Fire! Fire! Fire!

Geeman

Geeman

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F**k me...! I've never been so scared in all my life.

The A4 caught fire an hour ago. Managed to take care of it, but it's looking a bit charred under the bonnet. The 'after-market' air intake pipe came loose and decided to take a rest on top of the turbo.

You can imagine the rest...

It's goosed my headlight (but I've found a replacement already) and a load of wires and pipework (TIP, etc), so just rushing round to find a breaker for parts.

Managed to put it out before it got REALLY bad. Could have been a lot worse.

Still shaking... :puke:
 
Last edited:
Giles, thats lucky mate, been there. The only thing i have spare is a TIP the same as the Doc. Make sure the fire hasnt damaged the N75, mine was toast afterwards
 
Thanks guys.

I think I have a spare TIP at home... and the new N75J valve is fine (I hope - but I have a spare standard valve too)... it's just that the wiring for it is toast!

The pipework for the N80 valve has gone too, so there's a degree of splicing going to be needed.

I've contacted Andy in Cleethorpes (who I got my boot-lid from) and left a message, and if he's still got his TQS, he could be my life-saver!

Doc... I've been searching all over the place for standard air parts as mine came like this... but to no avail. Will keep updated! ****** VW Festival is this weekend too!
 
Here's the damage...

fire10.jpg
 
Oh ******.

Need to find another source quick then.

******.
 
lucky, did you have an extinguisher to hand or did you have to "improvise"?

I lost the air box cover down there once and decided to bin it before it caused a similar disaster
 
I arrived in the car park at the office and there was a funny smell... thought nothing of it as the factories here often expel funny smelling fumes. Then as I got out there was some smoke coming from behind the wheel... then there was more smoke, so I got my KFC out safe :lmfao: and lifted the bonnet to find LOTS more smoke and a few flames... so I got back in the car and reversed as fast as I could away from the building in case it went up big time... then ran back inside the office to get a foam extinguisher and ran back out, re-popped the bonnet and sprayed nasty messy foam everywhere.

I'm such a hero.

There'll be an extinguisher in all my cars from now on!
 
Ok I think I have the engine bay rubber and I might still have some of the loom for the N75 not sure if I gave that to Mark when his went up but I do have an air box sitting around if you need it just give me buzz will PM you my number.
 
****** mate! Looks like you caught that just in time! Could've been a lot sadder tale! Good luck getting parts sorted for the weekend, I just nearly ripped my front wing off when the wheels caught it, a wee bit bent now! oops....
 
Sorry to hear mate as ppl said could have been a lot worse, thank god for KFC,lol.
dont know if these guys are any good to you? Linky
 
**** that was lucky!

What exactly went on fire? Some kinda cold air feed? The TIP looks intact if a little charred?
 
A guy over on AudiSRS had a near miss at Castle Combe the other week too.

Thankfully everything was ok and he has a good sense of humour about it:
 
Geeman
I went up to Andy with the TQS last week, he still did have the airbox, though I didnt really look at it, so I dont know what condition it is in.
He said he was going on holiday on Monday for a while in France, so you might want to look somewhere else for the bits if you need them quickly.

If you're buying an extinguisher dont buy a mickey mouse one. If youre going to buy a foam (AFFF - ones that you have to have for motorsport) go to either FEV or Lifeline, as the cheaper ones tend to have a really c**p foaming mixture ratio - basically they are just water!
You may find one with Halon (bit dodgey these days) but much better than foam.

Lucky to escape that one, the insurance might not have paid out due to aftermarket mods!

Cheers
Michael
 
Hi Michael...

You came up to Grimsby from Essex? Wow... must have been a very specific part you were after!

I know he's still got the air-box, but I had a look at it last time I was there and it's heavily damaged. Might have to make do with it and repair it until I can find a replacement unit. I can wait till next Wednesday for him to come back as a friend has lent me their car and Rach goes away on Monday for a week so I can use her TT... (result!)

I know exactly what you mean about the insurance though. That was the one thing I was worried about when it all happened and the fact it's not factory standard. It's only done a small amount of damage, so there's no need to involve the insurance. All the body panels are fine, so that's the most important thing for me!

I've got a couple of very kind people helping me out, Docurley for one, so I should be able to scrape together enough parts to get her back on the road next week. Got a replacement headlight coming from the 'bay too...

It starts and drives fine - but I don't want to push my luck as there are bare wires, melted pipes and a few connectors I've removed as they were charred! - It goes in and out of the driveway okay (as I'm clearing the back garden and need to get the barrows past to the skip!) so I'm happy the damage isn't terminal!

Cheers chaps!
 
The most annoying thing with it is that it's melted the bonnet release catch and in trying to open the bonnet after it cooled down and was on the back of the recovery truck, I've snapped the cable at the handle end (I think). Will have to take the front bumper off to get at the latch with a long-sticky-pokey thing now... Grrrr! lol
 
I managed to get the bonnet open this morning, so I've more or less got it all replaced and working now. Standard air-box and accompaniments are now in and I had to splice a new loom in as some of the wires on mine were somewhat charred!

A replacement front panel from a pre-facelift car... no difference what so ever to my facelift panel! I didn't have to modify the bonnet catch like someone mentioned either.

Got a new rad while I was at it as mine was weeping a bit... but waiting for a new snub mount to arrive and two clips that hold the coolant pipes on to the radiator before I can finish the build.

The hardest part was having to remove the drivers side inner wheel arch trim so I could replace the cannister and pipes under there as one of them had melted as well!

Feel much better about the car now. It's much quieter with the standard air-box in place. Think I'll miss the turbo wooosh noise that was present with the K&N cone filter though!

Thanks to the help from a couple of people, it should be back on the road in a couple of days! :rock:
 
I was at Castle Combe when the guys car caught fire....looked bad as he came in

_MG_1208.jpg
 
aragorn said:
What actually happened to it?
Click to expand...

Ruptured high pressure hose from vane pump, mineral hydraulic oil, red hot turbo.

Boom.

Luckily, the marshalls put the flames out before any real damage was done, and the owner was able to drive home, albeit with no PAS.
 
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