help car caught on fire
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Registered User
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 718
From: ONTARIO CANADA
help car caught on fire
well i went for a 5 minute drive to wash the egg off my winter beater, 86 lincoln towncar
when i get back im backing up into my spot when my amp light comes on and i see smoke coming from the hood and it stinks, so i pop the hood and i see smoke pouring off the alternator. now my alternator is 2 weeks old, i bought it from caanadian tire. i had the choice between a 65 amp and a 75 amp, so i took the more powerful one, the guy at the counter reccomended it to me.
i tell my roomate and my gf to watch the car and make sure it doesnt catch fire. i go upstairs to grab the camera to get proof. i decide to bring the fire extinguisher just in case and when i get back outside my car is smoking like crazy and my gf had put big blocks of snow on the engine to try and put out the fire. i start recording the video but it was too dark. then i saw flames and doused them with the extinguisher. i got some pictures and i left a message with my mechanic. the alternator was smoking from the inside, the metal case was melting the ice we put on it, and the wires going to it were on fire.
so.... im going to take the car and the pics with my recipt to canadian tire tomorrow, and try to get them to repair the car for free.
did i put on the wrong alternator? the computer said they both should work and so did the kid at the desk (which means nothing)
oh and does the wiring harness that the alternator goes to, is it easy to remove and replace? whyy ddi the alt burn up?
after the fire was out the car had no power at all.
when i get back im backing up into my spot when my amp light comes on and i see smoke coming from the hood and it stinks, so i pop the hood and i see smoke pouring off the alternator. now my alternator is 2 weeks old, i bought it from caanadian tire. i had the choice between a 65 amp and a 75 amp, so i took the more powerful one, the guy at the counter reccomended it to me.
i tell my roomate and my gf to watch the car and make sure it doesnt catch fire. i go upstairs to grab the camera to get proof. i decide to bring the fire extinguisher just in case and when i get back outside my car is smoking like crazy and my gf had put big blocks of snow on the engine to try and put out the fire. i start recording the video but it was too dark. then i saw flames and doused them with the extinguisher. i got some pictures and i left a message with my mechanic. the alternator was smoking from the inside, the metal case was melting the ice we put on it, and the wires going to it were on fire.
so.... im going to take the car and the pics with my recipt to canadian tire tomorrow, and try to get them to repair the car for free.
did i put on the wrong alternator? the computer said they both should work and so did the kid at the desk (which means nothing)
oh and does the wiring harness that the alternator goes to, is it easy to remove and replace? whyy ddi the alt burn up?
after the fire was out the car had no power at all.
Last edited by kevin 2.8; Dec 5, 2003 at 12:46 AM.
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 17
From: Central MA
OK im going to go out on a limb here and make an assuption.
Your beater is a SEFI 5.0 AOD car right?
Had one of those in my 87 Crown Vic.
When i replaced the alternator a new wiring harness end came with it.
You HAVE to replace the connector to the alternator.
Guess what happens if you dont?
FIRE
Your beater is a SEFI 5.0 AOD car right?
Had one of those in my 87 Crown Vic.
When i replaced the alternator a new wiring harness end came with it.
You HAVE to replace the connector to the alternator.
Guess what happens if you dont?
FIRE
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 755
wires not big enough for the alt, or something?
sounds like what happend...
Here's a related story.
We got a hottub, and my dad hooked it up to an extension cord, and plugged it in..
turned it on, ran for a few seconds, I think, then the cord exploded, basically..
TONS of smoke, no fire or anything, though
My dad didn't realize how much current the hottub would pull.. pretty crazy
sounds like what happend...
Here's a related story.
We got a hottub, and my dad hooked it up to an extension cord, and plugged it in..
turned it on, ran for a few seconds, I think, then the cord exploded, basically..
TONS of smoke, no fire or anything, though
My dad didn't realize how much current the hottub would pull.. pretty crazy
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