I was traveling on the Garden state parkway today and my engine caught on fire. This was a pretty devastating experience. My car is a 2000 360 with 20k. After putting the fire out with the fire extinguisher i happened to have in my car, i took a closer look. It looks like the alternator wire caught on fire, has anyone heard of this or seen this? The damage seems to be minor on the outside, could it have caused other damage to engine/electrical? Concerning my insurance, they told me i am covered for fire but will they repair the vehicle or more likely total it out? i am pretty sure the engine bay will need to be repainted as there looks to be damage there. Deric Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Sorry to hear that Deric, I had a similar experience with my other car when the Pos cable from the battery to the alternator somehow came loose and touched the ground, when I came out of the store my engine bay was on fire ffirst thing I did was disconnect the battery but by then it was too late, my wires was all fried. Anyway my insurance paid me $1,500 and I did all the repair and it only cost me $500 to fix it. If your insurance will cover the damage, I suggest to take it to the dealer.
MORE LIKELY total it out??? Because of some scortched paint??? My money says that there is no way on planet earth that any insurance company is going to "total it out".
Glad you're OK, and know how to wield a fire extinguisher. Still, scary shiit. I'm sure the insulation melted off a few wires, but I doubt it would be totalled given the current market value.
That dry chemical is very corrosive (think salt). It needs to be removed from everything it touches and soon. It's possible that there is "collateral damage" to some of your other systems that might not be apparent. If it's been a while since a major service, now might be a good time to pull the engine and check the belts for "heat damage". Considering the value of the car and the risk of overlooking something important, I would take it to a shop you can trust and let them work with the adjuster to get it right. You could end up with a lot of work done for the cost of your deductible. Unless you are uninsured or "in the business" this is not the time for the budget, DIY approach. I doubt it will be totaled but it will be a lot more expensive than you think.
Sorry to hear, I think in the situation you reacted very well and I am sure your quick reactions prevented a lot of additional damage.
In these situations it's better to let it just go up. That way insurance can't just try to fix it. After a fire it's impossible to get the smoke smell out.(it stays in the vents) Good luck getting it sorted out.
I agree with him. If it's an irreplaceable classic, use a fire extinguisher. If not, let it burn to the ground. Otherwise you'll be left with a repaired Ferrari, which is worth far less than one without a history. Better just to let it be "totaled" and get the full value and buy a new one.
I don't think this would have a major impact on value if it's repaired by an authorized dealer. From the looks of it, he got it put out quickly enough and there should not be much smoke damage as I doubt it soaked past the firewall into the upholstery. Only big problem is to do it right as in OEM... it won't be inexpensive.
In my opinion had u been using a halon extinguisher, your car would have burned up. Halon simply does not work as well as dry chemical. Halon does work best when the gas can be contained with the fire where is smothers the combustible material. In an open engine bay, this is not lilely esp. if you are sitting along a busy thoroughfare. All that moving air can keep halon from doing what it does. So, I for one, am not faulting your use of dry chemical and wish you the best of luck in restroing the engine bay. Should be no big deal. Glad you were not injured.
An engine fire has a lot of variables. No extinguisher will work to put out a fire every time. The most important thing to do is turn off the ignition. If you have a fuel leak and the pump continues to run, feeding the fire, not even the fire department will help. Proper use of the extinguisher is critical (aim at base of flames and sweep back and forth). If you don't have clear access to the fire it will be difficult to put it out. In this case it looks like some burned wiring confined to the engine bay. It should be repairable, good as new. I doubt if the smell will persist. I don't think it matters what shop you take it to (you are long out of warranty) as long as they know what they're doing with a 360 and can work with the insurance company to get as much as possible covered by your policy.
My friend had a 280Z back in the early 80's and it burnt to the ground along route 287 in NJ. The guy I commuted to school with had a green camaro that also had a devastating fire. Yes..it does happen to "other" cars. Tom
It does. A couple of years ago I saw three in one day!! Just everyday compact cars on the side of the freeway on fire, heck of a traffic jam as well!!
