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

cphilip · #1 01-05-2009, 07:16 PM

Man am I in the dumps. My beloved and much spent on restoration went up in flames today on the way home. Lost it all. An electrical fire high up in the dash started and I could not get it out and the whole thing went up in flames. Lost it all. This was a mint car that I poured everything into this Summer, All the rubber in the suspension, motor mounts, new radiator, new alternator, new... everything. Original paint. All I had left to do was the seats. Lost my Coco mats, my Real Sheep skins, my Ipod stereo and Ipod and even my G27 Glock in the glove box. This one had 247K and promised many more. NO blow by. Solid tranny. A rust free southern car I paid a premium for because everything worked on it.

Its all gone.

Here she was.....

I was fully insured but I doubt they are going to give me what I have in it... nor will I find another one to replace it like it.

matthias08 · #2 01-05-2009, 07:21 PM

omg. im soooo sorry

@ least u got out...

ray m · #3 01-05-2009, 07:27 PM

If you have pics thats great. Log onto nada.com go to classic autos and it will give you 3 values a reg used value a very good and excellent price. Print it up and shove it down the throat of the appraisor and don't take no for an answer. It worked for me twice.

79Mercy · #4 01-05-2009, 07:30 PM

Man, im sorry about that!!

What caught on fire in the first place?

H-townbenzoboy · #5 01-05-2009, 07:33 PM

Sad, but at least nobody was hurt in the fire.

cphilip · #6 01-05-2009, 07:33 PM

When the fire started I was driving home. It gave no warning. Everything worked as it should. Ran like a top. All electrical stuff worked and was still working when I pulled over.

Smelled something funny. Like burning plastic. Thought it was coming from outside. Finally saw smoke coming from behind the Climate control panel. Tried turning stuff off. Then hunting a place to pull over. Knew a church lot was coming up and made a run to it. Pulled in and saw light coming from a fire behind climate control and the above switch panel. Pulled over and immediately popped off the switch panel above there and ran to the trunk and grabbed a gallon jug of DD water I kept in there. Wasn't full but dashed that in there. Not enough. Grabbed a rag and tried to snuff it out. No luck. Ran back to the trunk and threw some stuff out. Forgot to go get gun and ipod from glove box. Moved away and started trying to call fire. A passer by stopped and offered a Fire extinguisher. That was dead. (remember to have one in the car!) time the fire dept got there the thing was fully engulfed. Glock ammo cooked off before they got there thankfully. The whole thing happened in a 10 minute span. Tires exploded all but one.

Interesting thing happened mid fire, the engine cranked itself and ran. It also then turned on all its headlights and eventually the engine rev'd up to its highest RPM and finally died. Coughing up a gush of fluids as she gave it up. She went down fighting. A good motor too. A now blow by well maintained 249K. She was just about to hit 250 too. I had just changed her oil last week.

ray m · #7 01-05-2009, 07:34 PM

TRY THIS LINK ON A 1983 300D
http://www.nadaguides.com/default.aspx?LI=1-22-1-5013-0-0-0&l=1&w=22&p=1&f=5014&y=1982&m=1115&d=4224&c=7&vi=76710&da=1

I hope this will make you feel a little better.

theo3000 · #8 01-05-2009, 07:34 PM

My condolences

DeliveryValve · #9 01-05-2009, 07:35 PM

Oh I feel bad. Sorry for you lost, that is one beautiful '83.

You stated that the fire started high in the dash. Do you think it was the climate control caused the fire?

My buddy had one go. Link to the thread.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cphilip

..... Finally saw smoke coming from behind the Climate control panel. .....

Most likely from a frozen Aux pump.

cphilip · #10 01-05-2009, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ray m

If you have pics thats great. Log onto nada.com go to classic autos and it will give you 3 values a reg used value a very good and excellent price. Print it up and shove it down the throat of the appraisor and don't take no for an answer. It worked for me twice.

I have TONS of pictures. I plan to use them.

NADA give a lot higher price than I thought they would! Maybe there is hope. I had poured everything into this car as it was a "keeper" from the get go.

cphilip · #11 01-05-2009, 07:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeliveryValve

Oh I feel bad. Sorry for you lost, that is one beautiful '83.

You stated that the fire started high in the dash. Do you think it was the climate control caused the fire?

My buddy had one go. Link to the thread.

This is the area of the switches just above it. I think a main harness crosses over top there. The fire I saw was wiring insulation just behind the switches and on top of the climate control. The ones for the Sunroof and antenna ans such. In that areas. If there was more I could not tell.

DeliveryValve · #12 01-05-2009, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cphilip

This is the area of the switches just above it. I think a main harness crosses over top there. The fire I saw was wiring insulation just behind the switches and on top of the climate control. The ones for the Sunroof and antenna ans such. In that areas. If there was more I could not tell.

Has to be from a frozen Aux pump.

Here are shots of my buddy's CCU caused from a frozen Aux. Pump. A fuse in the line would prevented this.

Thread

theo3000 · #13 01-05-2009, 07:45 PM

I need to get a fire extinguisher asap. That's the third or fourth one I've read about, and a 15 dollar extinguisher could have saved them all.

cphilip · #14 01-05-2009, 07:50 PM

I would bet on the CCU now that I have seen that. Oddly enough the Climate control was all functioning normally even during the start of the fire. I had to turn it off. The pump was checked for functionality back in the summer when I was doing the radiator and the new Alternator. But... things change.

And yea... it had to be something that was not fused. Because no fuses blew that I know of. Nothing turned off. I had to turn everything off.

If I had had a Fire extinguisher I could have saved it with minimal damage. I was in there.... It was small at the time. I could have saved it. I will never drive another car without one. I will go out tomorrow and purchase one for each car. I have one in my truck. I should have had one in this car.

Dieselkraut23 · #15 01-05-2009, 07:57 PM

Wow a guy on benzworld had his euro wagon do the same thing but people this it was the blower motor or he does i forgot but OMG that is just so f*cking sad man i hate to see stuff like this and im sure you hate to have had it happpen to you.

I feel your loss as i have lost a nice car to a wreck.

I think everyone should learn from this to KEEP a fire extinguisher in there even if not a benz one.

Also i always remove my aux water pump because of other reasons so thats pretty good to know that can happen.