Smoke / Fire (1 Viewer)

[bkgiii]

Smoke / Fire - Updated with pics

Not a good way to start a weekend! Coming back from lunch just a bit ago, and noticed a little puff of smoke from the DS hood. Pulled over, opened ‘er up, and found smoke / flames coming from DS between fender and battery. In the time it took me to get to the back, grab the extinguisher, and get back to the front, some pretty serious flames going on. Hit it three times with the extinguisher before I realized the culprit: The battery hold-down bracket had dropped down, hit the (+) post (on the Optima with dual posts), and went to ground where the DS hold-down rod secures to the fender.
Here’s the extent of the damage caused, as far as I can tell:
• Slee headlight harness fried
• Piaa relays / harness fried
• Cibie relays / harness fried
• ‘Chirper’ fried
• Both threaded battery hold-down rods melted thru in the center
• Hold down bracket (where it made contact) melted thru
• Battery ‘box’ charred thru
• Aux fuse box circuits (2) burned thru.

On the positive side (no pun intended), Optima still works, even though the case around part of the (+) terminal is a little melted. Drove straight to work once the fire was out.

Not sure how this happened, but I’m thinking that the PS threaded rod wallowed out the point in the batter box where it attaches, which allowed the bracket to slip down. If I can find someone here at work to take a few pics, I’ll post them.

So: CHECK YOUR BATTERIES…..and KEEP AN EXTINGUISHER with you.

AND: If you are the driver of a little Acura with a ridiculous air foil on the back, and you were the one that stuck his head out laughing at me at 12:50 Central today....

......I'll find you.

 

[Doc]

OUch. I keep putting of buying that extinguisher.

I need to quit doing that.

 

[concretejungle]

I wanna see! Pics please.

 

[Tooth Fairy]

AND: If you are the driver of a little Acura with a ridiculous air foil on the back, and you were the one that stuck his head out laughing at me at 12:50 Central today....

......I'll find you.

Lol. Get"im man!


BTW, that really sucks about the fire. I'll second the notion on getting an extinguisher. I've used one myself. Glad you had it.

 

[reffug]

AND: If you are the driver of a little Acura with a ridiculous air foil on the back, and you were the one that stuck his head out laughing at me at 12:50 Central today....

......I'll find you.

Got the liscense tag, better description. We'll all help, and a few of us own guns.....

Course that only describes about 30% of the teenagers were I live so it would take alot of ammo. Glad you had an extinguisher.

 

[MoJ]

AND: If you are the driver of a little Acura with a ridiculous air foil on the back, and you were the one that stuck his head out laughing at me at 12:50 Central today....

......I'll find you.

LMAO.

Makes you wanna buy a gun rack huh?

Let's see some pics.

 

[bkgiii]

Soory for the poor quality...best I could do under the circumstances

 

[bkgiii]

....This REALLY puts a kink in my hog - huntin' plans this afternoon.......

 

[concretejungle]

Oh, man! That sucks.

I almost did that to my truck while wiring up the Hellas. I accidentally left the wires plugged to the battery before i had finished installing the switch , as i was stuffing the wires behind the dash, they crossed and completed the circuit causing the wires to glow red hot! Melted the insulation from around the wires. Luckily i was able to smack one of the wires and it broke. Still, smoke was a-rising and i was a-cursing!

 

[Brentbba]

Man that is terrible. Having the right tools, etc. with you probably saved your truck! Had you NOT had that extinguisher you probably would be looking for another cruiser instead of a battery box, harnesses, etc. Look on the bright side at least. Your preparedness saved your truck. I commend you for that. Just a little Boy Scout in your past?

With regards to the asshat that laughed at you...he's to immature to worry about. Let it go. He isn't worth the time or effort.

 

[stayalert]

Good for you to have a extinguisher!

 

[bkgiii]

...Just my luck, too.....Christo's closed til' first of the week..Guess I'll not be doing night driving for a while!

Now that I think of it......I'm glad it happened on my way back FROM lunch. Otherwise, I'd have pulled in the driveway at home, went inside to eat, and possibly never noticed it. Nod to the Man upstairs!

 

[sjcruiser]

Sorry the hear about the damage, even though it was kept to minimal - now I feel the urge to buy the fire extinguisher.

 

[concretejungle]

Sorry the hear about the damage, even though it was kept to minimal - now I feel the urge to buy the fire extinguisher.

Funny, i was just thinking the same thing.

 

[Landpimp]

get the crap from the extinguiser off as soon as you can.

sorry about that man...........trully sucks........

 

[MoJ]

get the crap from the extinguiser off as soon as you can.

Isn't there one type of fire ext. that's better than others? (less corrosive)

 

[RavenTai]

Isn't there one type of fire ext. that's better than others? (less corrosive)

Halon, a bit pricy and slightly diffrent to use, also dangerous in closed area's like a home, should be Ok for a vehicle fire outdoors if used properly

 

[Tooth Fairy]

Yea, halon can mess with your lungs. Not fun.

Shouldn't be too bad to fix. Hopefully. Did it burn any of the paint?

 

[Beowulf]

>> Isn't there one type of fire ext. that's better than others? (less corrosive) <<

CO2.


Sorry about the fire Kit, but your preparations kept it from being a complete loss and, like you said, it could have happened in the garage and burned down the house and everything in it.

You were lucky my friend.

-B-

 

[turbocruiser]

Man that sucks, but, thanks to lady luck ( i'm sure that seems strange to say at the moment, but really there was some luck involved here ), your clear and fast headed thinking, and the right equipment, you made it out about as good as it is possible to make out of something like this. So, on the one hand, conratulations! On the other hand, sorry to hear that this thing happened to you! In the hope that it helps, (and hoping this does not sound in any way at all like a lecture) one thing that I typically do with any metal battery holdown bracket is coat it thickly and evenly with that spray on rubberized tool coating to prevent exactly this problem. I like the spray on stuff better than the stuff that the tools are dipped in cause it is easier to make it even and make it thick. Anyway, this thread reminds me that I have not done that with the 80, but I have with the 4Runner and most of my other vehicles. Hope that helps man, sorry about the problem.