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Burning/Melting, Smoke from behind central console?

OneThree

New member
Location
Norfolk
2014 Golf GTD, Right hand Drive.

Couple of days ago, started the car up temp outside was -0.5, so heat on full whack to clear any frost etc and got about 50 metres down the road, to an awful smell of plastic/electrical burning, Swapped the car and left it for the day; Came back that evening, took it for a drive with the heating on full Same smell but wore off really quickly (Perhaps i'd just cleared any residual)

So i took the car to work the next day which was roughly an hour drive, again temps where -0.5 - 0 initially got that awful burning smell but it did wear off, when i got to work switched the car off for half hour, took away some of the side panels and centre console plastics, fired the car back up heating on full and left it for a while to see if i could identify where it was coming from, this time the smell was horrific and we found a small amount of white smoke coming from behind whatever is behind the central console (the nav screen is) - We could see the white smoke coming from the hole we had made by removing the plastics to the right of the where the glove box is (Behind the centre unit with glove box removed) - Could also smell the burning smell really strong from the left hand side vents (Above glove box as RHD)

Today a different story (Temp around 8deg) i had the car running for hours - took everything up to temp, coolant, oil with heat on max, and the smell was almost non existent for the whole time, it did initially smell slightly but may just be whatever had built up in the vents being blown out? for the rest of the day couldn't get it to smell as strong, or to smoke at-all.

Anyone had anything similar? something's definitely burning/melting; I've taken the majority of the plastics away, glove box out to see behind the centre unit but cannot see anything which looks burned or scorched, however if you have a good sniff something behind there is definitely burning or has burned out

Cannot confirm whether it's definitely related to the heating - but heating has been on full when it happens, and the smell comes strong from the vents on the left hand side, and obviously right the hand side behind the centre console unit (same height as where the glove box sits)

Does anyone know what's behind there, electrical motors or anything, and any easy access routes to get a good look? - The only thing consistent is the -0.5'ish temperatures - and i did have a coolant light come on the weekend before, but it literally needed around 50ml to top back up.
 
Last edited:

shovelhd

Autocross Champion
Location
Western MA
Does your diesel have an auxiliary cabin heater? The NAR TDI's did. I'm not familiar with your car so I can't help with where it would be, but I'd check that out.
 

imthanick_a

Autocross Champion
Location
Ohio
I would definitely take that to the dealer. That could be dangerous
 
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