Date:         Wed, 22 Nov 2006 00:38:16 -0600
Reply-To:     joel walker <jwalker17@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         joel walker <jwalker17@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Re: Flame ON!
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              reply-type=response

> and saw black smoke pouring out the upper rear vents on the body.
> Got the fire extinguisher from the wall, and managed to get the seat
> cushion out, but had open flames as soon as I popped the engine
> hatch.  Got that out, of course, and the FD came by to spray water
> and foam on everything, but now of course, I have to figure out what
> might all be broken.
> So - any thoughts here on what to really look at after an engine
> fire?  Plug wires are fried, most hoses are fried, that is obvious.
> Anything else to check?

i had a very similar experience and i have bad news for you, if it's
the same thing:
it's expensive. :(

what happened to me was that i did a tune-up and replaced the oil and
oil filter and the air filter. that last one was what got me.
under the air filter box is a short of shelf. with two holes in it
that two little legs on the bottom of the air filter box fit into.
easy, right?

yeah, but ... if you're not careful (and i apparently wasn't ... even
though i'd done this literally dozens of times before), you can
misplace an injector power wire and get it caught under the air filter
box and trapped between that shelf and the filter box.
and the vibration of the engine and that wire will rub the insulation
off the wire and it'll short out to the metal shelf, frying your
engine wiring harness AND the fuel injection computer AND about $1400
worth of stuff (replacements at junkyard prices and labor to remove it
from the junkyard and then put it into your stricken bus). :(

only difference was, my smoke was white and i caught it before it
flamed.

so i'd recommend EVERYBODY who did or had done a recent change of air
filter, get out there and check those injector wires.

good luck!
unca joel