Holy Smoke!

[Member 10617]

Two days ago, while I was tuning up my car after installing a rebuilt distributor, I suddenly noticed "smoke" coming from under my dashboard. Now that is something that will get one's attention in a hurry.

Gradually it went away.

I peered under the dash for quite some time looking for melted insulation or any other sign of burning, but found nothing.

Yesterday, while a mechanic friend and I were working on the car, the "smoke" started again. We both peered under the dash and, again, found nothing.

Then my friend made an observation. He said that the "smoke" has no odor: it had neither an antifreeze smell nor a burning electrical smell. Nothing. "Water..," he said, "it's water."

On a hunch, I turned on the heater fan and billows of "smoke" came out for about two minutes and then gradually subsided and then disappeared altogether and never returned.


My friend said that water somehow had collected in the heater and was being turned into steam.

Have any of you ever experienced this? Any idea where the water would have come from since it had no trace of antifreeze smell? The car is garaged when not in use, and fans are going night and day.

 

[martx-5]

I suppose water can get in from the vent in front of the windscreen. Maybe the drip tube is plugged up.

 

[Member 10617]

Art,

My guess now is this: Recently I was caught in a very heavy rain storm, with the top up. But "top up," in these cars, as you know, is no total protection. Rain came in across the top of the windshield, down the windshield, and probably some made it into the vents. That's my guess. Ordinarily, I try to avoid driving the car in the rain.

Let me tell you that the amount of "smoke" that appeared was pretty substantial for a minute or two or three.... and was a pretty scary event!

Let this be warning to others....

On the bright side: my old heater gets hot enough to boil water! Ha, ha....

 

[JFS]

This smoke-like vaporization is very common when starting my TR3 after it has not run for a couple of days during the cooler/colder seasons in Wisconsin. It is caused by condensation as the engine heats up.

 

[CJD]

You may want to double check the vent drain, just to make sure it's not leaking on the heater...

John



Too slow typing...I'll catch up!

 

[Member 10617]

John,

Thanks, I will do that. Good idea.

 

[Member 10617]

JFS,

That seems to describe my situation. I had the car in the my basement garage for three weeks as the weather got colder and wetter here in Virginia. It never happened during the summer or warmer months.

It was definitely smoke-like vaporization, and it really got my attention (!).

 

[Guest]

Dashboard smoke=Ghost of Lucas.Smoke with fire.Angry ghost of Lucas. Call priest for exorcism.

 

[DanB]

Make sure to replace any of that smoke that leaks out!

https://www3.telus.net/bc_triumph_registry/smoke.htm

Dan B.
So. Charleston, WV
66 TR4AIRS EFI
80 TR7 DHC