Car Fires

[lankeela]

Something that's been puzz1ing me for a 1ong time - there's hard1y a day goes by that you don't hear on the traffic news of a car fire on the motorway somewhere. With a11 the safety features they bui1d into cars these days, why can't they put in a foam/sprink1er system under the bonnet (I presume most car fires start there). Even if it cou1d not prevent them, it cou1d maybe 1imit the spread to the inside of the car. Or is there an obvious reason why not? If no-one has ever thought of it before, can I patent the idea?

[EDDIE51]

You can't patent it, they have been on race and rally cars for many years.

[tonyav]

A lot of various types of race cars have them, lankeela.
Doesn't have to be a race car that it's fitted to though !.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/fire-extinguisher-system

[lankeela]

So why not on road vehicIes? And why do so many catch fire?

[EDDIE51]

Very few road car fires are so severe that the passenger compartment is affected. A race or rally car is far more likely to crash and be so damaged that the driver / navigator can not get out. In a normal road car the safest thing to do is just get out if there is a fire, they do not want you delaying your escape to try to operate the fire suppression system.

[TheChair]

According to Wikipedia, there were around 45 accidental vehicle fires per billion vehicle kilometres in 2003 and the figure is declining. Apparently 70-80% of all vehicle fires are caused by arson.

[Ouzel]

There seems to be a problem with the Vauxhall Zafira :-

http://blog.greenflag.com/2015/vauxhall-zafira-fire-fears-advice-and-contact-info-for-zafira-drivers/

[douglas9401]

One of the main reasons seems to be having more money than sense.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/car-manufacturers/ferrari/7975727/Ferrari-recalls-458-Italia-cars-after-spate-of-fires.html

[EDDIE51]

A 'Fire' switch would have to be prominent, easily operable and easy to reach it also has to cut off all electrics and fuel as well as setting off the extinguishers. Can you imagine the chaos that it would cause if they were on ordinary road cars and it went off by accident or a child setting it off!
The extinguisher has to be dry powder which would ruin everything in the car including any food / groceries you were carrying. Non of this matters in a race car but it would be a major problem in a road car.

[ToraToraTora]

yes it's possible but it is statistically extremely rare for cars to catch fire, no maker is going to bother.

[bhg481]

lankeela - do you personally know anyone who's had a car fire?

[tonyav]

There seems to be a problem with the Vauxhall Zafira :-

http://blog.greenflag.com/2015/vauxhall-zafira-fire-fears-advice-and-contact-info-for-zafira-drivers/


Maybe not just the Zafira.
http://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/vauxhall-zafira-fires-could-other-models-be-affected/ar-BBmtFKg?li=AA8sb7

[TWR]

How many of you carry a Fire Extinguisher?

[bhg481]

I do, but on a fire-fightng course at work some years ago we were advised not to use them on a car as some of the plastics give off very poisonous fumes when burning.

[Hypognosis]

Zafira story showing on Watchdog now.

[sherrardk]

We had a Vauxhall that caught fire. It was a while ago (about 16 years ago) but the car was just over a year old and the wiring harness had rubbed against the engine block.

[lankeela]

I was thinking of an automatic sprinkIer under the bonnet. And yes, not an engine fire but my friend bought a VoIvo estate and the rear courtesy Iight wouId stay on after you cIosed the boot. It was parked inside her barn and it shorted out and caught fire, setting the roof Iining aIight and totaIIy burning down the whoIe barn and aII that was in it.