Smoke thru interior vents this morning - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

lbls1 · 05-10-2021, 03:33 PM

I tried doing a search but I didn't find an exact cause. Today as I was backing out of the garage, all of a sudden I see smoke coming out of the vents. It was enough to make me stop the car, and open the hood. I initially thought something was burning or rubbing, but I didn't see anything unusual. I was on my way to the dealer this morning anyway, so when I got there I asked them to check it out.

Later they came to me and said that they think its the fan blower motor. I was like

that big items always happen out of warranty. I never had a warranty issue with this car. The funniest thing was that the smoke stopped once I backed it out of the garage. I didn't have smoking on the way to the dealer or on the way back. I really don't want to replace the motor (never replaced fan blowers in any of my cars) unless this is a defect. Has anyone heard of this and/or is there a TSB out for this? Any help appreciated.

JB'sZL1 · 05-10-2021, 03:51 PM

No tsb. I would make sure it's not a short. You won't need insurance or a warranty if your Z burns to rubble.

RobZL1 · 05-10-2021, 06:45 PM

Definitely a burning/smoke and not condensation?

Vegas Bound · 05-10-2021, 08:57 PM

Was it humid this morning?

lbls1 · 05-11-2021, 08:23 AM

Yea it smelled like a burning scent. Almost like rubber but rubber is very strong; It wasn't quite so strong. At first I thought it was the clutch because I had to maneuver out of the driveway because it was partially blocked. It was just a bit humid outside and cool.

This was the funniest thing because this was the first time I saw this. Yes I've had a/c condesate blow in on occasion but even this wasn't so much. Sometimes I've had warm air blow in as well when the atmosphere was cool.

Bigtime53 · 05-11-2021, 09:18 PM

Your car won't burn to the ground I would not think as it would blow a fuse before that happened. If it was mine I would wait and see if it does it again then change out the blower motor. I do not trust the dealers that much to have them work on my car.

12oclockshadow · 05-11-2021, 09:56 PM

I had something similar in my old fbody 2000 SS. I was driving home smoke starting rising from hood vent etc and smelled a weird burning smell. Ended up being debris wedged down by radiator engine bay area. So chk engine bay lol may be something simple

lbls1 · 05-12-2021, 02:24 PM

^that's what I'm thinking. I don't think it was a mouse....it wasn't a funky smell, and there is some loose debris in the garage. The smoke stopped after I pulled it out so I don't think its the blower motor IMO.

lbls1 · 05-12-2021, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigtime53

Your car won't burn to the ground I would not think as it would blow a fuse before that happened. If it was mine I would wait and see if it does it again then change out the blower motor. I do not trust the dealers that much to have them work on my car.

Right you are as I've had misdiagnosis from dealers before. Dealers tend to tell you things that are expensive to fix anyways. As many clunkers I've owned, I never replaced a blower motor go figure. It is just a little funny to think that my muscular, low mile child blew a blower motor just sitting.

JB'sZL1 · 05-12-2021, 03:49 PM

Well...let us know if the condition persists.

Anything mechanical, or electrical can go. If you have a short, trust me, it can easily start a fire before a fuse blows...if ever. A fuse only detects overamperage. A short can arc and start a fire before a fuse detects anything. I'm not being paranoid, just using your words of "smoke" and "burning." Condensation has no odor, unless your vents are filthy.

gtstorey · 05-12-2021, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JB'sZL1

Well...let us know if the condition persists.

Anything mechanical, or electrical can go. If you have a short, trust me, it can easily start a fire before a fuse blows...if ever. A fuse only detects overamperage. A short can arc and start a fire before a fuse detects anything. I'm not being paranoid, just using your words of "smoke" and "burning." Condensation has no odor, unless your vents are filthy.

I had a short in a wire in the steering column on a Mitsubishi Mirage that set the plastic housing on fire without shooting a fuse. Nothing a can of Mountain Dew couldn't put out but it was fixing to be a real mess by the the time I got stopped and popped a panel off to get to it.

LevonH · 05-12-2021, 04:56 PM

Have you changed your cabin air filter lately? Take it out and have a good look into the air cavity.

Bigtime53 · 05-12-2021, 10:47 PM

Well it seems like some of you have had other issues than what I have had on a fuse blowing to start a fire. I still do not think a fan motor would burn your car down before a fuse would blow but I guess it could happen. I have had several older classic cars [camaro's] that have blown a fuse for things other than a fan that draws more juice and not catch on fire. Just my experience.

lbls1 · 05-13-2021, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JB'sZL1

Well...let us know if the condition persists.

Anything mechanical, or electrical can go. If you have a short, trust me, it can easily start a fire before a fuse blows...if ever. A fuse only detects overamperage. A short can arc and start a fire before a fuse detects anything. I'm not being paranoid, just using your words of "smoke" and "burning." Condensation has no odor, unless your vents are filthy.

True that; it makes sense. What I want to know is how this happened? If this situation happens again I will be forced into doing something, albeit expensive. Its just that this is a kick in the head for something that's all of a sudden.

05-10-2021, 03:33 PM	#1
lbls1 Drives: 2002 Camaro SS SOM; 2015 Malibu LTZ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Queens, NY Posts: 4,021	Smoke thru interior vents this morning I tried doing a search but I didn't find an exact cause. Today as I was backing out of the garage, all of a sudden I see smoke coming out of the vents. It was enough to make me stop the car, and open the hood. I initially thought something was burning or rubbing, but I didn't see anything unusual. I was on my way to the dealer this morning anyway, so when I got there I asked them to check it out. Later they came to me and said that they think its the fan blower motor. I was like that big items always happen out of warranty. I never had a warranty issue with this car. The funniest thing was that the smoke stopped once I backed it out of the garage. I didn't have smoking on the way to the dealer or on the way back. I really don't want to replace the motor (never replaced fan blowers in any of my cars) unless this is a defect. Has anyone heard of this and/or is there a TSB out for this? Any help appreciated. __________________ '02 CAMARO SS SOM; 5.7L LS1/FLS6B '08 TBSS AWD Black Granite Metallic '15 Malibu LTZ 2LZ Turbo *'14 CAMARO ZL1 Blue Ray Metallic*

05-10-2021, 06:45 PM	#3
RobZL1 fo'shizZL1 Drives: 2017 ZL1 Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: ATL Posts: 1,281	Definitely a burning/smoke and not condensation? __________________ 2017 ZL1 M6 Black \| Maggie 2650 // 103TB // Big Gulp Past Rides- 2014 ZL1 M6 Red Hot \| Tons of mods 2004 CTS-V M6 Silver \| Many mods 1995 Corvette M6 Torch Red \| A few more mods 1992 Camaro M5 White \| A few mods

05-11-2021, 08:23 AM	#5
lbls1 Drives: 2002 Camaro SS SOM; 2015 Malibu LTZ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Queens, NY Posts: 4,021	Yea it smelled like a burning scent. Almost like rubber but rubber is very strong; It wasn't quite so strong. At first I thought it was the clutch because I had to maneuver out of the driveway because it was partially blocked. It was just a bit humid outside and cool. This was the funniest thing because this was the first time I saw this. Yes I've had a/c condesate blow in on occasion but even this wasn't so much. Sometimes I've had warm air blow in as well when the atmosphere was cool. __________________ '02 CAMARO SS SOM; 5.7L LS1/FLS6B '08 TBSS AWD Black Granite Metallic '15 Malibu LTZ 2LZ Turbo *'14 CAMARO ZL1 Blue Ray Metallic*

05-11-2021, 09:56 PM	#7
12oclockshadow Drives: 2012 ZL1 M6 Join Date: Feb 2019 Location: Conroe, Tx Posts: 221 View My Garage	I had something similar in my old fbody 2000 SS. I was driving home smoke starting rising from hood vent etc and smelled a weird burning smell. Ended up being debris wedged down by radiator engine bay area. So chk engine bay lol may be something simple __________________ FBO. Cammed. Flex fuel.801whp/741wtq on e85

05-12-2021, 02:24 PM	#8
lbls1 Drives: 2002 Camaro SS SOM; 2015 Malibu LTZ Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Queens, NY Posts: 4,021	^that's what I'm thinking. I don't think it was a mouse....it wasn't a funky smell, and there is some loose debris in the garage. The smoke stopped after I pulled it out so I don't think its the blower motor IMO. __________________ '02 CAMARO SS SOM; 5.7L LS1/FLS6B '08 TBSS AWD Black Granite Metallic '15 Malibu LTZ 2LZ Turbo *'14 CAMARO ZL1 Blue Ray Metallic*

05-10-2021, 03:51 PM	#2
JB'sZL1 Drives: 2013 ZL1 and 2019 Ram Laramie Join Date: May 2017 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 1,259	No tsb. I would make sure it's not a short. You won't need insurance or a warranty if your Z burns to rubble.

05-10-2021, 08:57 PM	#4
Vegas Bound Account Suspended Drives: 2013 Sparkly Red One Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: Hospitality State Posts: 2,558	Was it humid this morning?

05-11-2021, 09:18 PM	#6
Bigtime53 Drives: 2013 ZL1 Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 2,298	Your car won't burn to the ground I would not think as it would blow a fuse before that happened. If it was mine I would wait and see if it does it again then change out the blower motor. I do not trust the dealers that much to have them work on my car.

05-12-2021, 03:49 PM	#10
JB'sZL1 Drives: 2013 ZL1 and 2019 Ram Laramie Join Date: May 2017 Location: Milwaukee Posts: 1,259	Well...let us know if the condition persists. Anything mechanical, or electrical can go. If you have a short, trust me, it can easily start a fire before a fuse blows...if ever. A fuse only detects overamperage. A short can arc and start a fire before a fuse detects anything. I'm not being paranoid, just using your words of "smoke" and "burning." Condensation has no odor, unless your vents are filthy.

05-12-2021, 04:56 PM	#12
LevonH Chevy Enthusiast. Drives: 2015 Camaro ZL1 Summit White Join Date: Jan 2019 Location: Calgary Area, Alberta Posts: 221	Have you changed your cabin air filter lately? Take it out and have a good look into the air cavity. __________________ Levon H. Bone Stock

05-12-2021, 10:47 PM	#13
Bigtime53 Drives: 2013 ZL1 Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 2,298	Well it seems like some of you have had other issues than what I have had on a fuse blowing to start a fire. I still do not think a fan motor would burn your car down before a fuse would blow but I guess it could happen. I have had several older classic cars [camaro's] that have blown a fuse for things other than a fan that draws more juice and not catch on fire. Just my experience.