Centre consol smoking!!!!

[simon15]

Right went out the tip yesterday to get rid of a load of crap and my heaters had packed up.

So got back checked all the fuses and it had melted the fuse!!!!

so replaced it with a 10A fuse which was in there and now everytime I put a new fuse in start the car the centre consol pours out with smoke and the fuse has melted again!!!!!!


the backing panel says that a 20A fuse should be use is this correct and will it solve the problem.

any help would be greatful :)

[gtomo2]

No dont put a 20 amp fuse in if its smoking you have a short somewere in the wiring or heatermotor itself. check the wiring under the centre conslue. but think it may be a duff motor pulling to much current. sort the problem out first then put the corect fuse in until then dont put a fuse in or you stand a risk of the car catching fire :shock:

[simon15]

when I replaced the fuse yesterday I checked that the heater etc was working and it all was. but got in it this morning and had to rip the fuse out again :(

ill have a check through all the wiring but I gather there is no way of checking if its a dodgy motor??

[gtomo2]

ok  is the fuse holder got any sign of melting on it or is it just the fuse. asif its the fuse that is melting something is drawing to much current but not surging as to blow the fuse is it ok with the heater switch off or does it still smoke then

[simon15]

Its just the fuse itself melting.!

not sure if it happens when heater is off. it did yesterday but this morning I turned the heater on as I started it.

[gtomo2]

The smoke could be from the fuse melting. try a fuse with the heater off. then switch on to first speed that wil be under 10amp so it should not blow the fuse. if it starts to melt at the first postion it will be your motor on its way out drawing to many amps. you should only need a 20 amp fuse when running the heater on full power.

[simon15]

I shall try a new fuse break time and see what happens.

but the smoke is coming out from around the handbrake and up through the cubby hole in between the seats.

[gtomo2]

A melting fuse will make a lot of smoke. and the fuse box is by the left side of the heater controls so the smoke will find a route out and that may be the easyest route for it. or if its the motor the somke will be coming out of the floor vents and will go up and get trapped in the consle and find its onw way out. if you put the vent settings on demist it will come up through the window demisters as well. Me thinking it will be the motor bushes on there way out if the wiring looks ok.

[simon15]

Checked th manual and its suppose to be a 20A so put one in put the heater on the first speed and even the 20A started melting after a couple of seconds.

so definatly the heater motor then yeah??

Cheers

[richard_sephton]

it may be the wire loose on the heater motor shortin g on its chassis

[simon15]

right just riped the dash apart and found the problem.

1 connection block wasn't even connected behind the heater controls.

also the wires going to the rear cigarette lighter have melted and fused together which is where the short Is coming from I think :) :) :)

just gotta trace all the wires back and I'm gonna get rid of the rear lighter completely nobody will ever use it nowadays.

[gtomo2]

Yea that would do it. but didnt think the cig lighter was on the same circuit as the heater. But i may be wrong.

[simon15]

I shall find out later when I get it all back together lol...

see what happens.

[Range Rover Blues]

I'd say the motor has stuck in on place, the smoke is the shelac coating on the windings burning.  I've had it happen on a Ford before now.