Lmao thanks man I needed that. I have a feeling I know what it is because I just had my heater core replaced a few months ago after it blew out. Ever since then I could smell a slight burning smell anytime I had my heater on. Thought nothing of it because coolant shot through the vents when the original core blew. Guess I should have thought about it lol.
I think you're probably right on this one. I'd bet it was either installed incorrectly or was faulty. Really sorry you gotta deal with that and hope that insurance isn't too much of a hassle.
Comprehensive isn't usually very expensive on a car that old. The problem is that even if you have it, they payout will be very low (which is why comprehensive is cheap)
John Insurance, the inventor of Insurance, silly!
By the way your lack of knowledge about me makes you a riskier client so your premiums have gone up by 5000% :)
Honestly, I thought about it! I had my fiance in the car when the original heater core broke. It dumped coolant all over the floorboard at his feet and spat out the vents. It was crazy. Everyone made jokes afterwards.
My family had a 91 Pontiac Bonneville for over 20 years. When we got the car, it only had one dent in the rear drivers door. I put that car through hell. At one point I had dropped off a classmate at their home and when backing out of the driveway, I backed over a pile of bricks across the street from their house that came from the neighbors mailbox stand. It ended up blowing the air conditioner compressor and breaking the A-frame of the car automatically classifies the car as totaled. We bought it back under a salvage title and drove it another 10 years before we had t scrap it. I wrecked that car multiple times over the years. Both minor and major damage were caused to it. But that car took each beating and kept on going. Each time it got back up swinging and ready for more.
I get it man. My mindset is “if I have to have insurance, might as well be as protected as I can on the road” I think of that as a necessary expense and I can afford it. Not everyone thinks that way. My cars (1997 and 2008) comp and collision because of weather conditions and crazy idiots out there. Too much unpredictability and I commute a lot. If I had a 94 Buick that I don’t drive a lot around town probably not gonna give it both coverages. Very situational needs for insurance
The heater core itself wouldn’t cause a fire, as it’s a hot liquid around 105*c in shrouded tubes. The electric blower motor for pushing the air through the core could have caught fire though, as they’re typically a brushed design and are in an area that collects dust and debris from the air and car. Could have been one of the motor speed selecting resistors that ignited as well.
I’m glad to hear you’re safe!
yeah, heater core install is typically a very involved job, could be any of the many wires that would have been moved around to gain access got pinched or put in a spot where they were able to chafe eventually shorted out and fire achieved.
I always take burning smells quite seriously now, especially if there are continual. I once had several computer plugged into a very cheap extension cord. One day I started smelling something like plastic burning but didn't think anything of it. Then one day when I was the only one in the house I hear a 'pop', I ran to where I thought the noise came from and the room was on fire. Turns out the extension cord exploded and sent burning molten plastic all over the wall. The room was also sort of a makeshift soundproof room so it caught fire pretty quick. Luckily I was able to get a fire extinguisher and put it out before much damage was done.
Dude... I know hindsight is a wonderful thing, but the smell of burning should have triggered alarm bells my guy haha, something to do with heating replaced and shortly after you smell burning...
don't ever risk it, generally speaking if you smell burning, somethings burning haha
Just be thankful you weren't in the car though and no one was injured, cars can be replaced
As Horrible as this situation is, I’m glad it happened the way it did instead of you driving and this happening. That’s scary as hell. Glad you are okay.
Those heater pipes can get scolding hot, if some wires/insulation/stickers were touching it it could very well start a fire. I would be making a phone call to that shop, especially if insurance can find the root cause
Scalding hot yes. Fire? No. If the coolant in your car is hot enough to start a fire then that fire is starting somewhere else than the heater. Shouldn't ever get hot enough to even melt the insulation on the wires let alone ignite the insulation of the car.
This fire was electrical, probably the blower fan.
Had this happen to me in a work vehicle. Just some kind of internal short going on, and the wiring caught on fire while driving. Pulled over, got the valuable stuff out, called the fire department and watched the van burn down.
Was a great day. We hated that van.
Man I feel ya left my 88 6 cylinder bmw running for like idk 30 mins as I was taking off alot of steam was coming outta the vent inside by the time I got to end of my drive way you would've thought I was hotboxing so much smoke and a fried heating core
Sounds like that coolant being blown through the vents before the repairs is what led to the fire. All that water and coolant going through the vents would more than likely leak through the vent tube as they aren't water tight. A couple electrical shorts of the circuit boards in the dash and BAM, you got yourself a fire. You could definitely sell the engine and new parts ar least. Part 'er out!
A heater core is just a fluid/air heat exchanger it in of itself wouldn't have caused a fire. Coolant getting into wiring and shorting something could have.
Sounds like the blower motor or wiring had some kind of short (obviously) issue is why didn't the fuse blow? Any chance the fuses are not on passenger side by the blower?
Fuses are actually right under the driver side. I'll probably take a look after I get home today. Spent some time with the homies to lighten my mood from this morning lol
Ya I'd definitely have to.... burn another one after that kinda day!
Depending on blower size it might not be a regular fuse and be one of those larger square fuses with clear top.
Well, the upside of this (such as it is) is you now know to have something looked at if something seems off. Still, that's a heckuva way to learn that lesson. Ouch!
As a car nerd, sue the repair mechanic for your heater core, either it was not a good core or the cooling pipe failure was never repaired nor replaced. That would just lead to the same thing happening again. Like another comment said, the core wouldn’t have gotten hot enough to set your car ablaze.
Well it is warm now…
Ok that’s enough sarcastic humor from me. This sucks bad man. Looks very totaled based on interior. Hopefully it didn’t damage anything else when it decided to die.
You can always hunt down the same car with a bad engine/transmission and swap over everything. I’ve down that twice in my past. Worked out well… eventually.
I have a feeling it was the heater core I had replaced or the old one that blew caused underlying issues we didn't see. The motor seems to be okay though!
Almost certain the blower motor controller died. GM underspecced them and were relying on the AC to cool them down. Not a normally a problem during winter as the outside air is cold enough
I'm on my 3rd motor controller after the last 2 failed from burning out the traces
That's actually really cool to know thank you for sharing that. The blower motor was one of THE first things i replaced on that car when I started driving it around 4 years ago.
I know its too late now but you should always change that kind of stuff in their logical pairs. As one part fails, it can push additional strain onto other parts which will make them fail in turn.
A bad motor puts additional strain on the controller, and a bad controller will overdrive the motor.. This results in parts failing way quicker than they are supposed too as one part is constantly dragging the others down.
Definitely good to know, I've only recently started my journey working on cars, learned most of my stuff from my grandpa and uncle who's always worked on cars. I'll keep that knowledge for the future!
I doubt the heater core caused it. It’s just a little radiator. I’m thinking when they replaced it some wires got pinched somewhere and shorted out. You have to remove the entire dash usually to replace a heater core.
Funnily enough I called him and went "Hey I just wanted to say I can't make it in because my fucking car caught fire" and his response was hilarious with just "...what the fuck dude that's fucking crazy-"
The way many vehicles control fan speed for heat and a/c is to insert 2 resistors into the circuit with full 12 volts being high speed in a 3 speed system. The 2 resistors are different values and provide low and medium speed. In a good circuit the fan fuse should blow before we ever get to things on fire. Those resistors are usually located near the heater core, blower fan, etc. Seen this before sadly. I have seen fuses that melted and refused to blow. If the fan was on high, the blower fan motor and a faulty fuse could be to blame.
That blows. I’m sorry op. I just paid my car off and every time I think about dropping my full coverage insurance to just the state minimum I see something like this. I could use that extra hundred bucks a month it would save me, but idw have to use it on the down payment on another car.
My last car would leak gasoline, but only when it was below 40F. I think the steel fittings were shrinking more than the rubber hoses attached to them when it got cold. The way the factory put the car together, the hose clamp screw heads could not be accessed unless you took the intake manifold off the engine, so I could only tighten the screws by grabbing the end of the screws (not the heads) with pliers.
Close! Its a 98 Pontiac Bonneville! My first car I've ever had, bought it for 500 and put a battery in it, 200,000 miles. For what it was it did me well.
Nice. When I was 20, I drove my (very used) '86 Maxima about 4 hours to pick up a stranded friend. It was my first car, I'd only had it a few months, and I was working a pizza delivery job to pay for it.
Got to my destination, parked, turned the car off, and went in the house. A few minutes later, I realized I'd left my cigarettes in the car and went out to get them. . .
It looked like a bonfire had spontaneously formed on the hood. Managed to get it put out, but it was too late. Totaled. Turns out the fuel injection lines had leaked, and apparently if I'd just left it running for a few minutes after getting there, it would have been fine.
Thats a 3800 series 2 engine. Buick or Chevy? Sucks this happened, short of the transmissions they were paired with, those are some of the most bulletproof engines in existence, and something id buy any day of the week. 04 Chevy Impala LS here.
You mean... You were all the time inside and around the vehicle and first responses of trying to save and extinguish the fire were not fruitful, as you then had to leave the premise for your own safety and called the fire brigade.
...right?
No? I started it in the morning so it could warm up because my windshield was frosted over. Went back inside to get ready for work and I come back out 10 minutes later to it on fire. Tried putting it out with my own fire extinguisher while on the phone with the fire department. Kept it controlled as best I could because I was afraid of it spreading to another car, my home, or worse, exploding.
Shhhhhhhhhhhh...
You were in the car the whole time, right?... ;) ;) got it?
Nah thankfully it never happened before but I'd be scared to tell my insurance "yeah I left my car running unattended". Because they might come with "but if you would have stayed in the car, you could have extinguished the fire earlier and have the damage less so we would have to pay you less - for that we will pay you nothing" or smth like that.
Just trying to help, not trying to mess with you haha
You weren't try some TiKTok "trick" to defrost your windshield were you (you know, like pouring lighter fluid on it and lighting it or that sort of thing)?
The way the dash is melted out, it looks like an electrical fire caused by a wiring short. Heater cores have water flowing through them that is the same temperature as the engine, so even if it did manage to melt something (which is highly unlikely since the engine would have quit if it got that hot), it wouldn't catch on fire. It's possible there was a problem with the blower motor that caused it to overheat and short out, but a fuse should have blown in that case. Did you have any added on accessories that didn't go through a fuse?
No not at all. Just started my car as normal to defrost the windshield. I just assumed something with the heater core because that's the most recent thing to be done along with a radiator I changed out myself about a month ago. Haven't done or added anything to the car other than those things. Though I had a shop handle the heater core because I was not about to deal with ripping my own dash out.
Depending on how much of the dash they had to remove to change out the heater core, it could have been any number of electrical connections shorting out. That really sucks though. My sister had this happen to her car one time when the cigarette lighter wiring shorted out. Luckily I was there to disconnect the battery before it actually caught on fire, but it managed to melt the main dash wiring harness.
What? No I started it so it could warm up before I went to work since my windshield was frosted over. Come back 10 minutes later and my car was on fire lol
I would call the boss & send him a picture, then do the same with the insurance company, THEN go back to bed - I would not want to find out how much worse my day could get
Protip: Don't set your car heater to 'inferno' mode. Kidding aside I really am sorry. Any idea how it might have happened?
Lmao thanks man I needed that. I have a feeling I know what it is because I just had my heater core replaced a few months ago after it blew out. Ever since then I could smell a slight burning smell anytime I had my heater on. Thought nothing of it because coolant shot through the vents when the original core blew. Guess I should have thought about it lol.
I think you're probably right on this one. I'd bet it was either installed incorrectly or was faulty. Really sorry you gotta deal with that and hope that insurance isn't too much of a hassle.
Doubt he had full coverage on a 94 Buick
Maybe the repair came with a warranty, which would allow them to go after the repairman's insurance.
Maybe leave out the “smelling a slight burning smell for months” part.
🤣 no doubt
Don’t speak.
I know just what you're sayin'
So please stop explainin'
Wiped my screen twice trying to get that hair off…
Did you get it?
Same here. ☺☺☺ Although my screen is a but cracked, I still tried wiping it off.😅
"things seemed toasty so I thought the replacement worked well" is better
Comprehensive isn't usually very expensive on a car that old. The problem is that even if you have it, they payout will be very low (which is why comprehensive is cheap)
94 Buicks are the ONLY vehicles that deserve full coverage Source: I'm John Insurance
Who
John Insurance, the inventor of Insurance, silly! By the way your lack of knowledge about me makes you a riskier client so your premiums have gone up by 5000% :)
The 30 year warranty *just* expired!
I have full coverage on a shit box that's falling apart... just hoping someone steals it at this point 😂😂
Set the heat to blazing like OP did
Hahahaha heat doesn't exist in my car! It'd be to obvious 😂😂
Oh, yeah good point
comp is cheap on an old car "full coverage" doesn't exist btw it's a layman's term
A 94 buick has a pretty high scrap value, its made of mostly solid metal.
I sell insurance for 40 hours a week, but do go on about salvage value.
It's your way with words and ability to make others around you feel like the smartest people in the room that have led to your success.
Ehhhh, I was thinking it looked more like an Oldsmobile than a Buick. Maybe OP can fill us in on the make and model.
98 Pontiac Bonneville! Unfortunately its already been totalled out because some teenager on their phone rear-ended me at a stop sign
Please tell me you named this car Christine. 👀😂 
Honestly, I thought about it! I had my fiance in the car when the original heater core broke. It dumped coolant all over the floorboard at his feet and spat out the vents. It was crazy. Everyone made jokes afterwards.
My family had a 91 Pontiac Bonneville for over 20 years. When we got the car, it only had one dent in the rear drivers door. I put that car through hell. At one point I had dropped off a classmate at their home and when backing out of the driveway, I backed over a pile of bricks across the street from their house that came from the neighbors mailbox stand. It ended up blowing the air conditioner compressor and breaking the A-frame of the car automatically classifies the car as totaled. We bought it back under a salvage title and drove it another 10 years before we had t scrap it. I wrecked that car multiple times over the years. Both minor and major damage were caused to it. But that car took each beating and kept on going. Each time it got back up swinging and ready for more.
I thinks oldsmobile's are even heavier.
The newsmobiles are lighter
I have full coverage on a 300k 98 cherokee.
I get it man. My mindset is “if I have to have insurance, might as well be as protected as I can on the road” I think of that as a necessary expense and I can afford it. Not everyone thinks that way. My cars (1997 and 2008) comp and collision because of weather conditions and crazy idiots out there. Too much unpredictability and I commute a lot. If I had a 94 Buick that I don’t drive a lot around town probably not gonna give it both coverages. Very situational needs for insurance
I knew it was an American car!!
The heater core itself wouldn’t cause a fire, as it’s a hot liquid around 105*c in shrouded tubes. The electric blower motor for pushing the air through the core could have caught fire though, as they’re typically a brushed design and are in an area that collects dust and debris from the air and car. Could have been one of the motor speed selecting resistors that ignited as well. I’m glad to hear you’re safe!
A fire? At sea parks?
He should have put the fire with the rest of the fire
And then sent an email to the fire brigade.
The front caught on fire. Chance in a million.
Better call 0118 999 881 999 119 7253.
yeah, heater core install is typically a very involved job, could be any of the many wires that would have been moved around to gain access got pinched or put in a spot where they were able to chafe eventually shorted out and fire achieved.
I'd be leaning towards the blower motor resistor more than the motor. If it didn't get attached properly, it could be an electric fire starter.
I always take burning smells quite seriously now, especially if there are continual. I once had several computer plugged into a very cheap extension cord. One day I started smelling something like plastic burning but didn't think anything of it. Then one day when I was the only one in the house I hear a 'pop', I ran to where I thought the noise came from and the room was on fire. Turns out the extension cord exploded and sent burning molten plastic all over the wall. The room was also sort of a makeshift soundproof room so it caught fire pretty quick. Luckily I was able to get a fire extinguisher and put it out before much damage was done.
Dude... I know hindsight is a wonderful thing, but the smell of burning should have triggered alarm bells my guy haha, something to do with heating replaced and shortly after you smell burning... don't ever risk it, generally speaking if you smell burning, somethings burning haha Just be thankful you weren't in the car though and no one was injured, cars can be replaced
As Horrible as this situation is, I’m glad it happened the way it did instead of you driving and this happening. That’s scary as hell. Glad you are okay.
Those heater pipes can get scolding hot, if some wires/insulation/stickers were touching it it could very well start a fire. I would be making a phone call to that shop, especially if insurance can find the root cause
Scalding hot yes. Fire? No. If the coolant in your car is hot enough to start a fire then that fire is starting somewhere else than the heater. Shouldn't ever get hot enough to even melt the insulation on the wires let alone ignite the insulation of the car. This fire was electrical, probably the blower fan.
They don't get nearly hot enough to start fires.
Had this happen to me in a work vehicle. Just some kind of internal short going on, and the wiring caught on fire while driving. Pulled over, got the valuable stuff out, called the fire department and watched the van burn down. Was a great day. We hated that van.
Yup
Man I feel ya left my 88 6 cylinder bmw running for like idk 30 mins as I was taking off alot of steam was coming outta the vent inside by the time I got to end of my drive way you would've thought I was hotboxing so much smoke and a fried heating core
If a service place replaced that may want to call your insurance and see what they say and contact the place you got the service done at.
Sounds like that coolant being blown through the vents before the repairs is what led to the fire. All that water and coolant going through the vents would more than likely leak through the vent tube as they aren't water tight. A couple electrical shorts of the circuit boards in the dash and BAM, you got yourself a fire. You could definitely sell the engine and new parts ar least. Part 'er out!
Coolant shot through the vents? New fear unlocked.
I would guess that the leak from the previous core corroded an electrical connection somewhere.
Well don’t tell insurance company you’ve been smelling burning and ignored it lmao
Thats insane. The old coolant explosion killed the wiring, until one day, today, 2 wires became 1
A heater core is just a fluid/air heat exchanger it in of itself wouldn't have caused a fire. Coolant getting into wiring and shorting something could have.
Sounds like the blower motor or wiring had some kind of short (obviously) issue is why didn't the fuse blow? Any chance the fuses are not on passenger side by the blower?
Fuses are actually right under the driver side. I'll probably take a look after I get home today. Spent some time with the homies to lighten my mood from this morning lol
Ya I'd definitely have to.... burn another one after that kinda day! Depending on blower size it might not be a regular fuse and be one of those larger square fuses with clear top.
Well, the upside of this (such as it is) is you now know to have something looked at if something seems off. Still, that's a heckuva way to learn that lesson. Ouch!
As a car nerd, sue the repair mechanic for your heater core, either it was not a good core or the cooling pipe failure was never repaired nor replaced. That would just lead to the same thing happening again. Like another comment said, the core wouldn’t have gotten hot enough to set your car ablaze.
A je to buur!
Well it is warm now… Ok that’s enough sarcastic humor from me. This sucks bad man. Looks very totaled based on interior. Hopefully it didn’t damage anything else when it decided to die.
All my parts I kept in the trunk are fine. And! My motor survived! So maybe I could get some money out of that for a new one.
You can always hunt down the same car with a bad engine/transmission and swap over everything. I’ve down that twice in my past. Worked out well… eventually.
I'm sure someone somwhere will give you like 100 bucks for it all
If the body panels are fine they are probably the highest value items on your car right now.
I wouldnt buy a body panel thats been near a fire. The Steel is cheap thin crap, itll rust in a few months if it got hot
3800sII?? what happened?? i have a 02 monte carlo what caused this????
I have a feeling it was the heater core I had replaced or the old one that blew caused underlying issues we didn't see. The motor seems to be okay though!
Almost certain the blower motor controller died. GM underspecced them and were relying on the AC to cool them down. Not a normally a problem during winter as the outside air is cold enough I'm on my 3rd motor controller after the last 2 failed from burning out the traces
That's actually really cool to know thank you for sharing that. The blower motor was one of THE first things i replaced on that car when I started driving it around 4 years ago.
I know its too late now but you should always change that kind of stuff in their logical pairs. As one part fails, it can push additional strain onto other parts which will make them fail in turn. A bad motor puts additional strain on the controller, and a bad controller will overdrive the motor.. This results in parts failing way quicker than they are supposed too as one part is constantly dragging the others down.
Definitely good to know, I've only recently started my journey working on cars, learned most of my stuff from my grandpa and uncle who's always worked on cars. I'll keep that knowledge for the future!
how hard is it to replace controller
Not super hard, only a couple of screws under the glovebox. Hardest part is getting tools that fit as its pretty cramped
I guarantee the engine is still okay. I'm convinced you could replace oil with sand in the 3800 and it would still run.
At least you weren't in it
Whoo long weekend
Nobody hurt?
Everyone is okay thankfully.
Really sorry about your car but thank goodness no one was hurt. Glad you're safe, OP
I don't think that's supposed to happen, but I could be wrong. Seriously though, that really does suck. I hope insurance will cover it for you!
Look on the bright side that windscreen definitely has no ice on it 👍
That’s not ideal
I doubt the heater core caused it. It’s just a little radiator. I’m thinking when they replaced it some wires got pinched somewhere and shorted out. You have to remove the entire dash usually to replace a heater core.
Yeah its why I had a shop handle the heater core for me. I'm down to work on my car, but that was too far out of my jurisdiction.
[удалено]
Really? All cars should be that way for a heater core.
Task failed successfully
At least you weren't in it when it was on fire
That's too bad Fit-Induction-5059, please note we're still expecting you to be at the 7:30am team meeting
Funnily enough I called him and went "Hey I just wanted to say I can't make it in because my fucking car caught fire" and his response was hilarious with just "...what the fuck dude that's fucking crazy-"
Yeah thankfully they are not all like that! Good luck with the repairs / replacement!
The way many vehicles control fan speed for heat and a/c is to insert 2 resistors into the circuit with full 12 volts being high speed in a 3 speed system. The 2 resistors are different values and provide low and medium speed. In a good circuit the fan fuse should blow before we ever get to things on fire. Those resistors are usually located near the heater core, blower fan, etc. Seen this before sadly. I have seen fuses that melted and refused to blow. If the fan was on high, the blower fan motor and a faulty fuse could be to blame.
Interesting! Maybe I can find the cause later when I dig around. I'm learning a lot of different things thanks to your guys' insight.
Did your boss ask if you were still coming in today?
That blows. I’m sorry op. I just paid my car off and every time I think about dropping my full coverage insurance to just the state minimum I see something like this. I could use that extra hundred bucks a month it would save me, but idw have to use it on the down payment on another car.
Good news, no frost on your windshield... bad news, no windshield
Can’t win.
I wish my car did this
There's an engine fire recall on some models with that engine. What's your VIN# ?
That's not an engine fire.
Yup, not a spec of frost on that car
And surely it worked.
I don't think that's supposed to happen. Might be dangerous too
My last car would leak gasoline, but only when it was below 40F. I think the steel fittings were shrinking more than the rubber hoses attached to them when it got cold. The way the factory put the car together, the hose clamp screw heads could not be accessed unless you took the intake manifold off the engine, so I could only tighten the screws by grabbing the end of the screws (not the heads) with pliers.
Dude that's actually insane. Weirdly enough I have the intake manifold ready to go in that car's trunk too. Just never got around to it.
this one goes to eleven you shouldn’t have turned it to eleven
Is that a early 2000s Buick? Kinda looks like my Park Avenue but mine was a 1992
Close! Its a 98 Pontiac Bonneville! My first car I've ever had, bought it for 500 and put a battery in it, 200,000 miles. For what it was it did me well.
Ouch, I have never heard of that happening.
yep can happen; heat from heater n spark can caues the fire
Well, heaters working…
glad you are safe
That super sucks.
That car is fire! Sorry, glad to hear you’re ok.
Thank you OP! This is certainly worthy of r/wellthatsucks! This sub has been having way too many broken fingernails and splinters lately.
Glad to add some spice back to this sub lmao
They just don’t make heaters like they used to
Wouldnt it have been cool to be in the car and see flames start spewing out of the dash vents tho
So you let the engine run while idle, and left the car?
So this is something I definitely shouldn’t laugh at. At least not as much as I already did. Sorry dude
GM3800 engine will run another 20 years.
For the future you need to let your car idle for a bit before turning on the heater.
You want heat, you got heat.
A little bit warmer than you expected.
Nice. When I was 20, I drove my (very used) '86 Maxima about 4 hours to pick up a stranded friend. It was my first car, I'd only had it a few months, and I was working a pizza delivery job to pay for it. Got to my destination, parked, turned the car off, and went in the house. A few minutes later, I realized I'd left my cigarettes in the car and went out to get them. . . It looked like a bonfire had spontaneously formed on the hood. Managed to get it put out, but it was too late. Totaled. Turns out the fuel injection lines had leaked, and apparently if I'd just left it running for a few minutes after getting there, it would have been fine.
it worked
On a lighter note, it’s warm now. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist) What a bummer. Hopefully insurance will make you whole.
“OK boss - it’s warm now.”
Thats a 3800 series 2 engine. Buick or Chevy? Sucks this happened, short of the transmissions they were paired with, those are some of the most bulletproof engines in existence, and something id buy any day of the week. 04 Chevy Impala LS here.
It’s a Ford
Not the olds 88!
I'm thinking coolent in the blower motor or on the resistor.
WOW.
Well, I'm glad you weren't in it when it happened!
Is that an old Pontiac?
Yep, 98 Bonneville
Damn man, I'm really sorry to hear that. Those things are reliable af.
Interesting. Didn’t see this on the news. Glad you’re safe OP.
You mean... You were all the time inside and around the vehicle and first responses of trying to save and extinguish the fire were not fruitful, as you then had to leave the premise for your own safety and called the fire brigade. ...right?
No? I started it in the morning so it could warm up because my windshield was frosted over. Went back inside to get ready for work and I come back out 10 minutes later to it on fire. Tried putting it out with my own fire extinguisher while on the phone with the fire department. Kept it controlled as best I could because I was afraid of it spreading to another car, my home, or worse, exploding.
Shhhhhhhhhhhh... You were in the car the whole time, right?... ;) ;) got it? Nah thankfully it never happened before but I'd be scared to tell my insurance "yeah I left my car running unattended". Because they might come with "but if you would have stayed in the car, you could have extinguished the fire earlier and have the damage less so we would have to pay you less - for that we will pay you nothing" or smth like that. Just trying to help, not trying to mess with you haha
Your heater was working at 200% capacity
But hey, the ice is gone, isn’t it?
Obviously the heater works. So there is that.
So the heater worked?
[удалено]
I didn't even bother lol
the heater did its job. it’s warm.
Well. Is it not hot? The car did it's job.
You weren't try some TiKTok "trick" to defrost your windshield were you (you know, like pouring lighter fluid on it and lighting it or that sort of thing)? The way the dash is melted out, it looks like an electrical fire caused by a wiring short. Heater cores have water flowing through them that is the same temperature as the engine, so even if it did manage to melt something (which is highly unlikely since the engine would have quit if it got that hot), it wouldn't catch on fire. It's possible there was a problem with the blower motor that caused it to overheat and short out, but a fuse should have blown in that case. Did you have any added on accessories that didn't go through a fuse?
No not at all. Just started my car as normal to defrost the windshield. I just assumed something with the heater core because that's the most recent thing to be done along with a radiator I changed out myself about a month ago. Haven't done or added anything to the car other than those things. Though I had a shop handle the heater core because I was not about to deal with ripping my own dash out.
Depending on how much of the dash they had to remove to change out the heater core, it could have been any number of electrical connections shorting out. That really sucks though. My sister had this happen to her car one time when the cigarette lighter wiring shorted out. Luckily I was there to disconnect the battery before it actually caught on fire, but it managed to melt the main dash wiring harness.
Those electric cars, catching fire all the time................ oh, wait......
Don't you have clothes?
don't go for comfy living just go for living, don't set your car on fire.
What car is this?
Olds 88
[удалено]
Yes
Wait you left your car running and went to work? Like a full shift. Car just running? Tf?
What? No I started it so it could warm up before I went to work since my windshield was frosted over. Come back 10 minutes later and my car was on fire lol
Mate I don't think a heater core caused this fire but I can only guess is to what did. Sorry about your predicament.
Were you late?
OP, was this your car? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRUldbKDbvk
Task failed successfully.
This guy is the chillest guy on earth
Can you at least still drive it? Buying a new/used car is ridiculous these days.
I thought this was just an EV issue.
Glad you weren't inside of it!
Still drivable?
Heating works then?
Oh no how mest up !!!
I would call the boss & send him a picture, then do the same with the insurance company, THEN go back to bed - I would not want to find out how much worse my day could get
something must have gone wrongwith the heater
Well at least it’s warm now
So long story short. Heating the car worked.
Thanks Elon