Help, just arrived at work and there's smoke coming out of the inside fuse box!

Just a few minutes before the left indicator stopped flashing, right was ok at first but now stopped too. Hazards work ok but now both indicators are dead - dashboard indicator light constantly on.

I'm going to need to figure out how to fix indicators but for the moment i'm hoping i can get home by just removing a fuse maybe to stop whatever it is that's burning?

Hazards still work and no smoking from fuse box when they are on with ignition off but continual smoking whenever electrics/ignition is on. Appears to be coming from one of the big wiring plugs just beside the fuses - from main cluster of fuses towards the front there are two side by side then one by itself in front of them.

Any help appreciated.

Don't end up being the next one!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-19338012

Additional symptom - alarm (or at least horn) going off randomly. No flashes from alarm LED when i return to it though and alarm not actually set in the first place just locked with key in door.

Waggling the smoking connector plug seems to stop the burning temporarily and restore RHS indicator function but LHS still don't flash and dashboard indicator light on constantly whenever electrics on.

dado1975 said:

Additional symptom - alarm (or at least horn) going off randomly. No flashes from alarm LED when i return to it though and alarm not actually set in the first place just locked with key in door.

Waggling the smoking connector plug seems to stop the burning temporarily and restore RHS indicator function but LHS still don't flash and dashboard indicator light on constantly whenever electrics on.

Click to expand...

Disconnect the battery right now!! In AA/Rac?

Will do, didn't think about it before because burning was only with ignition on but better safe than sorry i guess.

And, d'oh, hadn't thought about it but yes i'm pretty sure i was talked in to green flag cover with my car insurance. Hope i don't just end up getting piggy back homwe though, that won't help me much for tomorrow. Better go get that bicycle out of the garage.

Sounds like you've got a short somewhere. The alarm thing could be due to the voltage dropping as the battery gets drained. When you put the hazards on, do ALL of the indicators flash? Will the car start?

How's it going?

Well i had RAC cover fortunately. The nice chap came out and after half an hour of shredding his fingers managed to get the melted connector block removed. Cleaned up a bunch of corrosion on the terminals and rendered it (unofficially) safe. However, LH indicators still don't flash.

Regardless, it seemed ok to drive home until i noticed later that (having been testing the brake lights) a pool of brake fluid had appeared under one of the rear wheels. On closer inspection there was a leak in the flexible part of the brake line (disc type rears on mine).

Not a hugely expensive fix i'm sure but coupled with the indicators not working, the blower not working, the radiator fan not working, the window switches not working, the boot struts not working, the front brakes shuddering, the rear brake pistons seized, the absence of a radio, the random beeps from the alarm, the tires nearing legal limits, the door handles not spring back by themselves, the seatbelts not retracting and the ARB bushes needing replaced all in all i've decided it's sadly time to send it to the scrappy.

I was a huge multi fan for a while, there simply is no other layout that's as practical for my 4 kid seats plus two adults but this one has really soured my multi experience.

So on that note, thanks to all on here who's posts i have used to keep this and the previous bug alive. Maybe i'll return one day if i can afford a newer bug but my budget just now means i am cycling or walking for the moment

Fix It Again Tomorrow, as they say.

Its a shame, but needs must sometimes unfortunatly.

Might be worth advertising it for the price of scrap, someone might buy it needing parts etc