Lude Generation

Hey guys,

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin..

My 'lude has been off the road for 6 months. I started it yesterday but the battery was flat, fair enough. Jump started fine, ticked over nicely. I turned on the interior fan, the idle went a bit lumpy and the engine died. Had to jump start it again. Knackered battery, methinks. No worries, it has been sat for ages. I let it run with the fan off, it was all good.

..so then I decide to take it for a spin around the block. 5 minutes in and there is a weird whine coming from behind the dashboard, the pitch of the whine seems relative to throttle position. There is no stereo in the car so it's not power based interference. 6 minutes in and there's a funny smell.. 6 minutes and 10 seconds, there is some smoke seeping from behind the fuel/temp gauges! I pull over and the rev counter starts jumping around like crazy and the EL dials are flickering like disco lights. I turn the car off and remove the key and then the ignition switch starts clicking! It clicks around a dozen times then shuts up.

I locked the car, went back inside the house and now I'm thinking of scrapping the drokking thing. I don't have the time or money to be sorting this out.

Quite depressed.

Nothing like keeping those emotions under control! lol..

Worst case you have a mouse nest behind the dash and they have been making comfy with your insulation. could just be a knackered alternator? Take the cluster out and lets have a butchers.

Good plan, I'm thinking of leaving work early today and ripping the dash out..

I thought knackered battery and potentially the alternator - but that doesn't explain the smoke. I panicked a little when it started smoking because I wasn't at home, I had no fire extinguisher and I thought the car was going to burst into flames hahaha

all sorts of nasty things happen when these cars sit around not being used
hope you get it fixed

Look at the alt first, could be spiking voltages, leaking ac or many other things.....

Yep.
Or... I'm not sure what's inside the el dials, I am always a bit worried there could be plenty of electrolytic caps in there ready to pounce as they get older...

Either way though, it's far from the end of the world. Stick with it and have a gander to see what you turn up. I'm sure it can be sorted and get back to the good times

it could be damp in the electrics behind the dash you really need to get the dash out and have a look

My fuel/temp gauge let the smoke out under the same circumstances. I still haven't sorted it, I just fill up whenever the low fuel warning comes on

Don't give up matey. Been there and got the t-shirt. Grit your teeth and somehow, some way, it'll all turn out for the best.

I will be back to update this thread shortly - thanks to all for the input and advice.