I have a 94 path manual trans.
last night i was driving went over a small dip and my radio stops working,
and white smoke starts seeping out of air vents and it seemed like it was coming from the steering colum too, smelled kinda like burnt rubber. Car was not over heating or anything. Is this some kinda electical short?? Air condition still blows cold air when I turned it on. What do you guys think??

Sounds like a wire shorted out and burned. Pull the stereo and have a look there first.

:screwy: That's what I was thinking too, but a few hours ago I went some where, and the radio came back on and all seemed to be okay.... no smoke no smell. Wierd hu? I turned on the radio just to see if it worked and it did, but I turned it right off just in case, was afraid to use the AC too. I was just sooo afraid that my little pathy was gonna catch fire or something:lol:.

If the wire shorted out and burned wouldnt the radio NOT work?


Is it possible that the wires in the steering colum could burn, like maybe the ignition switch stuff inside???
I don't im just a dum ol girl, :wink: ... If I just knew that one burnt out wire aint gonna do no further damage, I'd feel better. I could live without a radio.. well kinda...

Thanks for your suggestions and help! You guys are always here for me :rofl:

It sounds like a short. Did the smoke come out right away? I've heard people with the rusted floorboard issue (where the carpet catches fire due to the exhaust flang leak) describe the smoke as white. Mine was more of a blueish color but smelled like electrical burning (electrical and rubber smell alike when thye burn). Make sure that isn't your problem. If not then take the stereo or stering column off and look for burn Marks.