kaptnknemo

Just got the pod off after an interesting smoking smell permeated the cockpit last Tuesday. The speedo doesn't work, this may be the result of this idiot leaving the speedo pickup wires back in the spare tire well exposed for a day or two. SO what thing are likely to smoke in the pod? I would like to fix this today as the 928s is my daily driver.

Thanks in advance.

KK

ew928

HI Knemo,
There was an incident a few years back of a pod smoke-bomb caused by the rheostat controlling the wiper delay.
Might want to twirl the wiper delay **** back and forth under the dash if you've got one of those.

But keep the ground strap point behind the toolpanel exposed and ready for immediate disconnection. Think that wasn't fused so that 928'er had to pull out all the luggage to get to the ground strap and yank the connection before any major damage.

Does the ignition switch work fine? Have heard weak/intermittent electrical part of the switch causing wierd pod instrument failures.

Have a fire extinguisher handy if you're driving her around. But what 928'er doesn't.

ceedee

me...

ew928

My bran cell just clicked, it's early on sunday.
Think the pod smokebomb may have been the other rheostat.
It was the dash dimmer adjustment ****.
Give that **** a spin or two.

I twiddle the dimmer once in a while since I set it at max and rarely use it.
Seems to get oxidized without use.
Sorry.

kaptnknemo

The pod electronics don't stink and there are no visably toasted components. I have also sniffed all around the rest of the cabin and can't smell that unique burning electronics smell again. It didn't smell like insulation ( i know that smell!) ,but there was enough smoke to stink up the entire cabin. It was dark and i never saw where it was coming from, just shut it down. Started up again and no smoke, no smell. The car runs fine, just no speedo.

kaptnknemo

Thanks ew928

None of the switches smell and they all 'feel' right. Anything else?

85fortheDrive

There is no discoloration to the circuitry that covers the back of the instrumet cluster? Any smell at either of the two multi-wire junctions (uppper right in the back and lower center)? My first thought was the rheostats too. Those are pretty delicately assembled.

You've checked fuses....?

ew928

Look for discolored (as in brown/melted) plug-in locations on the fuseboard if you're lucky. It's those unfused wires running around the 928 that's scary.

Might want to feel all the fuses after an evening drive. Anything that's unusually warm may not be a good sign. Evening drive cause you get to fire up the lights. Might want to cycle through the HVAC to get all the electrics a good workout.

Isn't it a rule in electrics that circuitry does not self-repair.

Something may be jumping across grounds cause it's own groundpoint may be 'iffy and it's borrowing ground through another circuit.
There's unhealthy PO electric work on my 928. Electric tape is not a long-term replacement for proper shrinkwrapped wiring insulation.
Or something got chaffed and the insulation is wearing through.

I've had gas and fried electric smell in my car at times. Luckily most of it is from the car in front. But that coolant smell is from my car burping coolant out the coolant gap.
I've got nose-paranoia cause the 928 can't tell me when it's sick.

SharkSkin

Electrical/electronic stuff runs on "Magic Smoke™". Once you let the Magic Smoke™ out, it's done. I recommend you not drive the car until you have fixed the problem, or at least identified it and confirmed that no more Magic Smoke™ is ready to escape.

TM___

I'm a bit ashamed.

Dammit, I was looking for a dashboard illumination wire for my radio and testing with my multimeter wrongly set at AC current instead of DC.
Found a black/blue pair with an insulated connector, though my multimeter was reading 5V, dropping to 0V. I must have been shorting the circuit, at some point I got dark grey smoke coming out of the pod. I immediately cut out all electrics (disconnected the battery) and let things cool down.
Reconnected the battery and nothing special happened. Everything in the pod still works as before.
My illumination rheostat was not perfect to begin with, but it dimmed my lights fine before. Now it is a bit quirkier and gives a more on/off control over the lights. I guess I fried it or one of the wires going there.
What is more likely?
Is there an easy way to disconnect/replace, or does the pod need to come off?

Or did I melt something else?

I hope the smell disapears soon.