I was looking at Summit and did not see this one. Thanks for the information.
I am ordering it tomorrow. If you remove the rod and run a cable from the lever through the firewalls and into the passenger compartment it would be easy to pull and disconnect the battery. To reset you would have to open the hood and manually move the lever. When I get mine I will post pix of the install...

Where did you get that? I want one.

Terrible Fire
 

So sorry to see your sad loss...

Could not get that picture of the poor car on fire with the cemetary in the background out of my head today...

And the Benz cranking itself & running up to full throttle....Like a horrid mix of Stephen Kings (Christine) and Apollo 1....

A sad, sad day to be sure....
Some good will come from this as most of us have been re-energized about getting good fire protection in our cars...

What a tragic event for your beautiful Benz.....

to the OP- my 1985 300D was a 72,000mi fire car, burned to the point where only the lower back seat was recognizible. We pulled the engine and trans and installed it in my friend's 300CD and it ran great, seemingly unharmed by the fire, so maybe theres still hope :)

I read this earlier and felt too bad for you to post. I hope you get a chance to come out of this better then before.

NAPA. I had to ask for it at the parts counter, they did not have it on dispay. $15 or so.

Sad to see
 

Just recently got transfered from Columbia to Anderson. Just down the road from you. That is terrible...I can't even imagine. I feel for you!

Phil:

I'm sorry, but as others have said, good that no one was hurt.

-Scott

Harbor Freight carries a similar (if not identical one) for 5 bucks. Looking at the pictures, I'm pretty sure the two are from the same manufacturer. I was looking to buy one for a Chevy Malibu demolition derby car a while back, but now I'm gonna buy one for my SD.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=97853

Maaaaan that really bites. that's my greatest fear is doing some sort of repair and having it all go up in smoke. I almost burnt down a police car once installing a siren controller. :eek:
we are ALL glad that you got out, alive.

I couldn't help notice the irony in where it caught fire though.

Wow - just saw this thread....glad you were able to get away without harm. Bummer that you couldn't grab the Glock and Ipod when you were in the passenger side of the car.

I hope things go well with your insurance company --- My 300D was 'keyed' on New Years eve and so far...my insurance company isn't on my list of favorite people ---- I'm waiting for final ruling before starting a thread to share the experience.

Also - Glock could be covered under your home owners if listed and registered....a thought.

Oh this is so sad. The story & the first photo is kind of creepy....with the lights & engine coming on again, it was almost like it was trying to save itself from the flames or cry out for help. As you know, Mercedes will always try valiantly to protect their owners first but sometimes cannot save themselves.

At least save the right rear wheel/tire, Turbodiesel emblem & fuel filler cap...maybe you can do a Benz memorial at that cemetery.

That is really tough. A point to remember for all of you out there. An electrical fire will escalate very quickly. The first thing to do is to remove the battery cable so the short goes away! Then work on extinguishing the fire. I have rewired several cars in my career because of shorts. If possible the first thing the firemen will do is cut the battery cables. I don't like to see them cut so keep a wrench handy in the trunk, glove box or door pocket and the cable can be disconnected in a moment. Many times the fire will only have smoldered and will go out by itself after the power is disconnected. But once the flames start.....look out because everything interior of a car will burn.

I do not recommend a ABC extinguisher! The dry chemical they use is highly corrosive and will leave a surface hard to get paint to stick to and destroys the surface beauty of aluminum. I carry a small CO2 (carbon Dioxide) extinguisher which causes no additional damages like the dry chemical. They cost more, and are harder to find, but I believe they are worth it. Check the yellow pages for fire equipment since you will not likely find them at the big W.

Good luck in your search for a replacement. They are out there almost as good or possibly better than yours was you just have to search and be patient.

An additional note: Periodically have your car appraised by a good shop or your dealer if you have a good rapport with one. I have mine updated every 6 months. NADA is a good guideline, but cannot beat the actual apprasial by an expert in the field. It makes negotiating with the insurance adjuster much easier. Also check for "Speciality" or "Antique" auction results like Barrett Jackson for additional ammunition. Good Luck

I am so sorry to see what happened to your car. It is like a bad dream, or a nightmare really. I feel really bad for you. As others have expressed, it is good that you are OK and that it wasn't in your garage.

I lost my mom's car to this extent back in the 70's from a transmission fire while pulling a trailer. Then I lost a Honda Accord in the mid 80's from a fire while I was at a play. At intermission a guy asked if anyone owned a red Honda Accord. I thought, "Aw man, someone hit my car." Well, he walked back to me and put his arm around my shoulder and informed me that my car was on fire. I had been getting oil in the air cleaner but never did find out what really caused it.

I hope things work out OK. As others have pointed out, I would consider taking a good look at the engine and tranny to see if they are salvagable.