After the engine fire
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,036
Likes: 13
From: Edmonton AB
Originally Posted by JrRifleCoach
the many stories of engine compartment fires
sent me straight to the store and purchase two 2.5 lb
ABC bottles.
sent me straight to the store and purchase two 2.5 lb
ABC bottles.
extinguisher but I adopted the use of battery
disconnects because of the frequency with which
early E34 5-Series BMWs suffered electrical fires.
Everyone should remember to service or replace
extinguishers regularly. NFPA 10 for portable
extinguishers calls for maintenance every year.
.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,036
Likes: 13
From: Edmonton AB
One of my questions was
unit. But the dry chemical leaves a mess.
I have come across info that states 'Carbon
Dioxide (CO2) extinguishers are most effective on
Class B and C (liquids and electrical) fires.' To the
best of my knowledge, C02 does not leave residue
and so this type of extinguisher seems like the first
weapon of choice to use against an automotive fire.
.
- What is the preferred all-purpose extinguisher.
unit. But the dry chemical leaves a mess.
I have come across info that states 'Carbon
Dioxide (CO2) extinguishers are most effective on
Class B and C (liquids and electrical) fires.' To the
best of my knowledge, C02 does not leave residue
and so this type of extinguisher seems like the first
weapon of choice to use against an automotive fire.
.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Originally Posted by JrRifleCoach
Shortly after joining the forum the many stories of engine compartment fires sent me straight to the store and purchase two 2.5 lb ABC bottles. Also a hand grenade just in case the fire got out of control!
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 20,179
Likes: 673
From: Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.
St. Jude '03 thru '24
Originally Posted by Slalom4me
It looks like the ABC dry chemical is the all-purpose unit. But the dry chemical leaves a mess. C02 does not leave residue and so this type of extinguisher seems like the first weapon of choice to use against an automotive fire.
The chemical type will continue to work since the chemistry removes the oxygen and remains in place helping to prevent a relight from a hot ember. The down side is this stuff is so good that if ingested into the engine, there is a posibility it will not start. Lots of cleanup will be needed.
I like my Vette shiney and clean like everyone else.
But given a choice, I will take a cleanup job vs. a burned out shell.
Along with purchasing the fire extinguishers, I also installed a battery cutoff switch.
Former Vendor
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 9,615
Likes: 13
From: Burlington NC
Ok, with all this talk about fires and different systems. MAKE SURE YOU MOUNT YOUR SYSTEMS WELL. I see more crapy mounting systems that I wouldn't even use in my garage. There is a Ford SHO in my little hometown. The car is pretty quick but does it need three different Home Depot specials. One is even mounted on the dash 
. If he ran into something hard, those bottles could kill him or a worst a passenger. Plastic is not good at all.
Randy
. If he ran into something hard, those bottles could kill him or a worst a passenger. Plastic is not good at all.Randy
Pro
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 641
Likes: 16
From: O'Fallon MO
I have a 2 1/2 lb halon on the front of my drivers seat in a good metal bracket so I can release it with either hand. I have never used it on a car fire.
In my Air Guard Unit we had a Hush House for doing full afterburner engine runs. We had an AB fuel line seal fail and instantly fogged and fired in the engine bay with two mechanics under there. The halon system malfuntioned and less than half the bottles discharged and half the doors failed to close. We extimated that we only had a 10 - 15% halon concentration. The fire went out instantly and two mechanics at the center of the fireball and the guy in the cockpit all survived only slightly singed, I'm a beleiver in halon. There was plenty of hot metal up in the bay, it burned through the engine bay wall.
If I used it on my Vette, I'd shoot it through the side gills and wheel wells. Being a gas it will get to where it needs to go. I wouldn't open the hood until there were plenty of shooters around. Anyway that's my theory and that's what I will do.
In my Air Guard Unit we had a Hush House for doing full afterburner engine runs. We had an AB fuel line seal fail and instantly fogged and fired in the engine bay with two mechanics under there. The halon system malfuntioned and less than half the bottles discharged and half the doors failed to close. We extimated that we only had a 10 - 15% halon concentration. The fire went out instantly and two mechanics at the center of the fireball and the guy in the cockpit all survived only slightly singed, I'm a beleiver in halon. There was plenty of hot metal up in the bay, it burned through the engine bay wall.
If I used it on my Vette, I'd shoot it through the side gills and wheel wells. Being a gas it will get to where it needs to go. I wouldn't open the hood until there were plenty of shooters around. Anyway that's my theory and that's what I will do.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 20,179
Likes: 673
From: Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.
St. Jude '03 thru '24
Originally Posted by the blur
I think the halon stuff is outlawed.
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Pro
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 641
Likes: 16
From: O'Fallon MO
Originally Posted by the blur
I think the halon stuff is outlawed.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 40,156
Likes: 45
From: San Pedro CA
Originally Posted by JrRifleCoach
Your right. For interior rooms like servers rooms and such where the occupants cannot escape easily. Halon produces a toxic gas that is fatal to humans. Works great on a fire like in the Hush House that hardlight spoke of.
However, it was used in data centers because it didn't harm the hardware!!!
Halon simply sucked the O2 out of the atmosphere... you should be around with those bombs go off!!!!! They blast ceiling tiles, light fixtures... damn... one went off where I used to work when the alarm testers got carried away!
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 9,036
Likes: 13
From: Edmonton AB
I've been meaning to post one last thought.
If you carry a dry chemical extinguisher in your
vehicle, my guess is that even if you have it
serviced annually, you should probably pull it out,
turn it over and give it a rap 'n shake a few
times between each service. Maybe before an
activity that you think there's a chance it might
be needed.
My reasoning is that the powder stands more of a
chance of packing, making the extinguisher less
effective or even useless, when it is constantly
subjected to the movement and vibration of a
vehicle. I think this situation contributed to the
failure of the one extinguisher which did not
operate at all at the fire.
Thanks to everyone for the feedback and information.
.
If you carry a dry chemical extinguisher in your
vehicle, my guess is that even if you have it
serviced annually, you should probably pull it out,
turn it over and give it a rap 'n shake a few
times between each service. Maybe before an
activity that you think there's a chance it might
be needed.
My reasoning is that the powder stands more of a
chance of packing, making the extinguisher less
effective or even useless, when it is constantly
subjected to the movement and vibration of a
vehicle. I think this situation contributed to the
failure of the one extinguisher which did not
operate at all at the fire.
Thanks to everyone for the feedback and information.
.
