Earlier tonight, after posting a run of messages here, the wife decided we needed to go out for dinner. Loaded the kids into the Suburban and off we went. We planed our route to take us by the Sears store, so wifey could exchange an item be fore we ate. As I pulled up to the front of the store IT happened.

I was turning and applied the brakes, felt one of the hydraulic lines give out. Almost instantly the engine was on fire from the steering fluid being pumped on the exhaust manifold. The Suburban is a 3/4 ton model with hydraulic over hydraulic brakes, the added pressure of turning and braking apparently burst the hose.

Any how, after a very calm, very real fire drill, after I got the munchkins out and away from the truck, some of the Sears employees came running out with dry extinguishers at the ready. The flames were doused in short order, but not before making a mess of the engine compartment.

Everything on the left side of the engine is toast. I could not tell if the pump to booster pressure line I replaced last weekend blew a fitting, or if one of the other three lines gave out. All of the wiring harnesses and hoses and anything rubber or plastic is wasted.

I feel very lucky, because we took the Suburban tonight. Tomorrow my wife was going to go to San Diego to see her Mother. Her and the kids were going to go in the Suburban. If we hadn't taken it tonight, this would have probably happened on the interstate, probably with different results.

Tomorrow I call the insurance and Sunday I'll try to find out why it happened, tonight I sleep well.

__________________
Mike Tangas
'73 280SEL 4.5 (9/72)- RIP
Only 8,173 units built from 5/71 thru 11/72

'02 CLK320 Cabriolet - wifey's mid-life crisis

2012 VW Jetta Sportwagon TDI...at least its a diesel

Non illegitemae carborundum.