Smoke came out of my steering wheel

Tiny
ASDFASDF
  • MEMBER
  • 2005 SATURN VUE
  • 120,000 MILES
On my way home I noticed a burning wire plastic smell and saw some smoke come out the side of my steering wheel, my low beams stopped working but my high beams and turn signals continued to work, yesterday I removed my dimmer switch and there where 4 wires a red one, two black ones and a brown one the brown one was melted and the melted was burnt and not connected anymore to its place is this the low beams? If so is it as simple as just getting a new dimmer switch?
Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 5:13 AM

21 Replies

Tiny
SATURNTECH9
  • MECHANIC
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Does your vue have auto head lights or regular head lights?
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 3:01 PM
Tiny
REDCD10
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Not a 100% sure what would be the answer to both, I know if there auto maybe the shortage blew both my bulbs
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 3:08 PM
Tiny
REDCD10
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I have to manually put it in auto mode
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 3:11 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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So the melted wires are on the dimmer switch not the head light switch?If you have auto head lights it will say auto on the head light switch.
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 3:14 PM
Tiny
REDCD10
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Ok yes theres is an auto feature its one melted wire and the dimmer switch, I looked it up and for some reason it is also called the headlight switch, I looked up both up and they are the same product
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 3:23 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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I see a light blue wire a pink wire a dark blue wire a gray wire and a black wire. Which one is melted?
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 3:31 PM
Tiny
REDCD10
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  • 10 POSTS
I only see two black, one red and one burnt off brown one, I think there are two types of, I have looked up the parts and they offer two one that has only the wires I describe and another that has the wires you describe I'm not sure but I think that one also controls other things as well as the lights

its an 05 saturn vue
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 3:42 PM
Tiny
REDCD10
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I think the brown wire was originally purple and because of the burn wire it turned brown
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 3:56 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Here is the head light wires coming from the switch.
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 4:02 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Iam not there to see whats going on so your my eyes you need to cut back the tape and see what color the wire is?I dont see purple ethier in the wires going to the head lights. The low beam is dark blue coming off the switch.
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 4:14 PM
Tiny
REDCD10
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Im talking about the headlight switch that is on the console by the steering wheel
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 4:16 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Right behind the steering on the column on the left side correct?Because thats where the head light switch is.
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 4:37 PM
Tiny
REDCD10
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Yes that is it
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 4:38 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Then were both talking about the same thing the low beam wire that supplys the ground to turn the low beams on is blue.I need you to cut the tape back and let me know what color the burnt wire is?Iam trying to help you here.
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 4:45 PM
Tiny
REDCD10
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Oh thank you but I see what your talking about and its in the back of the mechanicsm not the attachment
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 4:48 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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The wires come ok of the connector there all taped up and run down the steering column.
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 4:53 PM
Tiny
REDCD10
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All those wires are fine I'm talking about the actually mechanism itself
that has only 4 wires and the wires you talked about connect into it
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 4:54 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Ok sounds like you have a head light switch that shorted out I have seen that one before.
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 5:01 PM
Tiny
SATURNTECH9
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Your also going to want to unplug the connector and make sure the connector didnt get melted.
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 5:03 PM
Tiny
REDCD10
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Ok thank you yea I checked the other wires that you plug into it and they look fine and not damaged
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Wednesday, June 13th, 2012 AT 5:14 PM

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