# Burning Bugs

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/burning-bugs/38592>\
**Category:** The Show\
**Tags:** bronco, ford\
**Created:** [October 25, 2009, 5:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/burning-bugs/38592 "2009-10-25T05:05:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![utilityman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/da6949/32.png) [@utilityman1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/utilityman1)\
**Post date:** [October 25, 2009, 5:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/burning-bugs/38592/1 "2009-10-25T05:05:55Z")

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I have a possible solution to the burning bugs the man on the show experienced. I was driving a Ford Bronco when smoke poured out from under the dash. To make a long story short some leaves inside the air ductwork hit the fan speed selector resistor and started to smolder. Evedently the resistors get pretty hot.

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**Author:** ![fstein21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a8b319/32.png) [@fstein21](https://community.cartalk.com/u/fstein21)\
**Post date:** [October 26, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/burning-bugs/38592/2 "2009-10-26T18:13:27Z")

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Sounds reasonable. Fits the data. Black smoke to due smolder. Fire makes white or grey smoke. Problem did not recur due to consuming the combustables. Smelled like burning paper - leaves? paper? similar material. Both ford products so may use common components.

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**Author:** ![angulator1959](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@angulator1959](https://community.cartalk.com/u/angulator1959)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 2:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/burning-bugs/38592/3 "2009-10-31T02:54:34Z")

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I had an 80’s Ford F250 that had this problem numerous times. I found that saw dust and wood chips (I worked at a saw mill) would enter into the heater intake. There was a place under the hood in the airbox where there is actually a heating element that I assume was to keep the AC from freezing up, I’m really not sure the purpose. The dust and chips would get caught in this element and actually smolder and smoke. I finally unplugged the element to solve the problem.