Fire

[flippin'eck]

A long time ago I remember reading a thread by a member who was unfortunate enough to suffer a nasty fire - IIRC it was down to the battery +ve terminal going short to the engine cover. & I remember thinking how awful it must have been.

Had a lucky escape recently - had a movano which burst into flames on the motorway. Looks like it started electrically round the battery / relay box. The missus hit the hard shoulder & bailed when she saw bonfire smoke coming from the gearstick gaiter. She said she ran for 30 seconds up the hard shoulder, looked back, and the entire thing was a fireball.

It made me realise that in many instances those fire extinguishers you can get, you haven't the slightest chance of using when the proverbial hits the fan. From what Mrs 'eck says when a vehicle decides to go on fire it just goes up like tinder in seconds.

So, because our cars are not young, I'm interested in ways to minimise the fire danger. Where are the flashpoints, what preventative maintenance is especially good against mk1 self immolation etc.

[DNOS808]

One thing that I always do on any Mk1 that I acquire is change the injector seals. The rubber O-rings go hard with age and that can allow fuel and vapor to leak past them into the engine bay.

Fuel in the engine bay is a sure recipe for a massive fire since the fuel rail and hoses are close by. Once there is a fire in the engine bay it is usually game over because of all the flammable materials such as the wiring loom, plastics, oil, fuel filter, etc

Each injector has three Rubber seals and last time I checked Toyota were charging two or three pounds for each one!! To get new seals for my injectors I send them to Injectortune for ultrasonic cleaning and they replace the seals as part of the service.

The only other bit of fire reducing advice I can give is- make really really sure that the earth strap that goes on to the gearbox near to the thermostat is present, undamaged and that the contacts are bright and shiny. If this strap is not working I believe that the starter motor will draw is current through the sensor earths in the engine wiring loom and those will overheat and set the loom on fire! I ever you have a clutch fitted check the strap has been replaced. It is very easy to miss refitting it.

[alfiembra]

I had a small fire in my mk1a when I fitted a Jimi bracket. Let me say absolutely categorically it was nothing to do with Jimi's design but only my own stupidity. I wrongly routed the throttle cable too close to the battery positive terminal, the cable must have rubbed against the clamp and frayed the plastic surround until it exposed the coiled metal sheathing below. This then started arcing between and stared a fire, fortunately I noticed the wisps of smoke venting out of the vents in the cover and stopped. The plastic battery cover was alight also melted a fair bit of the cable shroud.

Once properly routed there was no further problem.

I have already said nothing to do in any way with the bracket, all down to me but shows how easily a fire can be started.

Alan

[flippin'eck]

I realised after the movano went up, the only thing that might have been useful would have been some form of underbonnet, automatic sprinkler system. Too scary to open the lid once the flames are going underneath

[PW@Woodsport]

Superchargers also have an inherent design flaw.... the battery securing bracket runs dangerously close to the positive battery terminal, over time the plastic coating comes off the bracket and it is very easy for the main terminal to weld itself to that bracket.

If i owned a SC i'd ditch that battery clamp, it's a fire waiting to happen.

[un1eash]

Garrick and Jo's supercharger went up in flames while sitting outside there house, not sure what the cause was but it did start in the engine bay.

[PW@Woodsport]

Highly likely it was that battery clamp.

[Kateg28]

Superchargers also have an inherent design flaw.... the battery securing bracket runs dangerously close to the positive battery terminal, over time the plastic coating comes off the bracket and it is very easy for the main terminal to weld itself to that bracket.

If i owned a SC i'd ditch that battery clamp, it's a fire waiting to happen.

Oh dear, best I look for a battery clamp.....

[LimeyMk1]

My old Mk1 coupe had a pretty catastrophic loom melt down, I never managed to pinpoint the cause of it (most of the melted wires were in the boot) but have heard that where the loom goes over the inlet manifold can be prone to wear.