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View Full Version : Burning it up on the Autobahn.... my D3 was really smoking.



Andrew.W
29th April 2013, 10:33 PM
Our weekend…….

The Discovery has just had it 2 yearly roadworthy inspection done last month, in conjunction with new back brakes, new tie rods and tie rod ends, and a handful of minor things to keep the inspector happy. It was running well, and were looking forward to our upcoming road trips to the UK in May and the Nordic countries over summer.

Yesterday we travelled to Munich for the day, we were trailing the new car fridge for the first time, at had a great picnic lunch, even though the English weather was persistent it didn’t rain at least!

After a good day in Munich we were driving home along the Autobahn at about 160 kmh, and we were about 60 km from home when I noticed what looked like a haze behind the car. I checked the side mirrors and I could see a trail of smoke behind us, I quickly pulled over to the side of the road just as smoke was starting to enter the front of the cabin from under the dashboard.

We told the kids to grab their jackets, and leave everything else behind. We exited the car quickly and moved some 200m behind it, and then further back. Another car had pulled over in front of us and the driver come over to see if we needed any help – we said yes of course!!. It turned out this guy was a rescue service coordinater, and he quickly informed the Feurwehr and Polizei (Fire brigade and Police). Within a few minutes smoke was billowing out of the car and we spotted flames under the car. The fire had burnt through part of the cooling system and the spilled coolant put out the initial fire under the car. A few minutes later there was flames peering above the roofline.

The Fire fighters arrived in quick time, probably about 8-10 minutes after we stopped the car, and spent the next 20-30 minutes dousing the car with foam.
All up I think the kids counted 6 fire vehicles, 1 police helicopter, 1 police car, 1 rescue service coordinator, and some 20-25 emergency workers.

After the car was secured we were able to go and have a closer look and salvage what was left in the car. We were able to recover most of our stuff from the car although it now stinks of an acrid burnt electrical/plastic smell.

My wife asked the tilt-tray driver how often he picks up burnt cars, which he replied that an hour or so earlier he had picked up a Bentley Cabrio that had caught fire on the Autobahn too – they cost 200,000 Euro (ouch).

We are all ok, a bit shaken by the ordeal, but not hurt at all, not so happy to see our car go up in smoke, but such is life.
Now comes the fun part – dealing with insurance, and searching for a replacement Disco.

So how was your weekend??? :)

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/04/55.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/04/56.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/04/57.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/04/58.jpg

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/04/59.jpg

SBD4
29th April 2013, 11:04 PM
WOW :eek: Glad to read that you and your family are all OK. It would be very interesting to find the cause of the fire -if you do, please let us know!

I hope the insurers play nice for you too.

Andrew.W
29th April 2013, 11:16 PM
I dont know if they will find the cause, when/if I get notified, Ill be sure to post it here.

Ive got my fingers crossed for the dance with the insurance company.

Andrew

isuzurover
30th April 2013, 12:53 AM
Bugger. Strange that it happened almost straight after the TÜV...

lebanon
30th April 2013, 04:24 AM
I noticed what looked like a haze behind the car. I checked the side mirrors and I could see a trail of smoke behind us, I quickly pulled over to the side of the road just as smoke was starting to enter the front of the cabin from under the dashboard.


That shows that you are one of those good drivers who keep on monitoring their car and its surrounding while driving.

Glad that you are all safe and pity for such a loss.

Andrew.W
30th April 2013, 04:25 AM
Bugger. Strange that it happened almost straight after the TÜV...

Yep makes you wonder doesnt it??
They went through it with a fine tooth comb, especially as D3s are quite rare where I live the inspectors are not familiar with it.

We shall see if they can determine the cause.

Andrew

lebanon
30th April 2013, 04:28 AM
Does it run on diesel or petrol?

Homestar
30th April 2013, 05:19 AM
Bad luck mate. Glad to hear you and the family are all ok. Hope your insurance company does the right thing.

Cheers - Gav

wrinklearthur
30th April 2013, 06:29 AM
Sorry to read this, I hope you can be on the road really soon with another.

I am now a bit perturbed by reading about the amount of fires in the D3's, so I hope a fire investigation officer does find exactly the source.

I happen to have a very melted diff centre from a D3 in my collection and I have no idea what caused that fire.

By the way, to reduce the damage in a given time, but only if it is safe to do so, leave open all the doors, that stops the heat building up quickly in the cabin.
.

isuzurover
30th April 2013, 12:55 PM
Yep makes you wonder doesnt it??
The went through it with a fine tooth comb, especially as D3s are quite rare where I live the inspectors are not familiar with it.

We shall see if they can determine the cause.

Andrew

Pure speculation, but there is always the possibility the inspector disloged/damaged something, or left an oily rag in the engine bay...

However it could just be a coincidence...

Andrew.W
30th April 2013, 03:19 PM
Does it run on diesel or petrol?

TDV6 Diesel.

Andrew.W
30th April 2013, 03:27 PM
Pure speculation, but there is always the possibility the inspector disloged/damaged something, or left an oily rag in the engine bay...

However it could just be a coincidence...

Dont know if anything was damaged/dislodged during the inspection. Its hard enough to see anything in the engine bay without removing all the plastic covers everywhere!

There was no rag left in the engine bay, as I was looking to install a second battery and had been measuring up the 2nd battery bay dimensions, and trying to determine the best way to place wires around the engine bay.
Nothing out of the ordinary that I noticed.

Andrew

Ferret
30th April 2013, 04:56 PM
If I remember correctly there are 1 or 2 threads buried in AULRO somewhere about D3's self combusting in Aus while being driven.

Unsure if anyone ever posted the root causes of the fires.

wrinklearthur
30th April 2013, 05:53 PM
If I remember correctly there are 1 or 2 threads buried in AULRO somewhere about D3's self combusting in Aus while being driven.

Unsure if anyone ever posted the root causes of the fires.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-d4-rrs/97540-true-d3-tdv6-can-catch-fire.html
...

Ferret
30th April 2013, 06:35 PM
And this

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/general-chat/60609-d3-boom.html#post786325

jonesy63
30th April 2013, 06:41 PM
TDV6 Diesel.

MY07-MY08?

Land Rover (http://www.recalls.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/968093)

Been there several times, luckily I had no fires.

Best of luck for a satisfactory resolution!

Cheers,
Rob

CaverD3
30th April 2013, 07:01 PM
Sales were halted in Russia due to fire relating to HP fuel pump issue.
Maybe showed up first due the teir crap fuel?

Andrew.W
6th May 2013, 06:02 PM
MY07-MY08?

Land Rover (http://www.recalls.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/968093)

Been there several times, luckily I had no fires.

Best of luck for a satisfactory resolution!

Cheers,
Rob

Thanks Rob,
Mine is (was) a 2005, already checked against this recall.

Andrew

theresanothersteve
7th May 2013, 07:39 AM
Sorry to read this, I hope you can be on the road really soon with another.

I am now a bit perturbed by reading about the amount of fires in the D3's, so I hope a fire investigation officer does find exactly the source.

I happen to have a very melted diff centre from a D3 in my collection and I have no idea what caused that fire.

By the way, to reduce the damage in a given time, but only if it is safe to do so, leave open all the doors, that stops the heat building up quickly in the cabin.
.
If you leave the doors open you are ventilating the fire, if temperatures are high enough it will allow the fuel to ignite (fuel meaning combustibles). Keeping the doors shut keeps starves the fire of oxygen.

The first thing we do when we arrive in a fire truck is to ventilate, that way we can see the flame and know where to apply retardant. If you ventilate before we arrive there might not be much for us to do when we get there...

Everyone should carry a fire extinguisher. Buy the biggest one you can accommodate. Less than 1kg is cheap, and easy to stow, but most people waste the retardant learning how to aim the extinguisher. If you waste 5 seconds of a 7 second burst getting the extinguisher on target you won't have much left.

wrinklearthur
7th May 2013, 09:20 AM
If you leave the doors open you are ventilating the fire, if temperatures are high enough it will allow the fuel to ignite (fuel meaning combustibles). Keeping the doors shut keeps starves the fire of oxygen.

In this case the fire had not started in the cabin, it had started under the bonnet and where that fire was there is already a draft of air.

Would not keeping open the doors before the cabin catches alight, keep the heat build up down, the plastic trim ( fuel ) then would be slower to gasify and therefore slow the spread of the fire from the engine bay to the interior?


The first thing we do when we arrive in a fire truck is to ventilate, that way we can see the flame and know where to apply retardant. If you ventilate before we arrive there might not be much for us to do when we get there...

I have no argument with that procedure if the fire is already in the cab.


Everyone should carry a fire extinguisher. Buy the biggest one you can accommodate. Less than 1kg is cheap, and easy to stow, but most people waste the retardant learning how to aim the extinguisher. If you waste 5 seconds of a 7 second burst getting the extinguisher on target you won't have much left.

I agree with those points about carrying an extinguisher entirely and leaning to use it correctly is essential.

Don't forget a shovel or a spade with sand or soil can be quite effective at putting out a small fire by smothering.
The danger then, is getting burnt if you try to lift the bonnet to gain access.
.