Electrical burning smell and smoke in passenger footwell

[DeeTurbo]

Today in the way to work got a burning smell and smoke in the passenger footwell.

I was at some lights when it happened and when I saw the smoke I turn the engine off and disconnected the battery. Pushed the car to the kurb out the way and started looking for what it could be.

First thoughts were the two connectors under the glove box, split them checked the pins all looked good.

Then checked the connector on the fan, all looked good.

Not sure what else to check at the moment.

It's a phase 3 HDI so no resistor in the fan and the smoke was only in the passenger footwell. Going to have a good look down the back of the radio tonight.

What else could it be down there?

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[Eeyore]

Could be the motor in the fan? Does the fan work as expected? What happens if you turn the fan off or leave it disconnected?

[DeeTurbo]

The fan is working as it should. I would have thought if it was the fan there would have been smoke coming out the vents?

Coming home it was all fine, apart from the car stinking of that burnt smell.

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[DeeTurbo]

Had another look at the fan terminals and I think it might have been that. The negative on the connector doesn't look great but I would have thought the plastic would have melted more with the amount of smoke there was.

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[Toms306]

Don't think it was that, I've seen them melt a few times, that still looks fine! There is a thick wire in a white plug that often burns/melts in towards the centre dash on the passenger side, can't remember what its for or even its exact location which I know isn't helpful.

[DeeTurbo]

They all looked good to. I've heard of the lift pump contacts burning in one of them.

Trying to think back when I did the estate heater matrix and I can't remember a thick wire in a white plug :-(

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Do you need to remove trim to get to it?

[Toms306]

I'll see if I can find a pic of it.

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And this is what the heater plug looked like on the same car... Yet another car suffering from a garage doing the matrix!

[DeeTurbo]

Wow, that is bad and that's how bad I would have thought something that caused the smoke would be like.

Any idea where about that plug is?

[Toms306]

That's all the pics I can find I'm afraid. It was on the stripped estate, with the dash out completely.

[DeeTurbo]

I had a look through my photos of when I did my heater matrix and couldn't see a plug like that one Any idea on want it's for, maybe something to do with the blower seeing as the blower connector cables are so bad?

[Toms306]

It was 4 years ago, my memory really isn't that good! I think it was blower related but not at all sure.

[DeeTurbo]

I'll see if I can trace the blower cables back, hopefully find it that way.

I've put an extinguisher in the car to, just in case lol