RET2
SILVER Star
Not an admission of guilt but I have on several occasions practiced 12 volt welding
SQOD Squad - Stupid Question Of the Day (13 Viewers)
- Thread starter JamesC
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
Not an admission of guilt but I have on several occasions practiced 12 volt welding
I have a Halotron HG250R mounted in front of my driver's seat on an H3R mounting bracket, and I have another MX250R mounted in the rear of the 200 just in case. Fire extinguishers are very important to me, and I'm thinking about adding a third to the passenger seat to duplicate the driver side setup. I've been the first responder to a bad car fire with the driver trapped (and I was prepared with my extinguisher attached to my seat bracket), so I realize the value of being prepared.
RET2
SILVER Star
Bravo Sir !!
Markuson
SILVER Star
3 Extinguishers in my 200. One at my feet on driver side, and two in back.
Last edited:
I've been grabbing all over the fuse box in the LX trying to outwit the immobilzer/EFI fault and I keep waiting to get myself lit up.
More importantly glad I saw the reminder about fire extinguishers. I need to add another before our road trip. I've been down one in my travel kit since I stopped to try and help a guy on the side of the road who had a dually work truck catch fire at the rear brakes due to tire rub.
PSA: If someone pulls over and helps save your car with their fire extinguisher please offer to give them a few bucks for their fire extinguisher!!!!
Markuson
SILVER Star
Yes. The 4 times i've used extinguishers on other people's emergencies...no one has done that.
Markuson
SILVER Star
Most brackets are made to connect whatever clasp comes with various extinguishers.
I use this one on my driver's seat:
Amazon.com: Car Fire Extinguisher Bracket | Universal Design Fits Most Vehicles: Automotive
I'm not crazy about the one-time Kidde units, I really don't like the plastic handles, they just feel flimsy. I prefer the Amerex brand, they are refillable and all the handles are metal. But I'm having a hard time finding one with a good clamp-style bracket, the only 2.5 lb unit on Amazon just comes with a wall hanger bracket, which won't work in a vehicle. I guess I'll have to buy a separate bracket.
Amerex B417, 2.5lb ABC Dry Chemical Class A B C Fire Extinguisher, with Wall Bracket: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
Amerex B417, 2.5lb ABC Dry Chemical Class A B C Fire Extinguisher, with Wall Bracket: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
Markuson
SILVER Star
Markuson
SILVER Star
Hmmm...
It's true that ONLY a small isn't ideal...
**But I have personally stopped two car fires in early stages with two different VERY small extinguishers.
-In fact, in one of those two scenarios, the fact that it was small was the only reason I could aim it at the source.
With a big one, I could not have created an angle to access the source.
It's all about access angles.
I agree with the basic thought & carry multiple extinguishers...small...medium...large, but don't discount the power of a small.
In my experience (and I've dealt with no less than 5 car fires--only one of which was unstoppable), if you can get at the source? -It's literally OUT with a blast of LESS than one second. 3 of the 4 that were successfully stopped were almost instant, and in only one case did I ever completely empty the extinguisher (it was a small one that emptied, but it stopped the fire).
My largest extinguisher has a hose attached for better aiming...but in the above example, it wouldn't have helped, as I was literally reaching up and under a fender well to get at an oil fire (hood couldn't be opened).
Here's a screen grab from a video I shot of the fire that couldn't be stopped, but we WERE able to detached the towed vehicle from the hitch before it could also engulf the RV that was towing it:
Last edited:
Last edited:
Oh man @Markuson here we go again having to defend our fire extinguisher choices in another thread! 
@blatant I actually bought all my stuff at the local 4wheelparts because they had everything in stock and was priced fairly. I started off with this extinguisher H3R Performance 2.5 lb. MaxOut Red Dry Chemical Fire Extinguisher - MX250R mounted to this bracket H3R Performance Universal Fire Extinguisher Seat Mount - SM01BK in front of my driver's seat, and then I upgraded the extinguisher to the clean agent version here H3R Performance 2.5 lb. HalGuard Red Clean Agent Fire Extinguisher - HG250R and moved the MX250R to the rear hatch area. Not exactly cheap at ~$300 after taxes, but it along with a first aid kid are valuable enough it's worth the coin.
Here's a couple pics of the MX250R in the bracket which is now replaced by the HR250R:
@blatant I actually bought all my stuff at the local 4wheelparts because they had everything in stock and was priced fairly. I started off with this extinguisher H3R Performance 2.5 lb. MaxOut Red Dry Chemical Fire Extinguisher - MX250R mounted to this bracket H3R Performance Universal Fire Extinguisher Seat Mount - SM01BK in front of my driver's seat, and then I upgraded the extinguisher to the clean agent version here H3R Performance 2.5 lb. HalGuard Red Clean Agent Fire Extinguisher - HG250R and moved the MX250R to the rear hatch area. Not exactly cheap at ~$300 after taxes, but it along with a first aid kid are valuable enough it's worth the coin.
Here's a couple pics of the MX250R in the bracket which is now replaced by the HR250R:
Markuson
SILVER Star
Oh man @Markuson here we go again having to defend our fire extinguisher choices in another thread!
Ya, but I do understand the skepticism. If you haven't actually stopped fires with various extinguishers including smalls, it's easy to poke holes, and I do understand the logic. More retardant is a good thing..
-But a well aimed shot at the source is often out in LESS than a second. Bigger extinguishers give you more chances...but it's not as big a deficit as some assume.
Here's my front seat floor:
Last edited:
I applaud your good Samaritan attitudes! But I have to say that you sound like a magnet for vehicle fires! I've only pulled my extinguisher out once (and didn't need it) when an Explorer rolled several times in front of me after over correcting and going off the road (on the transition from the 210 to the 134 in Glendale, CA. I'll give away how long ago that was because the man was distracted while trying to flip through the pages of the LA County Thomas Guide! 
For you kids - that was the only way to navigate Los Angeles before NAV/GPS/Apps.....
For you kids - that was the only way to navigate Los Angeles before NAV/GPS/Apps.....
I applaud your good Samaritan attitudes! But I have to say that you sound like a magnet for vehicle fires! I've only pulled my extinguisher out once (and didn't need it) when an Explorer rolled several times in front of me after over correcting and going off the road (on the transition from the 210 to the 134 in Glendale, CA. I'll give away how long ago that was because the man was distracted while trying to flip through the pages of the LA County Thomas Guide!
Ironically the only time I used my vehicle mounted extinguisher was when I was inside my house/condo when a massive car accident happened nearby that woke us up. It was actually an explosion from a violent wreck, and I ran out to my truck where I keep the extinguishers (which in hindsight was weird because I had bigger ones inside the house, but it was 5am and I wasn't thinking straight yet). Like the first aid kit or a gun, I hope I'm never in a situation where I need it, but I sure as heck don't want to be without it if the need arises.
Markuson
SILVER Star
I applaud your good Samaritan attitudes! But I have to say that you sound like a magnet for vehicle fires! I've only pulled my extinguisher out once (and didn't need it) when an Explorer rolled several times in front of me after over correcting and going off the road (on the transition from the 210 to the 134 in Glendale, CA. I'll give away how long ago that was because the man was distracted while trying to flip through the pages of the LA County Thomas Guide!
My family tells me the same thing. I've been first on the scene so many times, and in the news, or photos I've taken in newspapers 4 times (none of the fires were the subject). In the case of the the fire that got away, theRv was on the other side of the freeway near midnight...pulling a car that was on fire & he didn't know it. I got off on an immediate exit...turned around...and caught up just as he pulled over (this was in my zippy little WRX). Too late, but at least he got unhitched.
But anyway...ya, I've had a bizarre tendency to be first on the scene. Frankly though, I've been blown away over the years at how FEW people get involved in basic emergencies. Will never understand that kind of passivity.
It's also happened enough to find it a little annoying that no one has ever offered to refill my extinguishers.
Like this one I haven't gotten around to re-charging yet:
Last edited:
I was working on my Jeep once in high school, and I had to leave in a hurry for some reason. I was driving down the road, and I could have sworn I was seeing some small sparks popping out of my hood. I pulled over and popped the hood, and sure enough I had left a box wrench on top of the battery and it was contacting both terminals over bumps
It was a good lesson because now I'm very careful and always inspect under the hood before shutting it.
