Car on FIRE! literally
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 115
Likes: 2
From: New Orleans
Car on FIRE! literally
First off I drive a 2001 Black A4. My buddy and I were on interstate heading home. The coolant temp runs about 175 at interstate speeds when I noticed it jumped up to 220. No problem right. Well I get off interstate and drive about a mile under 50mph. We pull up to his house and he asked what that smell was. I looked at the hood and smoke was pouring out. Pop the hood and the engine was on fire. The fire burned through the valve cover and was starting on the wires. I put it out with the hose pipe.
The best I can come up with is the engine did not receive the coolant and overheated melting the gasket in the fuel line to the fuel rail. So gas was coming out through there and sparked when it hit the exhaust manifold.
Damage was not that bad. Valve covers and all the wires under it. The Plastic tubing from the gas tank fumes also gone. Hopefully engine overhaeating did not mess anything else up. I have to figure out why/how engine overheated.
The best I can come up with is the engine did not receive the coolant and overheated melting the gasket in the fuel line to the fuel rail. So gas was coming out through there and sparked when it hit the exhaust manifold.
Damage was not that bad. Valve covers and all the wires under it. The Plastic tubing from the gas tank fumes also gone. Hopefully engine overhaeating did not mess anything else up. I have to figure out why/how engine overheated.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,835
Likes: 302
From: Columbia SC
Rule #1 Anytime something like that changes so quickly pull over and check it out.
Rule #2 Always carry a fire extingusher, preferably Halon (or the newer equivalents) since normal chemical/powder ones can ruin an engine bay.
Glad neither of you were hurt and the car was not significanlty harmed
Rule #2 Always carry a fire extingusher, preferably Halon (or the newer equivalents) since normal chemical/powder ones can ruin an engine bay.
Glad neither of you were hurt and the car was not significanlty harmed
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Glad you were not injured and hope the damage is not too expensive to repair. Would be interesting to know just what caused the fire - hard to believe it would be the car overheating.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 115
Likes: 2
From: New Orleans
I dont know if the coolant caused it, but the engine was def overheating. There was no debris or anything else on/in the radiator.
The engine did not receive the coolant or there was no flow. Going to bring it to the dealership and have them work on it.
The engine did not receive the coolant or there was no flow. Going to bring it to the dealership and have them work on it.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2,798
Likes: 8
From: It's true money can't buy happiness, but it is more comfortable crying in a Corvette than on a bicyc
St. Jude Donor '13
No way it over heated to the point it caught fire and was still driveable. If it did your engine is toast and unfixable.
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