Well stupidly, ive been putting this issue off for a few weeks now but I think its time for answers. Well what happens is, while my 86 GT runs for about 5-10 mins and then all of a sudden smoke starts pouring out from behind the dash and vents! And yes to answer your question, i cheked the cowl area and it was clean! So im fresh out of ideas! Also this does this while the air is NOT on. Any ideas?
Well im not sure how to describe the smell but the smoke is very thin. This only started happening when I installed a new thermostat after not previously having one at all!! And the cowl area im referring to is just taking the plate off that has the "hamster wheel" on it!
Sounds like a heater core. Does it fog the windows? If you have anti-freeze in the cooling system, then the "smoke" should have a sweet, kind of gaggy smell, if that's the case.
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05:54 PM
Gall757 Member
Posts: 10938 From: Holland, MI Registered: Jun 2010
Next to the hamster wheel plate is another small plate with 2 small screws and a plug in it.....a little more towards the passenger side. Take that plate off and look in there for dead leaves or mouse nest or who knows what.....and clean the wire resistors on the back side of the plate. Those wires get hot. They are there for the lower speeds of the heater fan....a cheap way to make a variable speed fan...
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06:02 PM
Doug85GT Member
Posts: 9708 From: Sacramento CA USA Registered: May 2003
A guy a year ago I remember i think even on this forum had a problem with his heater core. Leaves and gunk ended up geting caught in the heater filaments causing it to catch fire and burning the front left corner of the car. Even if the smoke doesnt come from that i would still check that area since your down there better safe than sorry. just my 2 cents.
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07:35 PM
n7vrz Member
Posts: 521 From: Dixon Springs, TN Registered: Dec 2010
Originally posted by gmctyphoon1992:Leaves and gunk ended up geting caught in the heater filaments causing it to catch fire and burning the front left corner of the car.
The Fiero has an engine coolant to air heat exchanger for the heater. I have NEVER heard of one of them catching fire. The motor catching on fire, yes, I've heard that. The wiring for the motor, yes, that too. But not the heater.
[This message has been edited by n7vrz (edited 12-22-2011).]
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11:18 PM
Dec 23rd, 2011
Fierobsessed Member
Posts: 4782 From: Las Vegas, NV Registered: Dec 2001
the leaves and mice nests got in to my hamster wheel and they caught fire .no flames but smoke filled the entire interior and my son and i had to bail .stopped a little while after and i drove it home and found all that crap in the heater circuit .cleaned it out and no more smoke .since the fire area is encased in metal , no damage was done .this is a common problem , especially with fieros that have been stored a long time .
Ok... Its been confirmed that its deffinetly the heater core... What size are the hoses that go to the core and can i buy an adapter to just connect the two hoses and bypass the core?
The Fiero has an engine coolant to air heat exchanger for the heater.
yea your right. It was the heater fan resistors. My wording was horrible I was thinking of filaments when I was looking at them. It was in march of 2008 burned the plastic cover and the heater core. Leaves and gunk got in where the hood latch is.
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01:52 PM
Gall757 Member
Posts: 10938 From: Holland, MI Registered: Jun 2010
Ok... Its been confirmed that its deffinetly the heater core... What size are the hoses that go to the core and can i buy an adapter to just connect the two hoses and bypass the core?
I know the core won't start a fire but I can't drive the car if there is steam coming out of vents! All I'm looking for is hose size so I know which adapter to buy so iu can bypass the heater core!
Bummer that you are just going to bypass your heater in NY of all places. Not only will you be cold but you won't have a windshield defroster anymore either. This could be dangerous...
They usually leak at the solder joints where the piper enter the core. You might be able to resolder it with a copper pipe soldering kit from a home improvement store. If you find the leak somewhere else, you can "patch" it with a strip of metal glued on with high temperature RTV (Red). If you can't solder the leak you can use high temperature RTV for a temporary fix until you can replace the core.
Good luck.
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03:54 PM
PFF
System Bot
wftb Member
Posts: 3692 From: kincardine,ontario,canada Registered: Jun 2005
try some radiator stop leak .it will stop leaks in the heater core too .if you can get the core out , you can usually spot the leak and solder it up again .RTV wont cut it .the pressure is the same in the heater core as your rad .the RTV will blow right off .
