Sounds like an electrical short of some heavy duty kind through the handbrake cable.
Hi all,
I seriously hope one of you can help me out with this problem because I am stumped.
CAR - 1983 KE70
MOTOR - 4KC
USE - Street
PROBLEM -
I was driving down my street when white smoke started pouring from the exhaust pipe, then it seemed that all of my dash instruments just stopped working (including indicators, tacho, everything) but the engine kept running as long as I wasn't idling (I could fell it try to die on idle).
Then as I approached home the plastic around the boot of my hand brake lever started burning. I thought the whole car was going to burn down but fortunately it didn't properly catch on fire.
I tried the hand brake but it wouldn't work at all so after it was turned off I left it in gear. That day I pulled the hand brake out and it came out all charred and filthy.
I left the car for a week or two (just didn't have time to look it over properly) went out, hooked the battery back up and it started first go, no troubles, all instruments working properly again, almost as though nothing happened.
My problem is that I would really like to know what the hell happened, so that I can fix it so that it never happens again.
If any of you guys know what could cause this I'd seriously appreciate your help.
Cheers,
Curto.
Sounds like an electrical short of some heavy duty kind through the handbrake cable.
What is the coolant levels like? Thinking maybe a burst heater hose or head gasket etc
Ae86 Drivingclub - Toyota AE86 Car Club where AE86 | KE70 | Toyota 86 / GT86 | Subaru BRZ | Scion FRS owners
I thought maybe it was a massive electrical short of some kind. None of the fuses are blown or anything though. If it was short, could it have been that whatever caused it has shifted after I pulled it apart and isn't causing it anymore?
Coolant is as full as the day I left it sit in the shed, definitely not a heater hose and I'm starting to doubt that it's the head gasket because it started fine and drove yesterday.
Sounds like an electrical short, and was then using the handbrake cable as an earth strap. Especially considering the cable is burnt. Burning plastic burns white and makes a lot of smoke as well.
Get under the car and make sure it wasn't touching anything, and no loose wires hanging anywhere.