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Prius's spontaneously catching on fire?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by jrmason, Feb 21, 2008.

  1. abq sfr

    abq sfr New Member

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    WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T GIVE HIM YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!!!
    You will start receiving chain emails about Bill Gates sending you money, Sector 0 of your hard drive being destroyed, kids in the hospital getting money each time you send an email, and finding Ashley Flores!! Seriously, time to get a friend who's not clueless.
     
  2. Rockville1

    Rockville1 Silver Pine Mica

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    Known causes of Prius Spontaneous Combustion:

    1. Eating a chili and cheese quesadilla while shifting into the "B" mode on steep downhills.

    2. Entering Brittney Spears' address into the NAV's Destination screen with your girlfriend/wife sitting beside you.

    3. Gliding on the interstate while listening to AC/DC's "Shoot to Thrill."
     
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  3. abq sfr

    abq sfr New Member

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    OK, some Googling found one, only one...
    Carspace.com - suzikn: Prius Fire
    Is this the one that was determined to be arson? I don't think it's an epidemic though.
     
  4. EJFB1029

    EJFB1029 New Member

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    You are so right, these cars just go up in smoke, this is from the famous Toyota of Hindenberg Prius disaster, they were doing a live radio commerical when this happened:

    “It’s on fire and its spontaneously doing it! . . . This is the worst of the worst catastrophes in the world! Oh, it’s burning . . . oh, four or five hundred Prius on the lot, and it’s a horrific sight, ladies and gentlemen. There’s smoke, and there’s flames, now, and the frame is all over the ground, not quite to the dealer showroom. Oh, the humanity, and all the test drivers screaming around here!
    . . . I can’t talk, ladies and gentlemen. Honest, it’s just laying there, a mass of smoking wreckage, and everybody can hardly breathe and talk . . . Honest, I can hardly breathe. I’m going to step inside where I cannot see it. . . .â€

    :target::eek::D
     
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  5. Rae Vynn

    Rae Vynn Artist In Residence

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    *sigh*
    Okay. I'm going to step into this.

    Hello, Jon, and welcome to PriusChat.
    Normally, we are a helpful, friendly bunch of people.
    There are a few that have "issues" with a few of the urban legends that some disreputable "news" sources have "reported" about the Prius, which is why this free-for-all is occurring.

    I appreciate the fact that, you were told something about the Prius that you thought sounded weird, and that you decided to check with Prius-driving people as to the validity of it.

    The answer is No, the Prius is not prone to spontaneously combusting.
    There are a few other "legends" going around, but most of them have been dealt with (and generally made fun of) on this forum. If you do a search on "myths about the prius" you might find a few of them.

    Hope you aren't scared off by the ruckus in here.
     
  6. Godiva

    Godiva AmeriKan Citizen

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    Hey, we were just having some fun.

    And my Dad really *did* warn me about driving in the rain.
     
  7. dogfriend

    dogfriend Human - Animal Hybrid

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    Did you know that people sometimes spontaneously catch on fire?

    Also Ford Trucks.
     
  8. sugar land dave

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    Oh don't be so fuddy! Most of us have heard so many myths now that we can't help but be amused when we hear a new one! :whoo::gossip:
     
  9. jrmason

    jrmason New Member

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    Thanks for your help on this. The pictures of the car are on my computer and I don't have a web location to put them so I guess I can't display them here till I do. Maybe somebody knows how they can just be attatched to the thread.

    The car is in Holden MA. The fire started under the hood the front of the car. It's a sad sight. I have an attatched garage to my house and would be very afraid of this happening. Not a fun thought. Of course anything can happen and with all of you as happy owners I guess it would be more of a freak thing than anything.

    Thanks again!

    Jon
     
  10. lumpy95

    lumpy95 Member

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    In the tool bar when you are replying to a post, theres a small paperclip with an arrow beside it. You can upload a picture to your post there.
    Be careful of the size though or it won't accept it.:ranger:
     
  11. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    The friend must be a Ford salesman since he is such an authority on vehicles that spontaneously combust.

    Some Prius do have a Corbomite Device installed and it is activated with a button mounted in the far left blank located on the lower left dashboard. It is most useful when one is surrounded by hostile Romulans.
     
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  12. Dngrsone

    Dngrsone Underwhelmed, to say the least

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    [​IMG]
     
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  13. nerfer

    nerfer A young senior member

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    I've found after you choose the file and upload it, then you need to close that window, go back to the message editing window, click on the paper clip again and you get a pull-down menu where you can choose to insert the picture you just uploaded. Not exactly intuitive, but it works.

    As for spontaneous fires, I do remember a story of a Prius catching fire shortly after being driven, I think in Washington state. However the owner had driven it into the side of a gas station (claims the gas pedal stuck, not to start another myth), maybe that had something to do with it?

    My cousin's Ford Escort spontaneously caught fire in their garage, but rolled out (brake lines melted?). Escorts from a certain time period (mid-80's?) were known to do that. Haven't heard of it on other vehicles.
     
  14. FourOhFour

    FourOhFour Member

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    But is it really spontaneous if you push a button?
     
  15. jrmason

    jrmason New Member

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    Ok here goes! These are the pictures of the car I have:

    prius fire 2.jpg

    prius fire 3.jpg

    There are a couple more in the e-mail if anybody is interested
    Just for credit these pictures were taken by Ryan Luddy

    Jon
     
  16. sugar land dave

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    In the lower right of both pictures I note a charred orange extension cord. This suggest some kind of heater not approved for warming under a car engine.

    No car built can stand up to improper "maintenance". :(
     
  17. JimboK

    JimboK One owner, low mileage

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    What were the origin and cause determined to be? The responding fire department should have a report with that information, to the extent they investigated and could make any conclusions.
     
  18. galaxee

    galaxee mostly benevolent

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    of course cars can burn. the prius, by design, is no more or less susceptible than any other car out there. and it does not have a "self-igniting" ignition switch like some cars...
     
  19. NoMoShocks

    NoMoShocks Electrical Engineer

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    Good eye Sugar Land!

    If an uninteded electrical system connected to AC mains was introduced in the engine compartment, and it it was compromised in some way and began arcing, it would have probably caught any car on fire.

    I finally bit and read through this tread today. Ran out to the driveway and relief, Lightning is still there smiling at me as usual. If I push the unlock button on the key fob, he winks at me. I just gave him new tint on his windows and he is looking great.
     
  20. Jack66

    Jack66 Kinda Jovial Member

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    You are right. Maybe you could wire the button to a random number generator and your car ignites when the number 42 comes up (because that is the answer to everything in life).

    On the other hand, I don't think I want the button after looking at the poor Prius in jrmason's pictures...