[StraightToPlaid]

I have a '93 Cherokee and I was driving home today when I noticed a little bit of smoke coming out of my steering column. I pulled over and checked out under the hood and everything, thinking maybe it was something else smoking and it was traveling up into the steering column and found nothing. I've sniffed it and it kind of smells like something eletrical. What the heck could be smoking and what can I do to fix it?

I live in Phoenix and it's been over 100 the past few days, could that have anything to do with it?

Thanks for your help, I'm a bit worried about my jeep...

[Jeppy]

your steering column in melting! park in the shade! wires shouldn't melt, fuses should blow! that's not a good sign. Try to chase down the smoke, if it's in the steering column, take it apart and try to see what s melting

[StraightToPlaid]

Originally Posted by Jeppy

your steering column in melting! park in the shade! wires shouldn't melt, fuses should blow! that's not a good sign. Try to chase down the smoke, if it's in the steering column, take it apart and try to see what s melting

I just got back from the auto parts store, I picked up a haynes manual. Jeesh, it's not going to be easy to get into the steering column. It looks more complicated then I thought...

[Brandon-inBoise]

remove the upper and lower cover and all the wires are there.


My money is on the ignition switch.

common thing in the summer with blower motor on high pulling amps thru it

[markmca82]

Wow!!! It is going to look my Jeep. Former owner thought if the fuses kept blowing just use a bigger fuse!! Hence all of my melted connectors on the interior. So you might have a nice big re-wire job like me!!!! But getting to the steering colum wires are easy to get to. just take off the lower panel that goes across the bottom and they should be visible.

Mark

[StraightToPlaid]

Originally Posted by markmca82

But getting to the steering colum wires are easy to get to. just take off the lower panel that goes across the bottom and they should be visible.

Mark

I see that, maybe that will let me see what's smoking. It's not the ignition, I checked that and it looks fine.

[lakespeedy]

My '96 Cherokee did that about 2 years ago and nothing since then. Mine smelled electrical also. Freaked me out and I pulled over and yanked my stereo. Nothing quit working and everything has been fine since then. My friend had a similar experience in his Wrangler. Nothing failed so I can't help you.

[StraightToPlaid]

Originally Posted by lakespeedy

My '96 Cherokee did that about 2 years ago and nothing since then. Mine smelled electrical also. Freaked me out and I pulled over and yanked my stereo. Nothing quit working and everything has been fine since then. My friend had a similar experience in his Wrangler. Nothing failed so I can't help you.

That's at least a bit hopeful... I'm going to keep watching it and see what happens...

[wizardPC]

Man, if it was me, I'd strip out the entire dash until I found the burnt plastic or melted wiring. I can't afford for my jeep to go up in flames, especially since I park it in a garage that is directly beneath my bedroom.

[RickyN29]

I'm also going to vote for the ignition switch. Mine did the same thing.

[StraightToPlaid]

Originally Posted by RickyN29

I'm also going to vote for the ignition switch. Mine did the same thing.

I pulled apart the ignition switch and it looked ok. I did that first because I didn't have to tear apart the column to get to it. The connector was fine, no charring or melting, the wires didn't have any issues. I'm not sure it's that.

[StraightToPlaid]

Ok, I've pulled apart the dash with no success, looking over everything, there's no char, nothing looks or feels melted. There's just alot of dust and even some cobwebs back in there. I did figure out the dash had been opened before, one screw on it didn't match the others. Hmm....

[xj BMX xj]

my truck did that i think it was somthing with the turn signal it only did it 2 times once wen my dad drove it and once wen it became mine i dident see anything rong anny ware so i dunno must be a mopar mistery hmmm

[00XJsport]

it sounds like your not in too bad of shape...

my expirience with smoke and electrical smell coming from the steering coloum/dash had a tragic ending...
this kid that lived with me and his brother and another one of my firends and i went to wendys one night around midnight and right after we get our food and are headin back theres a wicked bad electrical smell and then billiowing smoke from the dash, we pulled into a bickfords parking lot (we were right next to it at the time) and ran in to see if we could get an extinguisher which the manager wouldnt give us(meinwhile the electrical fire is burning through wires under the dash setting off the lights the horn and even the starter at one point (my friend was holding the keys as we watched his smoking car crank from about 25 feet away)

the police/fire department took a good 15 minutes to get there (from a station that was no more than 5 away). longer story short.... car was totaled...

but his was shoddy wired interior neons from the previous owner that shorted out and caught fire, your case seems to be shared with others so hopefully its just one of the many mysteries that come with owning an xj

[RickyN29]

A perfect example is the above poster, and all of us. I cannot stress enough the importance of carrying a large, ABC rated fire extinguisher that can be reached from the driverseat at all time.