Would you post anything about modding if that could potentially incriminate you as at fault with the insurance company? lol
Lol, I don't think anybody from this forum is looking for incriminating evidence. We would like to know the details as a warning to us. It's called utilitarianism.
I agree with the incriminating evidence thing. Google's spiders hit every publicly viewable page on PriusChat regularly. This means that anything posted in this thread - and the vast majority on PriusChat - are Google-able by anyone including insurance companies.
I was trying to be a jerk. The internet is a scary place when you consider how much information is searchable.
Just the wires. I quickly powered down the car in the middle of the road and pushed it out of the way. The dealer had the same thing happen to them when they went to test the car.
Its usually VWs and Fords* that catch on fire, not Toyotas. :madgrin: * Don't get your panties in a wad if you are a Ford owner, I own 2 of them that are currently under recall for the SCDS (aka fire starter switch).
Ignition fuse is toast but no other visible burns just lots of bad smell. Any other reports like this for a Prius?
http://priuschat.com/forums/newbie-forum/43135-priuss-spontaneously-catching-fire.html http://priuschat.com/forums/newbie-forum/46837-one-month-then-toast.html http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-main-forum/35557-2001-prius-self-immolates.html
good to hear the damage is minor so far. although wires imply electrical problems, the fact that they burned before fuses could intercede suggests other causes. hot fluids, gases, etc might be the cause of the problem. please update us when the cause is determined.
Ford's have a very long history of catching fire in various ways. When I had trouble with the F150 alternator I picked up a replacement only to find that there was a new plug that also had to be rewired and soldered in because the things had been catching fire. Didn't surprise me, the ignition system on the Ford was absolute crap. I also noticed the original resin used for the connections was not holding up to engine heat and was becoming brittle--that was probably the cause of some of the alternator fires and the reason for the replacement.
Yes, on the recall notice for the Explorer that I got last week, it recommends to park the truck away from any structures in case it catches on fire.
Are you referring to the fuse box located under the instrument panel near your left knee when you are sitting in the driver's seat? That is the box with the IGN 7.5A fuse. The IGN fuse provides power to many circuits. If that is the box, I am sure it was not fun to see smoke pouring out of that area, with your leg just a few inches away... I'm not aware of other reports of fuse box problems. I'm also very interested in seeing photos and hearing what is the root cause of the problem. Thanks!
A former coworker had his VW 411 catch on fire while driving over the San Mateo bridge one day. He said they had to shut down the bridge during the commute hours while waiting for the fire trucks to arrive to put it out. Another former coworker had his VW Scirocco catch on fire because something shorted out under the dash. Another former coworker had his VW Bug (old school) catch on fire in the engine compartment. My understanding is that this was a common problem if you didn't clean the grease off the engine and allowed it to build up. My GF had a VW Rabbit and the dash lights would not come on with the headlights. I got a copy of the shop manual and found that the wire that supplied power to that circuit was disconnected by the previous owner. I reconnected the wire. A few seconds later, the insulation started to melt from the wire and smoke started to come from the IP. I quickly ripped the wire loose. I told her she should bring a flashlight with her at night. Now you have heard of some. :madgrin:
