Looks like crap buildup on resistor in heater box but heater blower frozen for any reason can draw big amps and little or no air flow to cool the resistor is bad too. Fire in that area are a sign of "resistor fire." Fire goes out heater inlet and/or burns out the front heater box, etc. Why many people w/ old cars, not just Fiero, need to check and clean the resistor area in the heater/AC box.
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
Looks like crap buildup on resistor in heater box but heater blower frozen for any reason can draw big amps and little or no air flow to cool the resistor is bad too. Fire in that area are a sign of "resistor fire." Fire goes out heater inlet and/or burns out the front heater box, etc. Why many people w/ old cars, not just Fiero, need to check and clean the resistor area in the heater/AC box.
Had that happen to me last winter. Had a nice day for a ride and pulled the car out of storage not knowing a mouse built a nest in the resistor housing, turned on the heat and a minute later smoke come pouring out of the vents, I shut the car down and the smoke died down. Scared the crap out of me. Thanks to Ogres Cave I found the problem and cleaned out the nest of leaves and shreds of a shop towel. Now my storage is loaded with anti mouse weapons. They started this war and im going to finish it!
That was a great movie Raydar. lol ! And yes Rodger, hot water is not a good idea. My loving wife had a small crack on the lower part of the windshield and thought a big bucket of hot water on a 10 degree morning would clean the ice rite off, that small crack turned into a jig saw puzzle of glass. I ask her what happen and she said the wind and cold probably cracked it. I do love that women anyways.
LOL. With the forum lately, Im sure soon some know it all will come up with scientific data and professors opinions why hot water cannot break safety glass no matter what we say because were liars.
