Smoke rising from steering wheel area Xantia 1.9TD

[Napoleon]

Not me reporting this happening, but SWMBO.

She said that there was smoke coming out of that area between the steering wheel column and the, er, sterring wheel, if that makes sense.

When I went to look at the car, no sign of anything burning or whatever - is this a first? I doubt it, but what do you think?

[wotwot]

Strange but have you smelt around the area,if any wires were getting to hot there would be an aroma.
Sure she did'nt have a sneaky fag in the car and is trying to cover up lol.

[RichardW]

Indicator switch....seen it happen on one of mine. Is the switch intermittent sometimes (and not in the way it was intended...!)?

[Northern_Mike]

Indicator switch....seen it happen on one of mine. Is the switch intermittent sometimes (and not in the way it was intended...!)?

Yes, same here. Had it happen on both Xantias and ZXs. Wisps of smoke arising from "inside" the column where the stalk enters it. Not sure exactly what it is, I blew down there with one of those cans of compressed air and it never happened again.

[Napoleon]

@wotwot -chance would be a fine thing in our motor! Kidding, I packed the fags up 12 years ago - hooray!

Well, it's an odd one. That's for sure.

[f00lzz]

Indicator switch on my V6 also... most disconcerting to see whisps of smoke at 70mph

[xantia_v6]

If you dismantle the indicator switch now, clean the grease out, scrape away any burnt plastic and put in a little clean grease, you may be able to save it. If you wait, the plastic will melt and deform too much and it will need a new switch.

[f00lzz]

If you dismantle the indicator switch now, clean the grease out, scrape away any burnt plastic and put in a little clean grease, you may be able to save it. If you wait, the plastic will melt and deform too much and it will need a new switch.

agree entirely... a little judicious filing saved my switch

[citronut]

it could also be the ignition switch, does your heater blower and heated rear screen play up,

regards malcolm

[Napoleon]

Malcolm - do you mean me? If so, then yes the heater is intermittent (rarely blows) although the rear wind heater is ok, I think.

[citronut]

yes i do Napoleon

just try your heated rear screen next time the heater blower fails to run, you might find the switch does not luminate on pressing it

regards malcolm

[CitroJim]

The switch might illuminate but that does not mean the screen is heating. The supply to the screen itself and the supply that controls the switch and light are entirely separate...

[MPV]

If you see smoke coming out, get it sorted ASAP!

I accidentally burned a BX to the ground once, due to a faulty ciggy lighter. It did not pop out and got a bit too hot. I saw a tiny bit of smoke, then next thing I knew the dash was on fire and I had to get out fast! The stuff used to make the dash etc burns easily and gives off toxic fumes. So now whenever I have bought a Citroen, I've always taken the ciggy lighter out and thrown it away.

[citronut]

The switch might illuminate but that does not mean the screen is heating. The supply to the screen itself and the supply that controls the switch and light are entirely separate...

mine dont light at all if/when the blower aint working,
although after wigling the ingnition key a bit each way i can prompt the light to light to diferent levels of dimm/brightness, and its only when at its brightest the blower will kick in

regards malcolm

[ecohouse1]

I had a BX go up in flames only a few weeks after I bought it - lovely TGD hatch in Meteor Gray - sitting at lights and smoke started billowing up the windscreen and from under the glovebox - turns out a feed to the Glowplug relay had shorted against the bulkhead - luckily the wire burned through before it could really set the thing on fire!

Managed to hotwire the car to start - drove it to an autoelectrician - on the way the n/s rear suspension unit burst and I sank into a pool of LHM.

How I loved that car!!