View Full Version : Not a happy bunny...
I was sat at home early hours of this morning watching some UFC on TV, heard a loud pop, followed by some hissing. I looked towards the window and noticed an orange tint across the blind, pulled the blind across and seen the bonnet and front of my car well alight and the neighbours car parked just in front was on fire too from the wind catching the flames from my car and sparking his up too.
Luckily, we were able to raise my neighbours and get them away from the fire as both cars were parked close to an elderly neighbours front door which seems to have melted in places and the other neighbours window cracked from the heat.
Both cars are write-offs and I've been told by the Fireman and Cop who attended that the fire had started in my engine and seemed to be some sort of electrical fire due to the damage. I've reported it to my insurance company who can't get anyone to pick the cars up until monday.
Properly fed up as I write this, I'm just glad no-one was injured.
My car is a 2008 Ford Focus Zetec 1.6 with little more than 18000 miles on the clock as I only use it for work, etc.
Anyone had any experience with this type of incident?
I've done my traffic accident management & investigators course but thats really very strange really considering everything is off.
Was it vandalisim????
even logic would make you think its slightly suspicious seeing as both cares wasnt in use at the time of the accident
I've done my traffic accident management & investigators course but thats really very strange really considering everything is off.
Was it vandalisim????
Not according to the Firemen and Police, both seemed to be of the opinion that the fire originated on or around the Engine block because of the damage - don't ask me how they are able to work this out as I'm still clueless having spent most of the day looking at the car to see if I could see anything. It all looks burnt to me, nothing more so than other places.
I was very close to the incident, due to my living room looking out onto the road where the car was parked but with the blinds drawn, perhaps 20ft away and didn't hear a thing until the hissing and popping.
The thing that has me puzzled is I hadn't driven the car for approximately 10hrs as I had parked the car up at around 3pm and it didn't budge from then on.
Mystified...
Well tbh your lucky you wasn't in it when it decided to go up in flames.
Well tbh your lucky you wasn't in it when it decided to go up in flames.
So very true mate, especially as I often have the kids in the car.
It could have been alot worse.
GentleGiant
07-08-10, 22:04
I have heard of Police Vauxhall Corsas spontaneously catching fire due to a wiring fault that shorted the battery out (and seen the burnt out remains), but never a Ford; and never when the engine is stone cold!!
I suppose a loose or damaged fuel line could have leaked a little fuel, but what could have ignited it??
VERY STRANGE.
That's really strange. Never heard of cars igniting when they aren't running.
Sniperdude
07-08-10, 22:45
yup strange indeed, 12 volts starting a fire?
guess its possible but not likely you have been really unlucky if that is so
It's not really 12 volts though is it :D
You forget that newer cars have computer in them and even when turned off, works are happening underneeth. a faulty ECU could cause the car to do weird things like...epxlode
GentleGiant
07-08-10, 23:00
That's really strange. Never heard of cars igniting when they aren't running.
I had an ancient Cavalier go up about 10 minutes after I finished a long motorway run; the deflector plate had come off the mid-box and when I stopped all the heat from the exhaust went up through the body and into the back seat cushion.
Luckily for me I got into the house and found there was no milk, so I went out to get some and spotted the car filling up with smoke; the back seat cushion was only secured by 2 screws so I managed to get it out before the rest of the car caught.
Glad it was fire retardant foam!!
Sniperdude
07-08-10, 23:03
well i assume a 12 volt car battery outputs 12 volts thats the reason for the name lol
It's not really 12 volts though is it :D
You forget that newer cars have computer in them and even when turned off, works are happening underneeth. a faulty ECU could cause the car to do weird things like...epxlode
TheMadDutchDude
07-08-10, 23:05
Yeah it may only put out 12v but it puts out an enormous amount of amps. I looked on my dads car and it has a 360A per hour rating.
Sorry to hear about this incident mate. I'm glad everyone's okay though! I hope the insurance companies don't screw you over and you get the amount your car is really worth.
Ooh, I remember hearing from someone that those newer lights, the ones that glow a light blue because they're so bright need 25k volts to start up.:|
well i assume a 12 volt car battery outputs 12 volts thats the reason for the name lol
12 volts then though all teh little wires and all getting 5 volts and thousands of vots etc but i know what you mean, just pulling your leg :D
Whatever the reason behind it all, the car is not making it back on the road as it's a total write-off from what I can see.
The more I think about it, the more it's annoying me... I was looking for some words of wisdom or someone to say it had happened to them too, especially with this type of new car. It would appear I've been unlucky as the car hadn't shown any problems whatsoever in the short period I've had it.
Sorry dude but I dont have a car and my pushbiuke has yet to explode after 10 hours of me last using it. :D
Sniperdude
07-08-10, 23:12
to be honest mate i have never heard for a car going up in flames while its cold been sitting Idle for 10 hours
I know your car has got the blame but you have to ask was it anything to do with the other car rather than yours
callumburns
07-08-10, 23:24
jeeso man thats really really weird and VERY unlucky :| sorry to hear about what happened and im just glad that you and anyone else is ok, hope you get it all sorted though, keep us updated on the progress of the insurance carry on :(
GentleGiant
07-08-10, 23:33
My neighbour has just bought a brand new one.
I think I'll move my new Grandis a bit further away from the hedge; just in case.
woodpigeon4
08-08-10, 20:20
Very, very strange - years ago my XJ6 had a small fire near the wheel, but that was due to a loose piece or bodywork and I was lucky enough to spot it in time and put it out. Never heard of a modern car catching on fire like that, especially in the engine bay.
Hope you get it all sorted soon :)
Toonshorty
08-08-10, 20:24
Try speaking to Ford and seeing if they'll cover it under warranty?
If a Corsair H50 leaks and kills all your components Corsair will replace your entire system. Same could apply here perhaps?
I would guess the battery had something do with it perhaps faulty/leaking an sparked it all off.
Sorry to hear that.
Have you tried speaking to Ford?
Should still be in warranty.
EDIT: D'oh, just seen Toonshorty's post!!
This sucks but it sounds like a poor attempt at insurance fraud.
Excuse me?
If I was trying to pull something like that do you think I would be coming onto a public forum asking people for advice, had anything similar happened to them or to point me in the right direction regarding what to do next? I know we have a few motor buffs on here, hence me asking on this forum.
Given the timing, location of the cars to an elderly neighbours' front door and the overall danger it could have presented to people who live within feet of my house (fuel tanks exploding, tyres exploding, contents of both cars being destroyed including Childrens Car Seats and other items) your comment is ignorant at best, idiotic at worst.
It's sad that we live in a society that always thinks someone is trying to pull something when an incident like this occurs. However, as I and others have already said in this thread, I'm lucky that I didn't have my kids in the car when the engine went on fire.
This sucks but it sounds like a poor attempt at insurance fraud.
Is a stoopid thing to say.
Any news from Ford or your insurance company?
Just off the phone with my Insurance Company about an hour ago and they are sending out a salvage company to remove both vehicles and have the cause of the fire investigated. It could be a bugger to get mines removed as whats left of the engine block looks like it's burnt itself into the road.
TBH, the insurance company don't seem too bothered about it all and seem somewhat lackadaisical about the whole thing as the cars have both sat there from around 2am Sat morning with me spending most of my time keeping kids away from the vehicles because of the broken glass and the fact they have been trying to grab some of my kids items like a booster seat and some small toys which are smoke damaged or burnt, out of my car.
This sucks but it sounds like a poor attempt at insurance fraud.
Think he was trying to say it would sound like a poor attempt of insurance fraud to the insurance company.
Think he was trying to say it would sound like a poor attempt of insurance fraud to the insurance company.
That's how I understood it.
Yup it's easy to mis-interpret people on the interweb, I'm sure he wasn't accusing the OP of being a fraudster, just saying that it might strike the insurance agencies as an odd case (it certainly does seem strange that it went up on fire after being parked for 10 hours).
My only thoughts are kids messing about / vandelism or possibly a leaky/faulty battery and some extreme bad luck - with the first option sounding a lot more likely!
search for "ford faulty alternator relay" - you'll find quite a few results. It's actually a common fault on not just the focus but many Fords. From the description that the fire started at the engine block (not the battery), that would be my guess of cause without seeing photos to confirm.
DT.
http://carollevesque.com/blog/?page_id=455
Quick google is quite revealing
PeterStoba
09-08-10, 12:21
If a Corsair H50 leaks and kills all your components Corsair will replace your entire system. Same could apply here perhaps?
That's not their official policy, only in a few cases has that happened ;)
Be careful what you assume
Looking at the responses an comments would seem quite few fords gone up in smoke whilst people were driving them.
This is weird. I have a 2005 ford focus, and the other day I was driving and started smelling something burning. I pulled over, popped the hood and saw flames. I got it out with my fire extinguisher, thank god,but when I took it in they said they need to replace the alternator, which had caused the fire. I bought my car used, and the guy I bought it from had said he had already replaced the alternator once. Your fires might also be from that. Did you smell any sort of burning smell before your engines gave out?
thats really bad news dude. :(
Where are the PICS!
Could it have been kids pushing a firework/something flamible through the front grill? would catch the plastic engine cover on fire very quickly, and easily find some oil to take the whole thing up!
I was sat at home early hours of this morning watching some UFC on TV, heard a loud pop, followed by some hissing. I looked towards the window and noticed an orange tint across the blind,
When I first read that bit I thought somebody had thrown an orange at your window, and that was what this thread was about :P.
my neighbour had a mondeo v reg go up in flames-i was the one who informed him as i went past it- it was making a strange sound like the starter motor was engaging and a barely audible alarm going off- this was a car not used for 2 days- upon investigation there was a wiring fault below the battery area- turns out the previous owner had done a bodge job when fitting something-had to have it scrapped ,because you don't know what other dangers were lurking under the bonnet
To be honest, I've no idea if it could have been kids who started it or not but it was around 1.15am-1.30am when it happened and because I live so close to the street (as you'll see from the pic I've attached) if anyone was around I probably would have heard them, also as I mentioned previously, the Firemen and Police who attended both came to the conclusion that it was an Electrical Fire due to the damage. I googled the possibility of it being a common fault with Fords or Focus model in particular yesterday and came up with this http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/ford-focus-recall-over-winter-fire-risk/245760 but it seems to only affect Diesel model of the car, mines a Petrol Engine.
http://i35.tinypic.com/2hye5w.jpg
I hadn't noticed any problems with the car at all. No burning smells and nothing out of the ordinary. The car was only serviced at the end of April too at my local Ford Dealership and they told me everything was in excellent condition so it's not like there were any warnings signs.
I'm still sat here almost 72hrs later with the car outside without being recovered. Surely, if there was a possibility of it being malicious then they should be on the ball a lot quicker and at least have someone out to check the damage on-site to see what could have caused it?
I actually had to take the whole day off work in the hope that they would have come out and lifted the car, however, it looks like it could even be tomorrow before it's lifted.
If it does turn out to be a legitimate problem with a Ford Brand part then you can bill them for lost work hours.
You can also claim that on your insurance if your claim goes through.
Shocking photo though.
Make sure you get onto Watchdog as well mate and point them in the direction of previous threads or whatever on similar faults, aslo whilst the car is still there take a good 100 pics of everything, this'll help later.
Make sure you get pics of the kids toys, booster seats whatever, that will go down well on TV if it looks like you're gonna get screwed.
If it does turn out to be a legitimate problem with a Ford Brand part then you can bill them for lost work hours.
You can also claim that on your insurance if your claim goes through.
Shocking photo though.
Trust me, it's a lot worse in the flesh - so to speak. My neighbours car is even worse as the fire from mine caught the rear or his car and has completely gutted everything in his right up to the back of the front seats.
Thanks for the advice mate, really appreciate it.
some good advice there wayneo!
i'd too have thought Ford would be totally liable if this fault started inside the car itself.
Sniperdude
09-08-10, 15:11
well i would be totally gutted and i really feel for you mate
I hope it all gets sorted fast and you end up with a better car at no extra cost
Fingers crossed fella's. :)
Thanks for the advice and the kind words.
If it does turn out to be a legitimate problem with a Ford Brand part then you can bill them for lost work hours.
You can also claim that on your insurance if your claim goes through.
Shocking photo though.
Make sure you get onto Watchdog as well mate and point them in the direction of previous threads or whatever on similar faults, aslo whilst the car is still there take a good 100 pics of everything, this'll help later.
Make sure you get pics of the kids toys, booster seats whatever, that will go down well on TV if it looks like you're gonna get screwed.
Probably be nightmare to prove, link i put up early in thread, where peoples cars gone up in smoke whilst driving it...an ford blaming everything else.
Wow….The similarity with your story and mine, I had the same problem with my Ford Focus 2007, on the way home from work, lost power and experienced a knocking then clicking noise. Had the car towed to Shannan Ford Newmarket, Ontario, Supplied them with all my maintenance receipts, they told me that because there was no oil in the car it’s not covered under warranty. The sticker was still on my window that showed that my next oil change was at 72,000 km….I was at 74,000 km. I mentioned that there was no warning, no oil light came on. But Ford Canada just told me that because the dealer said so they would not cover it under my 100,000 km drive-train warranty.
I am not to sure what to do. Shannan Ford Newmarket feel it was neglect. I would highly recommend that anyone dealing with Shannan Ford be cautious.
They wanted $8900.00 for a new engine. I will never buy a Ford again….
My 2007 Ford Focus’s engine caught fire also. Car is totalled. Has anyone been helped in getting Ford to pay for the replacement of your car?
I just bought a brand new 2010 Ford Escape. After 14 days of driving it. I opened the door to go to work- after it had been turned off all night- to discover black smoke filled inside the car. I opened all the doors and realized during the night internally in the dashboard something caught on fire.The dashboard is melted in half as if it was attacked by aliens in the night. Ford is saying it’s due to my Garmin that was plugged in- NOT in the dashboard.. but in the back of the console behind the drivers seat– umm.. don’t think so. Because we bought a new car– didn’t purchase the “gap warranty” — we loose the money worth the value of the car when you drive it off the lot. Our insurance has to be involved– our lawyer won’t touch the case.. so unless we want to somehow find lawyers – which we can’t afford- to go to bat against the Ford dynasty lawyers we have to eat thousands of dollars for a Ford issue. I still don’t understand how they can say it’s “under warranty”– and then don’t honor the warranty. How’s that for customer service??
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