Originally Posted by pj67coll (Post 3171659)

My wife's 2005 Saturn Vue has a bizarre problem. I was inserting a thermometer in the sir vent this morning when I thought I was having a stroke or something. There was a strange visual impairment like a thread of hair or thin spider web floating in front of my eyes. I had trouble focussing on it and couldn't get it to go away. I was starting to think it was some vision or medical issue when I realized it was an incredibly thin diffuse almost invisible thread of smoke. It was emanating from the steering column where the indicator stalk joins it. I had not turned anything on. It was so diffuse that you would never notice it if there was any kind of airflow in the vehicle whatsoever. It was 110 inside the car this morning so could it be that the extreme heat is melting something in there causing it to smoke or maybe a short? I've searched online and not found anything specific to a Vue doing this particular thing. Any thoughts?

- Peter.

Originally Posted by pj67coll (Post 3171659)

My wife's 2005 Saturn Vue has a bizarre problem. I was inserting a thermometer in the sir vent this morning when I thought I was having a stroke or something. There was a strange visual impairment like a thread of hair or thin spider web floating in front of my eyes. I had trouble focussing on it and couldn't get it to go away. I was starting to think it was some vision or medical issue when I realized it was an incredibly thin diffuse almost invisible thread of smoke. It was emanating from the steering column where the indicator stalk joins it. I had not turned anything on. It was so diffuse that you would never notice it if there was any kind of airflow in the vehicle whatsoever. It was 110 inside the car this morning so could it be that the extreme heat is melting something in there causing it to smoke or maybe a short? I've searched online and not found anything specific to a Vue doing this particular thing. Any thoughts?

- Peter.

Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe (Post 3171773)

Did it smell like smoke? Burnt something? If so, you've got something hot melting in there.

Not that it helps, but a similar event happened while driving my 1980 Lincoln Town Car when it was 3-5 years old. Wisp of smoke rising out of the center of the steering wheel assembly while under way. Nothing became of it ever again on the car, but yes, it concerned me too. Albeit a given here - keep an eye and ear out for any negative symptoms going forward.

Originally Posted by Pooka (Post 3171728)

Something about this rang a bell in my head, so I did a bit of checking around.

It turns out that the wiper switch in these cars is considered a weak spot and other Saturn owners have had this same problem. There is quite a bit about this if you just Google 'smoke coming out of saturn steering column'.

Originally Posted by Pooka (Post 3171724)

Did you smell anything burning? Plastic and/or wiring cannot burn without giving off a smell.

Originally Posted by pj67coll (Post 3171966)

Interesting. I did a similar search and tuned up nothing. I'll do it again using your parameters and see what comes up.

- Peter.

Originally Posted by cmbdiesel (Post 3172083)