Corvette problem
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4th Gear
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Corvette problem (help)
I have a 1988 c4 Corvette 35th anniversary edition and while driving it smoke was coming through the center console and was wondering if anyone could help me find out what it is. It was warm enough to melt some glue on the carpet panel on the driver's side and it was around the square where the window controls are. Also the left window control doesn't work either but it does make the noise of trying to push the window up and down. And the fumes smelled like exhaust fumes. That's all I know about it.
Last edited by Zerx; Dec 1, 2025 at 03:01 PM.
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Hi Zerx! Welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear about your problem. In order to help you we're going to need a lot more information. Such as where exactly is it coming from on the console? Are you sure it was smoke and not steam? Was it electrical? Did anything melt? Anything not working? Just some basic information and we can see what we can do to help.
Joe K
Joe K
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Was the melted glue on the driver side door? It sounds as though the window motor may have failed. Either shorted out or locked up and over heated causing the wiring to burn but not completely. Try to carefully help the Window go down but don't let it go all the way. Be aware that if it does go down it may not come back up. You may be looking at replacing the motor. But that is just a very big guess.
Joe K
Joe K
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From: Carterville Il
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If it is an exhaust leak, you should be able to tell / smell it within a few minutes......If you are letting it sit and idle for that long, make sure the car is outside.
as far as the window switch, I would take the drivers door skin off, remove the window switch controller. Clean the contacts......
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Melting Slicks
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The window switches in the OP's 1988 are in the center console. Not the door. I doubt the window circuits have anything to do with the smoke, odor, or melting glue. Window wires rest at ground unless a switch is moved to UP or DOWN.
The OP should check the under side of the car in the tunnel for signs of excessive heat that scorched the composite tunnel material. The cause of the excessive heat could have been an engine fueling condition or misfire that overheated the cat converter. You wouldn't be the first to have tunnel damage or a fire from an overheated cat. Take a look. If there's scorching in the tunnel, pay attention to engine fueling issues.
The OP should check the under side of the car in the tunnel for signs of excessive heat that scorched the composite tunnel material. The cause of the excessive heat could have been an engine fueling condition or misfire that overheated the cat converter. You wouldn't be the first to have tunnel damage or a fire from an overheated cat. Take a look. If there's scorching in the tunnel, pay attention to engine fueling issues.
Last edited by IHBD; Dec 1, 2025 at 05:48 PM.
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Melting Slicks
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From: Saskatoon Sask.
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Why not? Nothing special about a C4 despite what some would like to think. Every day there are major traffic jams someplace and there is a good likelihood one or two C4's are involved. I don't think they melt and flow into the nearest sewer drain. If they do, then there is something mechanically wrong individually, not a blanket result of them being a "C4 Corvette".
Melting Slicks
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I understand your concerns but that is a personal opinion and does not reflect some kind of lurking catastrophe, as was suggested by your original post. I have never owned a vehicle where I would be scared to let it idle for hours. In fact, when I was a superintendent in the oilsands, that was common practice in winter for our entire fleet - idle all shift. Gassers, diesels, propane - everything.
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They turn on at precisely the temperature that the engineering team determined was correct for the motor.
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From: Clifton Park, NY ............Clearwater, FL ... 85 Original Owner
FYI, 210 isn't even above normal
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You can learn a lot about how an individual car manages itself (or fails to manage itself) in an hour of idling just by paying attention and listening, watching, smelling, etc.
Never once had an overheat when letting it idle that long. But that's my individual car. That's not to say that someone else wouldn't overheat.
Last edited by Natty C; Dec 6, 2025 at 08:02 PM. Reason: Typos...
Melting Slicks
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From: Saskatoon Sask.
I've done it a few times.
You can learn a lot about how an individual car manages itself (or fails to manage itself) in an hour of idling just by paying attention and listening, watching, smelling, etc.
Never once had an overheat when letting it idle that long. But that's my individual car. That's not to say that someone else wouldn't overheat.
You can learn a lot about how an individual car manages itself (or fails to manage itself) in an hour of idling just by paying attention and listening, watching, smelling, etc.
Never once had an overheat when letting it idle that long. But that's my individual car. That's not to say that someone else wouldn't overheat.
Safety Car
Joined: Mar 2017
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From: LeClaire Iowa
1. Larger and more powerful cooling fans.
2. Starting the cooling fans at a lower temperature.
3. A bigger or thicker or better designed radiator.
4. A lower temp factory thermostat.
Thanks, Dan
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Newer cars with gauges have a large dead band in the middle of the gauge movement; even though temperature is climbing the gauge needle stays in the middle. Sneaky way to make you feel good about your new car. The C4 gauge and readout is of course not like that. My LT4 fans turn on at 228 (as designed) at which point temperature trends down.