urgent help cab full of smoke

[wilkie]

I have just been fitting a 12v fan in my cab, just a plug into the cigarette lighter one when all of a sudden the cab is full of smoke. Turned every thing off and and started to investigate. The ignition switch seems strange from a machanical turning point of view and when I turn it no dash lights come on and the switches which are dependent on the ignition don't work wipers etc. I undid some bits around the steering column to try and get a closer look at the ignition barrel and as I moved the column it was arcing inside. I have now disconected the battery so I don't burn the garage down. What should my next steps be? Have I overloaded the wiring to the ignition with a 12 volt fan or do you think that this is just a coinsidence?

Help

 

[currylager]

Disconnect the ignition barrell (unplug it if possible) turn all the lights off etc. re connect the battery via a 10amp fuse in a fuseholder, see if the fuse blows for a start.

 

[VWAIRCOOLED]

If you follow the live wire from the cigar lighter where does it go? My bet is straight to the ignition switch without a fuse in line.Then is it possible that when you put the fan plug in that the earth contacts pushed onto the live contact inside the cigar lighter or the fan itself is faulty,either seized or shorted inside.Test the fan briefly by connecting it to another car which you know is fused and see if the fuse blows.
Voila a short circuit through the ignition switch to the battery.If this is the case you'll need a new ignition switch and sort out the cigar lighter feed by putting a fuse in line at least.

 

[wilkie]

I've just had a closer look at the ignition switch and the black wire from the switch that goes to the light switch is burned out along its full length. I have also tested the fan on a socket that is connected through the aux fused box to my leisure battery. Protected by a 7.5 amp fuse and it works fine. Any ideas why this wire would burn out.

thanks

 

[VWAIRCOOLED]

The cigar lighter feed must go onto the fusebox and connect to it at the feed to the lights on the unfused side of the fusebox.Follow the feed wire from the cigar lighter and confirm where it goes.

Have you used the cigar lighter socket to power anything before?

 

[VWAIRCOOLED]

I just checked the wiring diagrams,are you sure it's the light switch? There shouldn't be any black wires going to that,only the wiper switch has got black wires.This would make sense as it would be easy for someone to join the cigar lighter to the wiper motor wiring as it's close by.Is it a standard lighter socket or has someone added it in?
But this would seem strange that the fuse for the wiper motor didn't blow unless someone has bypassed the fuse.Anyway,first job is to find exactly where the feed for the ligher has been connected.