Fire on Board!

turbo_lover · 21st July 2005, 18:53

didnt honda's face a problem with the CRV some time back ? engine catching fire

Tarun · 22nd July 2005, 15:38

Will share one of my exp.

With high highway driving in my zen, the dipper switch got loose and it would loosely downslide from bent light to high beam mode. Though i am very particular & take timely care of my car, however this time its service being due, i thought of replacing it on the coming weekend. But horror struck early.
Friday early morning around 04.00 clock, the gatekeeper of the society, rang our door bell and said the headlight of car is on. I moved to the car and tried to close the dipper switch. But it was stuck, the lights were on and plastic in the combination box was very hot. Soon it started melting, ignited the combo box and triggered flames. The car was parked with its boot almost touching the wall, i could not open the dickey. Now with high plastic fumes in cabin, i tried to reach from the rear door to access tool box so that i could remove the battery. But that was not reachable ! With high pungent smoke I almost got choked and came out coughing. In the mean time i asked the security guard to rush for water as complete dipper assembly caught fire with melting plastic dropping to floor mats. A real-real tense situation !
I tried putting the fire off even with the sand, but it wasn't coming down. Tried to pull the battery wires, but nothing worked.

Luckily, a bpo cab entered for its regular pick up. He immediately pulled over and provided me his fire extinguisher while he accessed his tool kit to remove
the battery. Finally we managed to put it off. Now this was real close and scary !
Never i realized the importance of having fire extinguishers in car, a MUST !
Thanked the driver and security guard. Had security guard not been alert and the arrival of cab driver, i dunno what would have happened.

Repairs : The car had to be towed, with complete change of steering wheel and dipper assembly switch. I asked the guys to check and change entire wiring if required.
I personally was with mechanics and spend 2-3 hours checking at the service station. Costs : around 5500/-

My Learning's :
1. NEVER EVER delay the repair of any (atleast) electrical equipment of your vehicle. I appreciate the thrust being put on here for having good quality wires for installation of audio products. Seen on many posts.
2. Have a fire extinguisher in your vehicle.

I have seem some vehicles which were completely burnt from inside. Earlier i use to wonder what could be the reason? Never imagined being so close.

Tarun

sandeepmdas · 22nd July 2005, 16:00

That was some spine-chilling stuff Tarun. It is indeed god’s hand that saved you n your Zen.

@speedsatya, have you really bought that Extinguisher? @ all, how much one costs and what are the best brands available (after all it should work in an unlucky situation when I need it) ?
Are Real Value (CeaseFire?) products still available?

Xsailor · 22nd July 2005, 17:02

@Tarun
That was close, my bro and you are lucky to have escaped with only 5500/- worth of damage.
@sandeepmdas
During my sailing days, I have been witnessed & engage in a few major(damned infernos!) and minor fires.
My advise is : Be prepared - both in terms of equipment and training.
Re Fire extinguishers;
1. Halon exts are banned and no longer available for sale. If you can find one, ignore it and save the Ozone layer.
2. CO2 are the next best for all classes of fire but are very heavy (due to high pressure of the gas the shell is really thick) and cumbersome. Though they leave no residue after use (very useful for areas with electronics etc.) the gas itself can cause trouble to humans.
3. DCP (Dry Chem Powder) are your best bet. Cease Fire, yes Sir, very much around and perhaps the most reliable too. You can get more info from www.ceasefireindustries.com TF:1600 11 3473. They come with a no-maintenance warranty for 5 years - you just need to visually check the pressure using a gauge mounted on the shell. Excellent quality. A 1kgs one will suffice your needs. I bough one for my Swift last month for 1750/- (Guess the mrp is 1800/-).

Contrary to what a lot of people feel, it is always a good idea to be prepared - to an extent I am a little paranoid to having lost a few fellow shipmates to fires. Buy a 2Kg one (abt 2800/- odd), or a few depending on your need, and keep them handy within the house too. It is money well spent.

Lemme know if you need more advise on this.

Cheers

sandeepmdas · 23rd July 2005, 10:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xsailor

Contrary to what a lot of people feel, it is always a good idea to be prepared - to an extent I am a little paranoid to having lost a few fellow shipmates to fires.

Yes, I am also going to be prepared, regardless what people say. The Cease Fire guys have an office in Trivandrum, and I am going to contact them.

Thank you mate for you advice. I think you are probably the best qualified among the TBHP members as far as professional fire fighting drills are concerned.

Rehaan · 24th July 2005, 13:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by DRC

Water can be used , (Note it is only 12V unlike home electricals of 230 V. ) The moment you have some chance to touch some thing snap off battery connections.. save the car.

DRC, im not so sure about that! Its the huge ampereage of the car battery that can mess you up if i am not mistaken (despite the low voltage).
Please do mention if you are sure about this before you are responsible for a bhpians new spiked hair-do!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tarun

Friday early morning around 04.00 clock, the gatekeeper of the society, rang our door bell and said the headlight of car is on.

Hey Tarun,

Sure got lucky there!
Infact a similar thing happened to me, the watchman came up saying the lights of the car were flashing on their own (so he couldnt sleep

).
When i took a look at it i noticed that over time some battery acid had been dripping on one of the plastic connectors on the headlight circuit and one of the wires had come lose and was grounding itself occasionally.

cya
R

adya33 · 24th July 2005, 15:24

Quote:

DRC, im not so sure about that! Its the huge ampereage of the car battery that can mess you up if i am not mistaken (despite the low voltage).

you are correct Rehaan
car batteries have very high Ampere-hour rating

& high amepere current kills not the high voltage
so water is not an option

BuRnT RuBbEr · 24th July 2005, 23:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by adya33

car batteries have very high Ampere-hour rating

i remember once i was checking up the UPS for some trouble when i mistakingly short circuiting the battery with a naked copper wire.....it hardly took 5 seconds for it to heat up and dig into my thumb like hot knife through butter...no blood, smelling like someone burnt hair.......

and for reference, that battery was just 7 AH..while a typical car bat is 40 AH+..........no water dude....and moreover..no water over acid...will make things worse...

luckily not experienced a fire on board yet...phew...but seen two cielo' smokin out....

DRC · 26th July 2005, 11:32

Well now , experimented almost everything...
Human body requires anywhere between 50 to 150 mA for an electric shock be felt. Not even 7 Amps or 40 amps(?)...

12V battery can not give you a shock... so feel free to use water as long as you dont care a little damage to electricals but want to save car from completely burning down..

Ever tried holding both battery terminals with bare hands... Try it, nothing will happen..And this is supposed to be the the worst situation where battery tries to complete its circuit through your body with as much current as possible..yet fails to drive more than a few mAs of current which you will hardly feel...

More over, service guys use water jets left and right on the battery, nothing happens..

DRC · 26th July 2005, 11:43

Add to my previous post...
I do agree high ampereage that kills..
Take this fact, It is normal that human body builds up a static voltage of few thousands of volts, (8000V normal) but yet you wont get killed as there wont be enough current, Likewise, in a battery, there will be enough current to heat up a steel rod to red hot, but not enough voltage to drive a few hundred mAs to human body

So please use water, It is safe, there are dis advantages also..
any fire would have melted the fuel lines which are mostly plastic or rubber, so water may make fuel fire spread, It is good to invest on a fuel solenoid,

Acid getting in contact with water and spilling over may cause corrossion , you can always fix it.

Water can damage other electronincs in car like ECU, bat regulator, etc..

nitinbhag · 26th July 2005, 12:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surprise

Pour buckets of water to the affected area indirectly (i.e the water needs to get in touch with the fire area while flowing down), if that's not possible try with some sand or just go to a markable distance to see what happens.

Do NOT pour water on an electrical fire.. my driver did that on a 800 and got his hands and face burned by the steam and sparks that ensued..

Do NOT pour water on a petrol/oil fire as well.. the fuel will only float on the water and spread the fire..

The only thing to use is a dry type fire extinguisher.. if you dont have one, switch off the car and go to a safe distance away till the fire dies down (or car explodes

)

Sush · 26th July 2005, 13:40

Couple of years back we had a Fiat Padmini. Once dad had taken the car for some repairs. After repairs, the car was taken for a test drive and it cought fire. Luckily, there were trenches dug nearby by the telephone department and so lot of mud was available. Dad and the mechanic started throwing mud over the fire and the situation was brought under control.
Later we found out that the fire had started because the stupid mechanic had left the petrol pipe unconnected. Thanks to the telephone department....no one was injured and our car was saved.

turbo_c · 7th August 2005, 03:43

Ok... u guys have got my attention now. I'm going in for a fire extinguisher pronto!

I know of an instance when a car was involved in a minor accident that caused some short under the dash board, that lead to a a minor fire inside the cabin. It was a hot sumer day and the AC was running in recirculate mode.The car quickly filled with smoke... The driver was unhurt by the accident, but, he was not able to get out because the central locking went beserk and kept locking the doors! That poor guy bit the dust just cuz he did'nt have an extinguisher aboard :(

I was wondering... where do u guys keep the fire extinguisher canister? It would have to be easy to access, yet secured firmly to prevent it from becoming a missle in a crash and, last but not least, it should not intrude on the passenger's comfort!

Post some pics if possible!

- T u r b o C -

zzzehar · 18th December 2005, 03:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by turbo_c

Ok... u guys have got my attention now. I'm going in for a fire extinguisher pronto!

I know of an instance when a car was involved in a minor accident that caused some short under the dash board, that lead to a a minor fire inside the cabin. It was a hot sumer day and the AC was running in recirculate mode.The car quickly filled with smoke... The driver was unhurt by the accident, but, he was not able to get out because the central locking went beserk and kept locking the doors! That poor guy bit the dust just cuz he did'nt have an extinguisher aboard :(

I was wondering... where do u guys keep the fire extinguisher canister? It would have to be easy to access, yet secured firmly to prevent it from becoming a missle in a crash and, last but not least, it should not intrude on the passenger's comfort!

Post some pics if possible!

- T u r b o C -

I think keeping it under the seat as GTO does is the safest option. Or else try keeping it in the bonnet, (automatic extinguisher) whenever there is a fire, the extinguisher explodes to put it off.

gigy · 16th March 2007, 16:55

I have seen too many cars on fire and now since my car very often has enough fuel to run 1100kms atleast non stop i definitely need a fire ex. i did post few queries for it in forum but didnt get any good response.
After lot of research on where how and what tpye. i have finally decided on type ABC fire ex with 2 kg capacity ( cost 1500 with five year warranty. refill cost 400)installed in driver side. easily removable and enough capacity to engulf the full car. next will be to install a plumbing directly into the engine area so that before i run away i can discharge the bottle into engine area. by this way fire in engine area can be stopped with 99% results.
some tips in case of fire:

even if you have fire ex-
shut off car.
in case it is large enough for you to see the flames, stop and RUN

if you have a fire ex-
if smoking DONT open the bonnet.
shut off car.
operate fire ex from all the three sides first from the side wind is blowing in, engulf the hood , if fire is progressing run away.
NEVER EVER POUR WATER. if fire bottle is emptied out leave the car and move away 40ft atleast .
near beach use sand buckets.
open bonnet if things have settled. its ok if you have a melted battery but fire must not re ignite. the car is costlier
many trucks and tourist vehicle have fire ex ask for help.
i will request all fellow bhpns to please carry one in car readily accessible, do you want a tragedy to happen?
all spend so much money on ice this is nothing on money front it will save you some day or you can save someone.

21st July 2005, 18:53	#31
turbo_lover Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Toronto Posts: 1,377 Thanked: 9 Times	didnt honda's face a problem with the CRV some time back ? engine catching fire
	() Thanks

22nd July 2005, 15:38	#32
Tarun BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: New Delhi Posts: 159 Thanked: 17 Times	Will share one of my exp. With high highway driving in my zen, the dipper switch got loose and it would loosely downslide from bent light to high beam mode. Though i am very particular & take timely care of my car, however this time its service being due, i thought of replacing it on the coming weekend. But horror struck early. Friday early morning around 04.00 clock, the gatekeeper of the society, rang our door bell and said the headlight of car is on. I moved to the car and tried to close the dipper switch. But it was stuck, the lights were on and plastic in the combination box was very hot. Soon it started melting, ignited the combo box and triggered flames. The car was parked with its boot almost touching the wall, i could not open the dickey. Now with high plastic fumes in cabin, i tried to reach from the rear door to access tool box so that i could remove the battery. But that was not reachable ! With high pungent smoke I almost got choked and came out coughing. In the mean time i asked the security guard to rush for water as complete dipper assembly caught fire with melting plastic dropping to floor mats. A real-real tense situation ! I tried putting the fire off even with the sand, but it wasn't coming down. Tried to pull the battery wires, but nothing worked. Luckily, a bpo cab entered for its regular pick up. He immediately pulled over and provided me his fire extinguisher while he accessed his tool kit to remove the battery. Finally we managed to put it off. Now this was real close and scary ! Never i realized the importance of having fire extinguishers in car, a MUST ! Thanked the driver and security guard. Had security guard not been alert and the arrival of cab driver, i dunno what would have happened. Repairs : The car had to be towed, with complete change of steering wheel and dipper assembly switch. I asked the guys to check and change entire wiring if required. I personally was with mechanics and spend 2-3 hours checking at the service station. Costs : around 5500/- My Learning's : 1. NEVER EVER delay the repair of any (atleast) electrical equipment of your vehicle. I appreciate the thrust being put on here for having good quality wires for installation of audio products. Seen on many posts. 2. Have a fire extinguisher in your vehicle. I have seem some vehicles which were completely burnt from inside. Earlier i use to wonder what could be the reason? Never imagined being so close. Tarun
	() Thanks

22nd July 2005, 16:00	#33
sandeepmdas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Varkala Posts: 1,536 Thanked: 2,489 Times	That was some spine-chilling stuff Tarun. It is indeed god’s hand that saved you n your Zen. @speedsatya, have you really bought that Extinguisher? @ all, how much one costs and what are the best brands available (after all it should work in an unlucky situation when I need it) ? Are Real Value (CeaseFire?) products still available? Last edited by sandeepmdas : 22nd July 2005 at 16:02.
	() Thanks

22nd July 2005, 17:02	#34
Xsailor BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Noida Posts: 128 Thanked: 0 Times	Oh Blimey! @Tarun That was close, my bro and you are lucky to have escaped with only 5500/- worth of damage. @sandeepmdas During my sailing days, I have been witnessed & engage in a few major(damned infernos!) and minor fires. My advise is : Be prepared - both in terms of equipment and training. Re Fire extinguishers; 1. Halon exts are banned and no longer available for sale. If you can find one, ignore it and save the Ozone layer. 2. CO2 are the next best for all classes of fire but are very heavy (due to high pressure of the gas the shell is really thick) and cumbersome. Though they leave no residue after use (very useful for areas with electronics etc.) the gas itself can cause trouble to humans. 3. DCP (Dry Chem Powder) are your best bet. Cease Fire, yes Sir, very much around and perhaps the most reliable too. You can get more info from www.ceasefireindustries.com TF:1600 11 3473. They come with a no-maintenance warranty for 5 years - you just need to visually check the pressure using a gauge mounted on the shell. Excellent quality. A 1kgs one will suffice your needs. I bough one for my Swift last month for 1750/- (Guess the mrp is 1800/-). Contrary to what a lot of people feel, it is always a good idea to be prepared - to an extent I am a little paranoid to having lost a few fellow shipmates to fires. Buy a 2Kg one (abt 2800/- odd), or a few depending on your need, and keep them handy within the house too. It is money well spent. Lemme know if you need more advise on this. Cheers
	() Thanks

26th July 2005, 11:32	#39
DRC BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cockpit Posts: 911 Thanked: 64 Times View My Garage	Well now , experimented almost everything... Human body requires anywhere between 50 to 150 mA for an electric shock be felt. Not even 7 Amps or 40 amps(?)... 12V battery can not give you a shock... so feel free to use water as long as you dont care a little damage to electricals but want to save car from completely burning down.. Ever tried holding both battery terminals with bare hands... Try it, nothing will happen..And this is supposed to be the the worst situation where battery tries to complete its circuit through your body with as much current as possible..yet fails to drive more than a few mAs of current which you will hardly feel... More over, service guys use water jets left and right on the battery, nothing happens..
	() Thanks

26th July 2005, 11:43	#40
DRC BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Cockpit Posts: 911 Thanked: 64 Times View My Garage	Add to my previous post... I do agree high ampereage that kills.. Take this fact, It is normal that human body builds up a static voltage of few thousands of volts, (8000V normal) but yet you wont get killed as there wont be enough current, Likewise, in a battery, there will be enough current to heat up a steel rod to red hot, but not enough voltage to drive a few hundred mAs to human body So please use water, It is safe, there are dis advantages also.. any fire would have melted the fuel lines which are mostly plastic or rubber, so water may make fuel fire spread, It is good to invest on a fuel solenoid, Acid getting in contact with water and spilling over may cause corrossion , you can always fix it. Water can damage other electronincs in car like ECU, bat regulator, etc..
	() Thanks

26th July 2005, 13:40	#42
Sush BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Noida, New York Posts: 308 Thanked: 2 Times	Couple of years back we had a Fiat Padmini. Once dad had taken the car for some repairs. After repairs, the car was taken for a test drive and it cought fire. Luckily, there were trenches dug nearby by the telephone department and so lot of mud was available. Dad and the mechanic started throwing mud over the fire and the situation was brought under control. Later we found out that the fire had started because the stupid mechanic had left the petrol pipe unconnected. Thanks to the telephone department....no one was injured and our car was saved.
	() Thanks

7th August 2005, 03:43	#43
turbo_c BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Pune / Mumbai Posts: 132 Thanked: 12 Times View My Garage	Ok... u guys have got my attention now. I'm going in for a fire extinguisher pronto! I know of an instance when a car was involved in a minor accident that caused some short under the dash board, that lead to a a minor fire inside the cabin. It was a hot sumer day and the AC was running in recirculate mode.The car quickly filled with smoke... The driver was unhurt by the accident, but, he was not able to get out because the central locking went beserk and kept locking the doors! That poor guy bit the dust just cuz he did'nt have an extinguisher aboard :( I was wondering... where do u guys keep the fire extinguisher canister? It would have to be easy to access, yet secured firmly to prevent it from becoming a missle in a crash and, last but not least, it should not intrude on the passenger's comfort! Post some pics if possible! - T u r b o C -
	() Thanks

16th March 2007, 16:55	#45
gigy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: mumbai Posts: 1,321 Thanked: 47 Times	I have seen too many cars on fire and now since my car very often has enough fuel to run 1100kms atleast non stop i definitely need a fire ex. i did post few queries for it in forum but didnt get any good response. After lot of research on where how and what tpye. i have finally decided on type ABC fire ex with 2 kg capacity ( cost 1500 with five year warranty. refill cost 400)installed in driver side. easily removable and enough capacity to engulf the full car. next will be to install a plumbing directly into the engine area so that before i run away i can discharge the bottle into engine area. by this way fire in engine area can be stopped with 99% results. some tips in case of fire: even if you have fire ex- shut off car. in case it is large enough for you to see the flames, stop and RUN if you have a fire ex- if smoking DONT open the bonnet. shut off car. operate fire ex from all the three sides first from the side wind is blowing in, engulf the hood , if fire is progressing run away. NEVER EVER POUR WATER. if fire bottle is emptied out leave the car and move away 40ft atleast . near beach use sand buckets. open bonnet if things have settled. its ok if you have a melted battery but fire must not re ignite. the car is costlier many trucks and tourist vehicle have fire ex ask for help. i will request all fellow bhpns to please carry one in car readily accessible, do you want a tragedy to happen? all spend so much money on ice this is nothing on money front it will save you some day or you can save someone. Last edited by gigy : 16th March 2007 at 16:57.
	() Thanks

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