[delmarco]

Very important stuff!

I did a quick video on what to do to make sure it doesn't happen to you:

Basically what happens is you go into a store after parking your car for a few seconds and it literally burst into flames as you walk away:

Or your car is parked for several days with the engine off and it literally burst into flames (even if it has been raining):

[racermp]

Disconnect battery after parked, keep full coverage insurance. RUNNNN

[BashShah]

Originally Posted by racermp

Disconnect battery after parked, keep full coverage insurance. RUNNNN

LOL
Don't forget to take your valuables out also.

[hassmaschine]

A) Don't park under trees
B) Clean your f$%king car!! Why is there 5 years of leaves built up in your drains..

[racermp]

Originally Posted by hassmaschine

A) Don't park under trees
B) Clean your f$%king car!! Why is there 5 years of leaves built up in your drains..

eStra Xrispy

[Got-Torque]

while it is a good idea to keep it clean, I can't imagine this would be the source of the fire. Based on what I've seen, I think some electronics are failing in the computer and then powering something nonstop until it overheats and catches on fire. For example, a failure in the engine computer causing an output to the ABS module to activate until it overheats and catches fire?

Just taking a wild guess, based on the fact that it happens even after the car is off for some period of time (sometimes days). It can't simply be engine heat and some leaves...

[delmarco]

Originally Posted by hassmaschine

A) Don't park under trees
B) Clean your f$%king car!! Why is there 5 years of leaves built up in your drains..

That is the thing! That is from a few months and I had just washed the car with a power hose and most of that was still dry and brittle!

Originally Posted by Got-Torque

while it is a good idea to keep it clean, I can't imagine this would be the source of the fire. Based on what I've seen, I think some electronics are failing in the computer and then powering something nonstop until it overheats and catches on fire. For example, a failure in the engine computer causing an output to the ABS module to activate until it overheats and catches fire?

Just taking a wild guess, based on the fact that it happens even after the car is off for some period of time (sometimes days). It can't simply be engine heat and some leaves...

Yeah they are speculating the source of the fire is electrical and not from "mechanical engine heat or heat residue". However the speed and intensity of the fire is what remains a full mystery. I believe most of these cars would have had a immense build up of leaves and twigs under the cowl trim (which is where the fires were said to originate from or rather grow out from once the fire could be seen burning thru the car's metal.

I've work with forest rangers when I was in college and they used to have this forest fire safety video where literally a flick of a dying cigarette (just the embers not even the cigarette) out a car window onto the road side near some wooded area can catch some dried flora and with in a hour or less the entire square mile would be engulfed in fire! And that is just cigarette embers and dried leaves and twigs!

Originally Posted by Got-Torque

while it is a good idea to keep it clean, I can't imagine this would be the source of the fire. Based on what I've seen, I think some electronics are failing in the computer and then powering something nonstop until it overheats and catches on fire. For example, a failure in the engine computer causing an output to the ABS module to activate until it overheats and catches fire?

Just taking a wild guess, based on the fact that it happens even after the car is off for some period of time (sometimes days). It can't simply be engine heat and some leaves...

Yeah they are speculating the source of the fire is electrical and not from "mechanical engine heat or heat residue". However the speed and intensity of the fire is what remains a full mystery. I believe most of these cars would have had a immense build up of leaves and twigs under the cowl trim (which is where the fires were said to originate from or rather grow out from once the fire could be seen burning thru the car's metal.

I've work with forest rangers when I was in college and they used to have this forest fire safety video where literally a flick of a dying cigarette (just the embers not even the cigarette) out a car window onto the road side near some wooded area can catch some dried flora and with in a hour or less the entire square mile would be engulfed in fire! And that is just cigarette embers and dried leaves and twigs!