Smoke. It no fire (yet)

[tcruarceri]

In the negatives here with windchill at the moment, so trying to find some info while it is too cold to look any deeper.
Was out driving with my g/f in our 00 explorer xlt 5.0 awd when a small amount of smoke started comming out of the steering column near the hazard button and plastic seam. I know there are some issues with these catching fire but since my cruise control has never worked assumed it had been disabled...any thoughts or suggestions on where to begin and how concerned I should be.

 

[Varsity]

Anything weird happening with your wipers or turn signals? My guess is the multi-function switch, the stalk you use for the wipers/signals. If there's a short or something, it might cause a little bit of smoke to seep out from the steering column. When mine went bad, my wipers would randomly come on or go off and once in a blue moon when my turn signals were on, I'd see a SMIDGE of smoke seep out from the steering column just as you described.

That's my guess.

 

[swshawaii]

^ Ditto MFS. Brake deactivation switch on master cylinder is a different issue. (Recall 09S09)

Smoke coming out of Hazardous Light Button! Help
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=141530

http://www.revbase.com/BBBMotor/TSb/DownloadPdf?id=44725