Smoking From Dashboard..............

[Guest info@trackdayUK]

Hi people,ive a prob with my hood.

 

I put the servo cover back on yesterday and accidentally stripped a wire which caused strange clicking noise when i tried to start it,i rectified the problem,taped up the wire,job done!!!

 

went out for a blast and it just died on me a few times but started within a second??

 

I got it home a temp reading off the scale.

 

3hrs later temp still reading off the scale.

 

Took thermostat out.

 

Went to start it with temp still off scale although by now i know there is no way it could be.

 

Theres this clicking noise again and smoke pouring out from the dashboard!!!

 

Its nowt to do with me catching a cable as i didnt put the servo cover back on the second time!!!

 

Any ideas and how much is a new loom??????

 

cheers

 

liam

[Guest Dan_Beeston]

Smoke coming out of the dash is almost certainly a short circuit, if you trap/short the right wires you could easily get the temp gauge to read off the scale.....

 

You shouldn't need a whole new loom though, you can probably just replace the bits that got damaged (with a bit of cutting and splicing). Heat damage is normally fairly obvious when you look at the insulation on the wires.

 

If all your fuses are still intact though, you might want to have another look at your fusing strategy, you should always blow a fuse before the smoke escapes from the wires!

[Steve Walker]

Good job it's the Hood and not a company car - it's illegal to smoke in one now

 

Seriously, it does sound like there's a short somewhere. I'm intrigued by the clicking noise, that's probably a relay and if the engine died a couple of times, it could be the main relay that powers up the majority of the cars electrics (I'm pretty sure there is such a relay in the standard Sierra fusebox, but it's 10 years since I wired mine). Is it a single click or a series? It may be that when you turn the key to position 2, the main relay switches on and provides power to the short and the high load drops the voltage enough for the relay to drop out, the voltage rises again and the cycle repeats.

[Guest info@trackdayUK]

Good job it's the Hood and not a company car - it's illegal to smoke in one now

 

Seriously, it does sound like there's a short somewhere. I'm intrigued by the clicking noise, that's probably a relay and if the engine died a couple of times, it could be the main relay that powers up the majority of the cars electrics (I'm pretty sure there is such a relay in the standard Sierra fusebox, but it's 10 years since I wired mine). Is it a single click or a series? It may be that when you turn the key to position 2, the main relay switches on and provides power to the short and the high load drops the voltage enough for the relay to drop out, the voltage rises again and the cycle repeats.

 

 

Hi its 2 clicks,coming from coil area of the engine bay!!!

 

The smoking has stopped and car runs better than ever before,tickover very smooth.but temp gauge constantly red hot even when left over night!!!!

 

Where is the temperature sender on these engines????

[miikae]

If its a Pinto , it will be high on the block to the left of the Dizzy by the inlet manifold.

 

Mike

[Guest info@trackdayUK]

Smoke coming out of the dash is almost certainly a short circuit, if you trap/short the right wires you could easily get the temp gauge to read off the scale.....

 

You shouldn't need a whole new loom though, you can probably just replace the bits that got damaged (with a bit of cutting and splicing). Heat damage is normally fairly obvious when you look at the insulation on the wires.

 

If all your fuses are still intact though, you might want to have another look at your fusing strategy, you should always blow a fuse before the smoke escapes from the wires!

 

 

Ooooh,sorry to miss you dan,mno wiring damage that i can see anywhere but fan isnt cutting in ,would the dodgy temp sender stop the fan from cutting in????

[Guest info@trackdayUK]

If its a Pinto , it will be high on the block to the left of the Dizzy by the inlet manifold.

 

Mike

 

 

Cheers ill have a look at replacing that to see if it makes any difference,the car isnt over heating,just saying it is!!!

 

Can you check senders to see if they are ok by belling them out with a meter????

[miikae]

If i remember rightly cold they are a high resistance and on temp rise the resistance drops, thus the temp gauge needle rises.

 

Mike

[Guest chris brown]

Can you check senders to see if they are ok by belling them out with a meter????

Disconnect the wire from the sender. Gauge should now read cold, now short connector to earth (inlet manifold or block) and gauge should read hot, if not then you have wiring problem if it does then you have a duff sender but this is very rare.

[Guest info@trackdayUK]

Disconnect the wire from the sender. Gauge should now read cold, now short connector to earth (inlet manifold or block) and gauge should read hot, if not then you have wiring problem if it does then you have a duff sender but this is very rare.

 

 

Ill look into that,thanks.