actually saw it light up in the stalk hole.
So I turned it off and called AAA.
At it's worst it was akin to the smoke from a stoogie.

EDIT: delete

Yeah, in my Skyline I didn't think a little smoke was a big deal. Then I woke up to a mess one morning. Check out the page. http://www.cardomain.com/ride/1320809/2

It would not be the ignition switch that is too low the smoke would come out in a different place. You answered your own question if you saw the spark, then its one of the wires to the turn signal stock. There are special tools to take a column apart and some small parts. I would have a mechanic that knows what he's doing fix it. But if you do insist on doing it your self, you will need a steering wheel puller and a special tool to remove the lock plate under the wheel. You have to push it down with the tool and remove a snap ring. There is a very strong spring behind that!! be carefull and do not remove with out the tool. After you remove that you will see the turn signal switch. Pull on the part sticking out of the column (turn signal stock) and it will pop out, you need to pull firmly. Ok now look down by the brake pedal, the will be a long flat connector unplug and unsnap from the column. Attach a string or something like that to the wires so you can pull the new ones back down. After that you can unscrew the switch and replace. It sounds easier than it is sometimes. Hope this helps

That’s the way my 87 started just a puff or too, then
I started to notice a slight drop in performance leading to trouble in getting started in the morning.
Now days she drinks oil and is hooked on additives.
I had to even give her a sniff of ether this morning to get her going, and she often shakes uncontrollably.
If only I had noticed the signs when they started.

langer1 said:

That’s the way my 87 started just a puff or too, then
I started to notice a slight drop in performance leading to trouble in getting started in the morning.
Now days she drinks oil and is hooked on additives.
I had to even give her a sniff of ether this morning to get her going, and she often shakes uncontrollably.
If only I had noticed the signs when they started.

Click to expand...

ROFLMAO

in my friends FSJ that he had I redid the wiring for the turn signal stuff in the steering colum but there wasnt as much stuff to work with. the hardest part was removing the steering wheel. after that it was just figuring out how it was supposed to be wired. not a whole lot of help i could give but its not that hard to do.

Thanks for the info.
Luckily mine never got addicted.

I took it in to the pros and $200.00 dollars later she's back at home safe and sound. They found 2 connectors that got to the ignition switch fried.
Instead of just replacing'em they went ahead and did a bypass and ran homeruns back to the block to make safer.