Smokin' 1992 Cabriolet

I have a 1992 Volkswagen Cabriolet (90,298 miles). The other day I noticed a thin line of whispy white smoke coming out of the dashboard to the left of the steering wheel just above the light switch and “Fasten Belts/Brakes” light. It had a slight electrical smell but because I had a cold I couldn’t really smell it. It was raining so I was running the wipers and as the windows had started to fog up, I turned on the A/C to clear up the windows. I parked the car for about an hour while I ran an errand. When I came out the rain had stopped so I opened the windows and drove home. It started smoking again. So, I don’t think it had anything to do with the wipers or the A/C.



Where’s the smoke coming from? And what should I do about it?

One of the wires behind the dashboard is getting hot and burning the insulation. The cause is probably a short circuit somewhere. Where? I can’t tell, because I can’t see the car from here. This is potentially dangerous, as it could start a fire. I suggest you have someone investigate the cause ASAP.

I have had that lovely smoke in my vehicle before. it was caused by a wire that was getting hot and is common with a tilt steering colume and the insulation is burning off.