This may be stupid question but what is that part that is circled?

 

That would be the windshield wiper motor.

 

Thank you.
Pardon my ignorance, I know nothing about cars but j recently had a small fire under my hood in that general area and am trying to figure it out. All I know for sure is that the hose for the wiper fluid was one thing that got burnt.
Thank you.

 

Very clean engine bay. Do you know what started the fire?

 

I wish I could say that was a picture of my actual engine but it isn't. Mine is very similar but very dirty. Lol
I have no idea what caused it, trying to figure that out though. It hasn't happened since that one day, (knock on wood) but it still smokes and I'd like to figure it out to prevent it from happening again and also for my own peace of mind because its terrifying to drive a car that recently caught fire lol

 

I wonder if it is the wiper motor that caused the fire. If so, replace. Most fires are started by leaking injectors or faulty alternators.

 

If your valve covers are leaking, the oil will drip down to the exhaust and will start smoke as the exhaust heats up. Doesn't explain the fire though.

 

About a year ago my best friend's father replaced my alternator so it's relatively new. Since the fire, my cruise control now is not working, my wipers keep failing and blowing fuses- I'll replace the fuse and within five minutes they are not working. And when they do work they go so slow they are practically worthless. My car seems to be smoking more and more each day which makes sense because I've continued to drive it without being able to fix anything. The smoke normally appears to come from right by windshield under the hood but it seems to be coming from underneath the car now as well. That could be my paranoia, as it's terrifying to drive a car that is smoking so much- it's beginning to get to my head. But I'm 90% sure it's smoking a lot more and coming from underneath as well.

 

A leaking valve cover or the ps fluid (oil) provides fuel for a fire right below that wiper motor. Clearly you have a short in the wiper circuit somewhere blowing a fuse, there may lay the spark to your fire

 

Again, pardon my ignorance-- I'm a 26 year old girl that knows nothing about cars. What exactly does it take to resolve that problem?

 

Well, if it is the wiper motor itself shorting out you could unplug or replace it. But it could also be the wires going to/from it. I'd check the plastic connectors condition and for exposed wires, maybe get a cheap $5 harbor freight multimeter for testing and YouTube for some how-to test for a short cirçuit demonstration

 

first off i'd say to check for codes, the local parts store will probably scan for free. it is possible that your wiper motor is the issue but i have a heater hose dropping anti-freeze onto my exhaust and it was smoking as well so i would check all your fluids to make sure your not low, especially the wiper fluid and anti-freeze. but check your oil and transmission fluid as well just to be safe.

 

We need to figure out if you have on problem or two or more.

You seem to have a problem with the wipers and blowing fuses. You also seem to have smoke or burning smells.

Please remove the fuse for the wipers when it won't be raining for a while. All the problems will go away if the wipers are the only problem.

If the smoke or smells continue, you probably have a leaking rear valve cover or possibly a leaking coolant hose.

We can reccomend some repairs once we narrow things down.

Id say that your wiper motor has a problem.
Are you hearing unusual grinding noises from the motor. Does it get hot soon after you turn the wipers on? Do the wipers go back and forth more slowly than they have in the past?

 

Hi Nichole. Sorry you seem to be stuck on several fronts here.

A couple of questions answered might help us shape solutions for you.

What state do you live in?

Do you have anybody familiar with fixing cars that could assist you? Family, husband, BF or even a reliable friend?

If not, if we tried to educate you, how mechanical are you and would you be confident investigating and sourcing parts and repairing it yourself? What tools might you have access to?

Do you have a budget to pay a mechanic for repairs above your capability?

If no to all the above questions..... Do you have a magic wand? LOL (Kidding)

As far as the Wiper problem, I'd recommend you go to a pick a part Junk Yard (if your state allows) and get a used wiper motor and as much of the wiring harness as you can harvest attached to the motor back across the firewall to remove the old (and most likely melted and shorted wire) as possible by splicing back to where there is no damage.

How about posting pictures of YOUR car? So we with eyes that know what we see can advise.

But please let us how much we have to work with by answering the above questions.

 

Nichole, KP wrote the same thing I've been thinking.

We have had other young female members in the past. Some of them have been able to learn and do the same stuff the other members do. It's very helpful to us and you if we know more about you.
We need to know what you or close friends and family are capable of doing.

We need to know about which tools you have available.

Many of us learned about cars the same way you are.

1. One needs a car in today's world.
2. Buying a newer car is expensive.
3 Paying a mechanic is expensive.
4 So we must do it ourselves, by trail and error.

You are welcome here. Dont be shy.