Date:         Tue, 25 Jan 2000 23:56:03 -0500
Reply-To:     ÇÑ»ó Tim Crooks <anc1cde@ADELPHIA.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         ÇÑ»ó Tim Crooks <anc1cde@ADELPHIA.NET>
Subject:      Re: FIRE!!! (True story from this morning)
Comments: To: BRENT CHRISTENSEN <bchristensen@INFOGENESIS.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1

Last winter I was visiting my mum-in law in Cleveland, OH and it was a
couple of days after New Years.  It was cold, snowy and windy, one of
those pipes-in-the-hosue-bursting  sort of days, with a wind chill index
of about -38 F.  Well we, me, my wife and 5 children, had to get on back
to NJ so I thought it would be wise to warm the van and upload.  I had
just started her up and had one luggage and the Graco Pack-N-Play in
when I could smell the dread smell of spilt fuel.  I first instinct was
to shut down the engine.  There was smoke coming out of the side cowls
so I opened the engine compartment.  Bad idea.  The flames burst out,
but I was fortunate enough to have two sacks of kitty litter for which I
use for traction, on hand.  That plus some arm-and -hammer (my kids get
car sick, so I carry the stuff to absorb any mishap).  The litter put
out the fire nicely and the arm and hammer kept it out.  Yes the
neoprene fuel lines ought to be renewed, I now know this.  Only damage
was the fuel lines, pressure regulator, two HT leads and the wires off
of my idle stabilizer.  Yes I had to take her to a VW dealer, I was out
of town and had no garage to work in.  I still have yet to replace the
engine cover so if anyone knows where I can find one, let me know.  I
think they should at least make the insert for this available after
market, but that is for another thread.  Bottom line?

1)  Maintain fuel lines.
2)  If it is that cold out, I now turn the key on, pressurize the fuel
system and take a whiff, neoprene gets brittle in the extreme cold.
3)  Kitty litter and Arm-and-Hammer puts out most any type of vehicular
fire, if you have enough on hand.  It is easily cleaned up with
compressed air.

I was upset at the time of the fire, but thankful it did not happen
whilst driving on I-80, in northern Pennsylvania, fully laden, and with
my family.  The outcome would have been much worse.

--
¼ö°í Çϼ¼¿ä, (Work hard, but don't kill yourself at it) [Korean Proverb]

Tim