I need some serious help!

[Csomme]

alrighty, first off, it's a bone-stock 1993 hatch with 120,000 miles on it. The other night I was sittng in my car and talking to my friend, when all the sudden something starting smelling like burning plastic(it actually smelled like really bad burnt chicken) and I couldn't figure out what it was. I went to leave and starting out in first, my car studdered like something was wrong for a half second. Not like it was about to stall, but something different. And then on the way home I saw a little bit of smoke coming up through my shift boot, but it didn't smell like anything. I stopped the car and got out a flashlight and looked all around, and eveything was ok. I thought the problem was gone, but I drove it for 2 hours straight today, and it started happeing again, but not near as bad. What in God's name is going on?

[dickie]

sounds like you have a short somewhere in your harness. start checking everything!

[Csomme]

I don't know **** about wiring though, what do I do about that?

[dickie]

you can find a local Nico member or pay a mechanic who does. alternately, you can pick up an FSM and teach yourself through trial-and-error.

work from easiest solution to the hard stuff. check all your fuses, then look at your harness in the exposed spots for obvious signs of rubbing, cutting or crimping. a common place (if you are lowered a good amount) is the section of the harness behind the driver side fender.

[verSat1l3]

I would check the wiring underneath the center console if you said the smoke was coming out of your shift boot. If it was outside the car, ie transmission harness, then the smoke most likely would have been blown away by the wind. Just my hunch, I would check the interior wiring before the exterior harness. How's your stereo setup? Is it clean or is it a spaghetti mess?

[Csomme]

I have no clue if it's a mess, curcuit city installed it.

[verSat1l3]

Time to pull the head unit and take a look back there...