Date: Thu, 1 May 2003 05:42:39 -0700
Reply-To: mark drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: mark drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject: Re: Risk of fire?
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I just bought a pristine 90 Syncro that suffered a bad engine fire. I
had wanted it for a future stretch project as the front 2/3 was
exceptionally nice, at least body wise. After I got it home yesterday I
found burned wiring just like Robert describes. The key was stuck in the
on position and the wire from there to the fuse/relay box was charcoal.
It appears that the fuse/relay box is shot too. If I decide to use it in
another stretch it looks like I will need to replace all of the wiring,
grrr. The interior is ruined from the front seats on back.
High pressure fuel injection had replaced carbs in most vehicles by the
mid to late 80s though VW started about 20 years earlier. My junkyard
excursions in the last few years show that it is not just Vanagon owners
who should replace fuel lines to reduce the risk of fire in 10-15 year
old vehicles. I see plenty of burned up engines in every make you can
name. Carb fuel system pressure was down around 5 psi while FI system
pressure is more like 30-50 psi. The carbed engines had only a foot or 2
of low pressurized line while FI models like ours have 10 or more feet
of much higher pressure. Replace those fuel lines!
Mark
Robert Keezer wrote:
>
> I saw 3 burnt to a crisp '93 Eurovans at junkyards- all had fires that
> started under the dash.
> I 've found some Vanagons where the fire started under the dash.
>
> I've seen a few burnt engine Vanagons. My '82 was a Diesel that had an
> engine fire . I bought it, restored it and it hasn't burned since.
>
> The '86 Westfalia I'm restoring also had an engine fire that I think was
> caused by a fuel line that leaked , or a plastic connector that goes thru
> the firewall may have become brittle and broke.
>
> The fire was put out in time to save the engine and car.
>
> The fire extinguisher was not used -the fire department got to it within
> five minutes.
>
> The engine is new- I suspect that something was overlooked or not tightened
> which came loose, like fuel line to an injector etc.
> The key-on power wire burnt from the ignition to the coil and melted the
> ignition switch, freezing the key in the on position.
>
> Robert
>
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