I just noticed this today: sometimes when I start my car, I hear this wierd buzz/screech from the fuse planel area in the driver footwell. After that, I saw this very small puff of smoke from the steering clumn (just past the wheel, before the dash). It was very small and went away. Could this be ignition switch related? The recall has already been done.

 

bump

 

Has anything happened since you saw the smoke ?

 

Nope.

 

did the car ever have an aftermarket alarm down there?? or any sort of aftermarket wiring??

 

No alarm. The front headlights/highbeam/turn signals are a serious f*ck job with wire exposed. I got the car 1.5weeks ago and covered as many open ends as I could find. Headlights work fine and turn signals are some pos foglights. The wires for the highbeam lights have been cut there is lot wire cutting/splcing wth the whole front lighting wiring. Because of this, I think, my overhead lights and my radio don't work as the 'interior lights' fuse keeps blowing as soon as I turn the ignition to position II. Dunno if this is connected to the steering column.

 

man 5th gens are notorious for that crap, i have had two or three people have the same kinda problem, their interior light circuits blown

check all those wires and make sure that none are shorting a ground or something, and figure out how the fogs are wired.....he may have some stuff under the dash, check it out

 

What were their problems?

check all those wires and make sure that none are shorting a ground or something, and figure out how the fogs are wired.....he may have some stuff under the dash, check it out[/QUOTE]

 

his ended up being an aftermarket alarm that was wired to the foglights so they would flash when you hit the unlock button....what a waste

the other one was on h-t, i didnt fix that one....