Help! Dash fire and now ignition won't turn off UPDAT

[benkitcher 0]

Hi,

as i was driving home today just as I drove up my road my VR lost power, became very juddery and I smelt burning. I pulled over and the cabin was flooded with white smoke. The smoke was coming from around the dash speaker grill. I tried to tuen the car off straight away (whilst getting the hell out!) but even after pulling the key out the engine kept running?!?

 

I've spent the afternoon trying to see where the smoke was coming from, but can't see anything. I've disconnected the battery and tried starting a few times but each time i have to stall the car to stop it. Once stalled, the ignition stays on (not at the click where the fans come on etc, but where the fuel gague works and the battery light comes on.

 

Now i would have thought ignition switch was to blame, but when the engine is running and i take the key out with the lights on full they switch down to sidelights (engine still running of course). Also, why smoke from the speaker grill if the ignition switch failed?

 

All help appreciated, thanks in advance

 

Ben

[tonedef 9]

Sounds like it could be in the fuse box/relay plate, sure someone'll be along soon with a good idea of where to start looking, I'm seven hours on a plane from my wiring diagrams or could have a look!

 

Welcome to Corrado owning and the forum anyway, you're in the right place for answers :)

 

This might help

[benkitcher 0]

Cheers for that, i pulled each relay out and had a look/ sniffed it but nothing smelled like the burning earlier. Hopefully someine will be able to tell me which one is the culprit :?

[benkitcher 0]

UPDATE: Spoke to the previous owner tonight and he says he had to replace the fuel pump relay since the pump kept buzzing even once primed. I didn't know the buzzing was meant to stop to be honest, so I now realise its buzzing all the time the car is running. There is also a smell of petrol in the cabin when you come to a stop. I think the raly must have failed again.

 

It gets more complicated though. I've just been out up the road in it and the damn thing won't idle, and its constantly trying to cut out when your driving. And it still won't turn off. Is the random revving down to over fuelling? and will it not turn off because of the pump not turning off? Also, does a relay smoke that much when it goes?

 

 

Sorry for the long post, there are just so many questions!

[bcstudent 0]

Firstly, the fuel pump will only stop after priming while the engine is not running. When the engine's running, the fuel pump should be buzzing.

 

Secondly, I can't believe you're driving the car with a problem of this magnitude! Get the dashboard out and have a proper look at the wiring. It's not as big a job as you expect.

[achaleven 0]

My present VR was declared a write off 5 years ago due to a dash fire. Turned out it was the heater blower motor. Just a thought.

[benkitcher 0]

Ha, i bet the insurance pay out more than covered the repair bill for that! I'm going to ring the guy who wired the thing only a month ago in a bit, I'll let you all know what he reckons

 

Cheers

[dr_mat 0]

I have to say I think I'd be looking at the ignition switch myself. If the car won't turn off, that means it's not closing all the circuits down. The ECU should lose power completely when you take the key out, and without power to the ECU that means no fuel, no spark, so the engine WILL stop.

Regardless of the fuel pump (which runs on with the fans and electric water pump after ignition-off anyway), the rest should stop immediately.

[benkitcher 0]

Cheers for that, I'll give it a change anyway since i can see the tricky screw has been taken out already to replace it, so i'm guessing it may have been replaced with a cheap pattern one

[Henny 0]

ignition switch would be my guess, closely followed by....... the headlamp switch... (don't laugh, I'm serious!)

 

The late headlamp switches are known for overheating and generally going wrong/melting/being a bit crap... if yours has failed in an odd way, I can see it could possibly be reverse feeding the fuse box and keeping the engine alive... plus, it's in the correct place for the smoke... ;)

 

It's only a long shot, but if it keeps doing it after having changed the ignition switch, it's deffo worth looking at...

 

Oh. and get a fire extinguisher, just in case...

[benkitcher 0]

I've had a look at the headlight switch, all beams work correctly and the unit and wiring as far as i can see looks fine. Plus its an early style switch, do these have the same probs as the later ones?

 

I had a fiddle last night and the car will now turn the engine off but the ignition stays on as if the first click of the key is still turned. Also, when the engine turns off, the speedo needle moves a bit, and i hear more odd noises from the fuel pump.

 

 

I've also noticed a dampness in the carpet in the drivers footwell, green residue around the vent on the transmission tunnel a loss in coolant and a realised my windows mist too easily. Also, the heater doesn't work.

 

 

Therefore, a new heater matrix will be fitted this weekend. As the car is a VR conversion and was born a 16v the wiring isn't factory. I'm guessing again now but i'm thinking some water was in the drivers vent, leaked onto somehting electrical and caused my problems. Plausable?

 

Cheers