Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2004 06:31:23 +0000
Reply-To: mark seifert <ubervanagon1@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: mark seifert <ubervanagon1@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Vanagon burned to the ground
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
My Vanagon had an engine fire earlier this week, and there was nothing I
could do
but watch it burn away. It was a pretty surreal experience and I think I'm
still in shock. It's kind of a relief I guess. All those hours and money
that went into it...now I don't have to worry about it anymore. My headache
is gone. It was a pretty nice van though, and I just rebuilt the engine down
to the crankshaft a few months ago. And as some of you know, I had been
spending
many hours trying to work out the running problems since then.
Although the firefighters showed up quickly, there was nothing they could do
to save it. The interior was melted all the way to the front seats, the rear
tires melted, the tail lights pretty much turned to liquid, and just about
all the
plastic on the rear of the van was gone. The steering wheel and the
windshield were
charred. The instrument cluster was blackened so badly you couldn't read the
speedometer.
I went to the impound yard today to get everything that was salvageable
before I signed the van over to them. There wasn't much. All my spare parts
under the rear seat were burned, including a spare ECU, fuel pump, air flow
meter, coil, water pump, and some other things. My cd changer under the
front seat was soaked with water, and all my maps (a huge collection) in the
glove
box were also soaked.
It's been stated before how important it is to not only replace old fuel
lines, but make sure all the clamps are tight. I'm pretty sure that's how
this fire started. I probably missed one of those clamps, and it popped off.
Check those fuel lines, and DOUBLE-check your clamps.
They say it's also a good idea to carry a fire extinguisher, just in case.
But a fire
extinguisher wouldn't have helped me even if I had one. I didn't realize the
engine was on fire until it died at a stop sign, and I got out and saw
flames
coming up from under the rear hatch. I couldn't have opened it without
burning myself severely. It was out of control before I knew it.
This just goes to show how meaningless our posessions really are. They can
self-destruct at anytime, burn away right before our eyes, but we still
remain the same.
We move on with our lives. I have to ride my bike to work now for a while,
since the Vanagon was my only vehicle. Of course I didn't have insurance, so
I guess I'll just have to start saving up to buy another one.
Good luck to all of you, and thanks for all the help you've given me!
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