NHTSA Complaint #10131869 — 1992 GMC SAFARI

AS FOR EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE, I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY. I OPENED THE DOOR OF MY VAN AND FOUND THE SMELL OF MELTING PLASTIC COMING OUT OF IT. AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION I FOUND THAT MY CIGARETTE LIGHTER, WHICH I USUALLY DON'T HAVE IN THE PLUG, BECAUSE I USE THE PLUG FOR TOO MANY OTHER THINGS HAS MELTED AND WAS STUCK INSIDE MY DASH. AFTER TAKING THAT PANEL OFF TO SEE IF I COULD GET THE LIGHTER OUT OF THE PLUG, I ATTEMPTED TO UNPLUG THE WIRES BUT WHILE DOING THIS THE SMALL AMOUNT OF THE PLUG THAT WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE DASH BROKE FREE AND STARTED SPARKING. AT THIS POINT IT BLEW A FUSE SO I CUT THE WIRES JUST TO BE SAFE AND TAPED THEM SEPARATELY WITH ELECTRICAL TAPE. LATER THAT NIGHT I COULD SMELL ANOTHER BURNING TYPE SMELL BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING THAT I FIGURED OUT WHAT IT WAS. NOW WHENEVER I USE MY HEATER/AC THERE IS SMOKE THAT COMES OUT FROM BEHIND THAT INSTRUMENT PANEL. WHEN THE FUSE BLEW I LOST ALL THE INTERIOR LIGHTS AND I AM AFRAID THAT IF I REPLACE THE FUSE THAT THE CIGARETTE PLUG WILL START SPARKING AGAIN. SO AS IT STANDS NOW THE CIGARETTE LIGHTER IS GONE, I HAVE NO INTERIOR LIGHTS AND I CAN'T USE MY HEATER OR A/C. I DID KEEP THE LIGHTER THAT WAS ALL MELTED. *NM