Help - I'm on fire!!

Malc Mitchell · Post by **Malc Mitchell** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 5:57 pm

Hello all,
Bit scary just now when I was driving into town - put the aircon on and after a short while had an acrid smell filling my nose and electrical smelling smoke started filling up the interior!! I lifted up the bonnet and smoke was present there as well. It seemed to be coming from the heater motor area so I disconected it and carefully drove off. Seems to have stopped now although it still smells blowing in from the vents. Has anyone had the experience of the heater motor chucking out smoke or failing?? Is it a known fault or am I the lucky one! Any other possible causes??
Many thanks,
Malc.

trevd01 · Post by **trevd01** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 6:38 pm

Bearing seized on heater fan, causing motor burn out?

bigdaddycain · Post by **bigdaddycain** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 6:45 pm

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the heater resisitor is prone to burning out, the burning smell will hang around for quite a while i suspect...

Peg leg Pete · Post by **Peg leg Pete** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 7:17 pm

I would also check that the drain in the centre of the gully under the windscreen is not blocked

If it is, causes water to get into irduct and cause damage

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 12:21 am

I think - but I'm sure an expert can confirm this either way - that it goes like this.

Drain hole for windscreen gutter gets blocked (v easy on Bongos - mine has blocked twice in 2 months)
Water spills onto heater motor causing corrosion and tightening of bearings
Load on resistor blows it (there's sometimes some funny phenomenon where it sometimes blows air full but not on setting 1-3 - dont know what the link is there)
Owner fits new resistor (at cost!) but it blows again due to load on it.
Eventually, problem with the motor gets addressed (some owners have managed to service the motor and free up the bearing - search past threads).

Wait and see who else offers suggestions on this.

Mike

Malc Mitchell · Post by **Malc Mitchell** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 8:38 am

Sounds logical - will investigate! Where would the smoke come from do you think? Wiring, motor or resistor? Must be inside the system presumably for it to come out of the vents.
Thanks,
Malc.

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 1:22 pm

not sure - anyone else know?

wrster · Post by **wrster** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 2:32 pm

The body of the resistor drops through a hole into the airflow of the heater, presumably for cooling.