Date:         Wed, 28 Jun 1995 00:39:56 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         amunro@amunro.seanet.com (Alex Munro)
Subject:      Embarassing moment: '79 westy on fire

As long as we're spreading our embarassing moments (like CV problems), I'm
going to share something that happened over a year ago to me.

My wife had been driving our '79 Westy for a couple of weeks.  One night she
told me that she had experienced an electrical problem:  The entire
electrical system (engine, lights, stereo) would all stutter momentarily
while cornering.  I drove the car briefly to pick up the kids, and found
that her description was right on.  Well, I'm no dummy.  That's going to be
a loose battery clamp or cable.  It was dark outside when I took my
flashlight, and a couple of open end wrenches to cure the problem.  I opened
the rear lid and saw that the battery had shifted toward the rear of the car
a little ways (it had never been held down, but had gone 40,000 miles in
this fashion with no problems).
I grabbed the battery with the intention of moving it back to its rightful
spot, but was greated by an arcing light show.  Very similar to someone
striking an arc welder really.  Well of course I backed off, but realized
that there was still some sort of electrical arcing going on.  I had to do
something quickly, sparks or no sparks.  I grabbed the battery again, and
was greated with more sparks.  It took me a couple of tries to finally horse
the battery in to position.
I was somewhat relieved, but my problem wasn't over.  For some reason I had
turned off my flashlight briefly.  But there was still light from the
battery area.  There was a small FIRE by my right tail light!!!

Before I go on, here's what happened:  on my bus, and probably a lot of type
IV buses, there is a charcoal filled vapor canister located by the tail
light.  It is a vertical unit with a fat plastic hose coming off the top,
and one coming off the bottom.  It is held in place with a hose clamp
looking device (the real kind, not the VW kind ;)  ).  My clamp had quite a
bit of excess sticking out, and that is what the positive post of my battery
was coming in to contact with it.  This contact generated quite a bit of
heat, enough to MELT in to the vapor canister, and start the gas vapor
soaked charcoal bits burning.  They were trickling out at a constant rate,
running rather like a good pellet stove.  My thrashing around and spitting
couldn't put the fire out.

Well, I'm known for being relatively cool in the head during stressful
situations, and this was shaping up to be rather stressful.  I knew we had a
dry chem fire extinguisher in the bus, right inside the slider door.  I got
it out and got it prepared.  I wish you all could hear the pathetic little
puff that came out the end.  OK.  I also have a little Halon job in one of
the rabbits, but I can't remember which one.  One of them is parked across
the street, and is locked.  The other (and the likely one) was in the garage
behind the house (Months later I stumbled upon the halon unit in the garaged
car.  It was a dud also).  I'm not through yet.  We have a garden hose, but
it's in the back yard hooked to that faucet and won't reach from there.  The
side gate is also locked.  I go through the house.  My wife asks how it's
going.  "Okay.  The bus is on fire."
I've seen cars burn before.  To completely engulf a car in flames takes
about two minutes (just like the idiot manual reports...). I've already used
up about one minute.  Calm, cool and collected, I get the garden hoses from
the back, jump over the gate, and hook it up at the front of the house.  I
get to the car with running water and am pleased to see the fire is still
small.  I hosed the hell out of it for several minutes.
Damage was minor.  The vapor canister is toast.  I hooked up the tubes to
bypass it (works fine, you'll figure it out).  The electrical system is,
suprisingly, just fine.  Didn't even scorch my tail light wires.

I was lucky don't let this happen to you.  Several lessons learned here:
Keep a fresh fire extinguisher in your VW always.
Don't work at night unless you have to.
Bolt that battery down.
Keep your cool, think clearly, and DO THE JOB RIGHT.