i wrote a couple days ago about a problem with my stereo(it goes very quiet the gets louder without warning) anyway i have put off trouble shooting it(lots of rain here, no garage) anyway the wife says she was driving yesterday and the stereo was working fine then it cut out again, anyway at the same time this happened she says there was popping sounds and lots of smoke comming from under the stearing collum.

so here's the questions

are there any stereo parts located under the dash near the stearing collum?

if not is there anything else that could cause these symptoms?