I lost it all....electrical fire high up in the dash - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Diesel911 · #16 01-05-2009, 08:03 PM

Sorry to here of the loss.

I think it is time for me to put a fuse on my Aux Pump!
What is a good amperage for that fuse?

tompaah7503 · #17 01-05-2009, 08:04 PM

I'm so sorry about your situation.. I know "it's just a car" but the amount of time and passion most of us spends on these vehicles, it's not just a car, it's something we've created. Hurts to see it go up in flames.

Here's an idea; if you can salvage a part from that car, however small it might be.. like the trunk emblem, a mirror, door handle.. keep it and put it on your next W123 (because you're going to get one..) even if the part doesn't need to be replaced. That way a part of the old car will be with you.

Take care!

cphilip · #18 01-05-2009, 08:09 PM

I did get the 300D badge off the ground. The fire Dept smashed the front star with an Axe trying to get the hood open. I would have liked to saved some stuff but I was not really thinking clearly in the end. The warning triangle, the original first aid kit, original tool kit, the Coco Mats (custom made by Cocomats.com)....Heck my gun and iPod would have been nice. All sorts of original stuff I had found for it were lost. I even just put a newer door junk pocket on this weekend I had long sought.

I have never heard of this pump issue until now. And I will NOT be without a fire extinguisher ever again.

DeliveryValve · #19 01-05-2009, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diesel911

...
I think it is time for me to put a fuse on my Aux Pump!
What is a good amperage for that fuse?

Taken from the thread I posted earlier, you can get a NAPA # 7823101 (Marine grade fuse holder) and a 7821042 one amp fuse. Splice the holder to the black wire leading to the Auxiliary pump.

DeliveryValve · #20 01-05-2009, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cphilip

....
I have never heard of this pump issue until now. And I will NOT be without a fire extinguisher ever again.

Yeah, I think this info should be "Warning Sticky".

cphilip · #21 01-05-2009, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeliveryValve

Yeah, I think this info should be "Warning Sticky".

Indeed. People please do this right away. Fuse the thing and get a fire Extinguisher immendiately

79Mercy · #22 01-05-2009, 08:15 PM

So ya'll think the aux water pump is the cause of cphilip's fire? I already unplugged mine(doesn't work), should I put a fuse in the wire too?

ImBroke · #23 01-05-2009, 08:17 PM

My heart goes out to you, I know what it's like to spend hours making things just right. At least you got out safe. Good luck with the aftermath.

theo3000 · #24 01-05-2009, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 79Mercy

So ya'll think the aux water pump is the cause of cphilip's fire? I already unplugged mine(doesn't work), should I put a fuse in the wire too?

I would've guessed the blower motor.

DeliveryValve · #25 01-05-2009, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 79Mercy

So ya'll think the aux water pump is the cause of cphilip's fire? I already unplugged mine(doesn't work), should I put a fuse in the wire too?

Quote:

Originally Posted by theo3000

I would've guessed the blower motor.

Unless there is a thorough investigation, this is all speculation. There has been post about fires caused by blower motors also.

But the important thing is to have a fire extinguisher in the car at all times.

Simpler=Better · #26 01-05-2009, 08:32 PM

I'm sorry to hear about your loss. I carry a fire extinguisher, ever since I had to use one to put out a brake caliper fire(burst line onto stuck caliper after highway driving).

Yanked my aux pump, replaced it with a piece of heater hose.

It's not the loss of money that hurts, it's the loss of time in the car

79Mercy · #27 01-05-2009, 08:32 PM

What can be done to the blower motors to prevent a fire?

Simpler=Better · #28 01-05-2009, 08:35 PM

The blower motor pulls more than 10A; I've got mine on a dedicated 20A fuse. Don't know if that's too much.

kerry · #29 01-05-2009, 08:38 PM

Sorry for your loss. My amplifier on the 116 quite working a few weeks ago. It was obvious it had been hot. I unplugged the auxilliary pumps on my 116 and 123. Noticed no difference in how the climate control worked. So as far as I'm concerned, there's no need to fuse them, just unplug them.
I need to get some fire extinguishers.

babymog · #30 01-05-2009, 08:49 PM

So sorry to hear of the loss.

As far as the cause, probably will never know, could have been a chafed wire from previous work (in the past 26years).

I carry two extinguishers: a dry-chem, and a halon. Halon will stop an engine, put out many fires without damage. Dry-chem is an excellent extinguishent, but like the halon, it will put out a fire and not keep it out if the source is still there (ex: short). I also carry a large foam extinguisher in the coach, ... there comes a point where you only have so much space in a car though.

Anyway, the second thing IMO to have, is a cutoff on the battery terminal. There is one that has a kind of a green knob on it, can tighten it to connect, loosen to disconnect, if you have an electical fire you will likely need to disconnect the power to keep the fire from re-igniting.

The engine start thing is unpredictable. A customer of mine had this happen on his 500hp DD engine in his coach after the engine caught fire. It started itself, he pulled the shutoff lever (drops metal flap over intake) and it quit. Then the engine restarted again (flap must've melted) and ran until it apparently ran out of fuel. Didn't see that coming.