I recently bought a 98 Intrigue with 211k mi for $300- needless to say its not in stellar condition. It had been hit in the right front, smashed windshield, wires are a mess, etc. It was running fine, but it just started chugging like a tractor. It doesn't have as much power, some light smoke was coming from around the console, and it started to smell. The check engine light is on with codes P0107, P1651, P1652 which translate into MAP problem and problem with both cooling fans. I know the cooling fans don't work as they don't have fuses (part of the wiring mess, had wires stuffed in the fuse slots) I commute 100mi/day and it always stays below the halfway point on the temp, so I'm not worried there. I'll fix the fans soon enough. Could this be the MAP? Or might I be looking at the UIM/LIM as I don't know if it has ever been touched? I did the LIM/UIM work on my wife'* 04 Bonneville before I had problems so I don't know what the symptoms are. Any ideas would be great. I'm strapped for cash so I hope its something cheap.

Map shouldn't cause smoking etc. Check the coolant level... puffing white smoke is one of the symptoms of a bad upper.

Bad news: on my way to work the other day the smoke started getting heavier. I was driving down the highway looking like Ace Ventura (leaning with my head out the window). When I was about 4 miles from work a fire started in the console. White smoke turned to black smoke as the plastic took fire. Fortunately my parents made me take a fire extinguisher from their house after they saw the car so I was able to put it out. I pulled over and put it out, then hopped back in the car to get to work. Needless to say it stinks in there now. However, there isn't much of any smoke anymore. So maybe my intake is still ok and maybe I'm just running on 5 cylinders (hence the chugging)? I'm not sure now if it was an exhaust leak that caused the fire or if it was electrical (if there are any wires there).

I'm considering getting a 99 Grand Am 2.4L, but it might need engine bearings (engine makes a clink clink-clink sound). I am not sure what to do. I just can't seem to find a decent cheap car.

I swapped out the plug wires with some year old take-offs from my Bonneville, as the old ones looked a bit funky. There was no change. I checked the plugs and it appears that only the front ones had been changed and the gap wasn't bad with decent electrodes. The rear plugs however had a monster gap (2x as big). Since I really don't have any money at the moment, I just regapped them and popped them back in. Still there was no change. My coolant level has stayed put so I'm not sure what to think. Grrrrr.

Fuses are our friends, and they're cheap, too. Take out the chunks of wire and replace them before a fire starts. Or in your case, after. I'm not familiar with the Intrigue, but there should be some spares in the fuse box, glove compartment, or your local auto parts shop.

Still, for $300, not bad.

I've got plenty of spare fuses as I pulled all of them from my junked Aurora which had all the options which meant lots of fuses. I'm covered there. I hope to have time tomorrow before work to tear the console out and see what it looks like under all the melted plastic and powder from the extinguisher. I'm still keeping an eye out for something else because the way this thing is running now my mileage is terrible. I'm afraid to start putting too much $ into it as I don't have much to work with and this thing has a lot of problems. I'm afraid of it being a money pit. I might just have to sell it off since it still runs and take my losses and hope I find a better cheap ride.

Check over your vacuum lines. There'* a vacuum line under the MAP sensor that might be causing the codes and some of your problems. Also check over your exhaust manifolds, my guess is something its touching and that'* what started burning.

I checked the vacuum lines and did find a cracked boot a few days ago which I fixed, but the probelm still persists. The code keeps popping up and it still chugs away. And I don't think it was anything touching the manifold as the fire started in the center console back by the elbow rest/storage compartment. Right below that area under the car is the big muffler with some serious holes.

Small update: I stole a few of the last parts from my old Aurora last night in order to try to fix the Intrigue. I replaced the MAP sensor as it had a trouble code and swapped the washer fluid tank as the old one was smashed up. The MAP trouble code is gone, but it now gives me a P0300 random misfire code and still chugs away. That is starting to sound more reasonable given the symptoms. Now I just need to find out why its misfiring. I saw another post below mine with said problem so I'll check my boot covers, then see what I can do from there.

I've read this thread several times and was not going to say a word...but, I think I really have to so that others who read this don't use the "well he did it, so I could and get away with it".

Any car that'* been in an accident good enough to damage engine bay parts and or wiring, should not be on the road until fully repaired and a thorough safety inspection done. You certainly should not be driving a car after an interior fire - your asking for a more serious fire let alone being physically harmed by the by-products of combustion when plastic burns (carcinogens, CO, CO2, arsenic, sulfur, etc.).

You certainly are entitled to do what you want to yourself, but you are putting others at harm by driving a wreck on the road - especially after having a fire.

Do yourself and especially others a favor. Curb the ride until you can thoroughly inspect, repair and or replace any and all parts and pieces that were damaged by the wreck and the after fire.