My bus caught fire yesterday.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by kidharris

And here I thought you were going to put the fire out.

LOL!
Me- I WOULD. But your comment suggested the desire to flee as fast as possible.

[kidharris]

Originally Posted by banman

The VW's came with braided cloth covered rubber hose -- 20 years old it's cracked and leaking at the carb...
Anyone that did maintenance 20 years ago -- now your VW bus is 40 or 50 years old -- rinse and repeat...
(almost) EVERY VW that catches fire is a MAINTENANCE fail. The owner owns it -- sorry...

VWs have suffered from engine fires from day 1 because of this issue. It is just bad design. True, it gets worse with age. The engineers own the design flaw.


BTW, how did you know that I own a (2 - a 70 and a 71) VW bus?

[kidharris]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

LOL!
Me- I WOULD. But your comment suggested the desire to flee as fast as possible.

My comment was meant to suggest that opening the engine hatch would immediately fill the passenger compartment with smoke and allow the fire to spread to the interior faster. I think that a fireman will tell you that is not a good idea.

There is a reason a firewall is called a firewall and I just realized that my buss doesn't have one. I think putting out the fire should be started from the front of the bus if possible although I do have a 10 year old (fail) fire extinguisher behind the drivers seat. This topic made me think about an engine fire in the bus for the first time, which is a good thing.

What part of my comment "suggested the desire to flee as fast as possible."

I have had to put out a lot of asphalt fires and several other types of fires. Had my apartment burn down, along with everything I owned. I also had a natural gas furnace explode and send me flying thru a wall and door, set my hair and clothes on fire. Set my clothes on fire several times welding. Always came thru everything ok but have a healthy respect for fire and smoke in the real world. The smoke will get you quick.



I once put out a small gas engine fire, at a stoplight, with a quart bottle (before 2 liters) of Coca Cola. Made a sticky mess.



Your earlier comment about putting out the fire did make me laugh, though, because of the mental picture that immediately flashed through my mind of me jumping thru the smoke/fire, over the engine, down the steps, bouncing off of the door and falling back into the burning engine compartment in 3 seconds, tops. At that point it quit being funny. Didn't strike me as a viable plan. Getting my fat ass out the drivers window didn't sound too good either,.... oops forgot that I lost 40 pounds.... maybe?


Did I mention the smoke?

[EastCoastCB]

Know what to watch for, maintain, and check, and have a good fire extinguisher where you can get to it.
I too have had VW's catch fire. A bus and a beetle. You go back there and put it out before it gets HUGE or you watch it burn! I used my jacket or my blanket seat cover and put out those. Luckily I never had a BIG VW engine fire.

[Free Bird]

Originally Posted by cowlitzcoach

As others have said, there are a lot of flammable fluids circulating under the hood that can catch on fire if they reach the flash point.

Since you say you so droplets of fire I would suggest something was burning that included plastic. My guess would be you had a wire chafe through and it caused the insulation around the wire to start to burn. It was most probably burning pieces of plastic that you saw dropping on the ground.

I would suggest that since your dash started showing issues and then the engine finally stopped running that your first indication something was wrong was when your idiot lights and warnings were set off without the gauges saying there was a problem.

Agreed, electrical problems are often the culprit. The problem is common to everything from highway trucks to snowmobiles.

Last winter my skidder caught fire, I had got off it to take a leak, turned around and holy crap! smoke everywhere and flames licking out from under the steel hood. I subdued it with a fire extinguisher then got the side guards off so I could locate the source and finish the fire off. Had it been warm out I doubt if one fire extinguisher would have been enough.

The voltage regulator had failed causing the wiring to overheat and go afire when the wire to the fuel pump shut off burned up that was a good thing cause about then the fuel line also burned through. The engine quit so no diesel was being sprayed after that point.

Bottom line is all vehicles can burn and you may or may not be able to put the fire out. Carry extinguishers rated for the job and have a good exit plan. By the time you realize your vehicle is on fire it may well be to hot to handle.

[kidharris]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Know what to watch for, maintain, and check, and have a good fire extinguisher where you can get to it.
I too have had VW's catch fire. A bus and a beetle. You go back there and put it out before it gets HUGE or you watch it burn! I used my jacket or my blanket seat cover and put out those. Luckily I never had a BIG VW engine fire.

Probably the scariest thing about old VW engine fires is where the gas tank is located, right next to the fire

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by kidharris

Probably the scariest thing about old VW engine fires is where the gas tank is located, right next to the fire

On a vw bus yeah.
The scariest fuel tank I ever saw was on old GM trucks- Under the seat!

[Oscar1]

Kidharris
Your comments on the lack of a firewall just got me thinking I'm in the same boat with my front engine. Same boat got me thinking of my boat and guess what? There's a port on the engine cover for that very reason, you don't open the hatch and intro more oxygen. So with that thought I'll be ordering one up and mounting it thru the engine cover.
Big thanks to you.

[joeblack5]

This is very sad. With all the crazy stuff we do converting buses to our desire a couple of $$ could be spend hanging a camera in your engine compartment , just like a rear view camera.

It is easy to say, I do not have one either.
Dory being a city bus came with an automatic fire extinguisher over the engine and a pre-charged tank,and some computer control.

When I bought it the mechanic said that is was already useful ones when the hydraulic cooling fan started leaking and sprayed oil over the exhaust that is right under it. They repaired the bus.

Both our 7.3 power strokes vans had fuel leaks. I could smell them inside and I was pretty nervous when I pulled the doghouse. But no fire..lots of diesel smoke so I guess I was close.

In every car I have 2 fire extinguishers. It takes up space. But better to have and not need it then to need and not have it.. It is also nice that you can help other people.

Johan

[banman]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

How much visibility you need to jump over the doghouse and down the steps? Or out the driver window?
Me- less than 3 seconds blindfolded and I'm OUT.

A FE of CE has a chance of being saved if you're quick with the extinguisher. The RE's tend to burn a bit longer before you notice.

I DARE you to post a video of you getting out of your bus that fast.

3sec? I bet it won't happen -- I don't think my doors even open that fast...

(PLEASE have a spotter, or heavy padding below the window when you do this -- I DO NOT want to see a video of anyone getting hurt...)

[bigskypc50]

3 secs for a RE or dog noise bus.
5 secs for a FE Bus.

I don't think I would fit in the drivers window. only half opens

Originally Posted by banman

I DARE you to post a video of you getting out of your bus that fast.

3sec? I bet it won't happen -- I don't think my doors even open that fast...

(PLEASE have a spotter, or heavy padding below the window when you do this -- I DO NOT want to see a video of anyone getting hurt...)

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by banman

I DARE you to post a video of you getting out of your bus that fast.

3sec? I bet it won't happen -- I don't think my doors even open that fast...

(PLEASE have a spotter, or heavy padding below the window when you do this -- I DO NOT want to see a video of anyone getting hurt...)

I don't have super high tech video ability. But I promise you I can be out of the bus VERY quick.
I don't have a doghouse but it really doesn't matter. The drivers window is right next to me and i can fit through it no prob.
Tell ya what- next time I have my bus running I'll have my wife film from the back... I'll open the door and get out of the bus in a few seconds or so no prob. when does the timer start? lol

I don't know why getting out of the bus quickly is such a crazy concept. They're literally designed with emergency exiting in mind.

[banman]

Originally Posted by bigskypc50

3 secs for a RE or dog noise bus.
5 secs for a FE Bus.

I don't think I would fit in the drivers window. only half opens

Pix or it didn't happen!

Seriously I'll time my door today but I'm guessing it's ~3 sec holding the electric switch from the driver seat to open AND then I can get up to get out...
Yeah, there's an emergency release lever above the door, I've used it when I didn't have batteries -- it's fiddly and takes even longer...

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by banman

Pix or it didn't happen!

Seriously I'll time my door today but I'm guessing it's ~3 sec holding the electric switch from the driver seat to open AND then I can get up to get out...
Yeah, there's an emergency release lever above the door, I've used it when I didn't have batteries -- it's fiddly and takes even longer...

I hit the switch and my door opens right then. I forget how slow electric door are.

[banman]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

I hit the switch and my door opens right then. I forget how slow electric door are.

Gonna be fun comparing my bus to Native's when he gets here!
Your bus would have the same doors -- just flying open's gotta be hard on 'em!

The older manual levers would be near instant too I guess...

[kidharris]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

On a vw bus yeah.
The scariest fuel tank I ever saw was on old GM trucks- Under the seat!

I rolled a 64 chev pickup off of a levee in the marsh in S. Carolina. Landed upside down in the marsh, gasoline soaked me from the tank mounted behind the seat. Glad there was no fire that day.