Burning '99 BMW 5-series in Atlanta snow covered road - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

86560SEL · #1 01-11-2011, 10:30 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9xmp9wcrrw

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khk-CfwUeHs

I DONT THINK this was posted here (if so, please delete and direct me to it), but its everywhere else on the net.... at first alot of untrained people about cars (like TWC) was saying the tires spun so much that they caught fire, but its a RWD car! On the Bimmerforum site, some have said this model has a history of valve cover gasket leaks and that may have been the cause... I guess all of the excessive revving caused it to leak more and with the additional engine heat, etc, you have a fire!

All of this is crazy though... I mean why spin like that, the car wasnt going anywhere. Someone said he had been spinning like that for several minutes, racing the engine, racing the engine at severe speeds. Also the news guy is saying, "its on fire, its burning underneath, get away from it", but he just stands there. Then when interviewed, he is like, "I lost traction for some reason" - well, duh, its a rear wheel drive BMW and you are going uphill on a snow and ice covered hill.

Its about as crazy at this local lady setting in her car in Kingsport, flames shooting out from under the hood and she is found setting inside smoking a cigarette or a joint or something...

Good grief people, get some brains.

http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9028971

retmil46 · #2 01-11-2011, 10:41 PM

I can see the craigslist ad for that BMW now - "This car is HOT!"

Hatterasguy · #3 01-11-2011, 10:48 PM

People down south a funny, a bit of snow and you would think the world is ending!

The fire started under the hood, on a 12 year old BMW that could be anything. No telling what might have been leaking and ignored or what wiring has been hacked over the years.

86560SEL · #4 01-11-2011, 10:51 PM

Yeah, most people in the south dont know how to drive in the snow... lol. I live in NE TN and we average 15 inches per year on average, but even here some are clueless. lol.

This car should not have been out anyway.

Yeah, so many things can cause car fires... youtube is full of many different makes and models on fire... even many that normally dont, probably because of add-ons not put on properly, etc. Must say though there is a high # of BMWs, Range Rovers, Audis, Mini-Coopers, Ford F150s from the 90s, PT Cruisers, just to mention a few on there burning than most any other make/model. Dont see many Benzes on there... what few I seen where like late 90s models or some in Europe... didnt see many 80s MBs on there.

Kuan · #5 01-11-2011, 11:14 PM

It starts when they're about eight...

http://www.kjrh.com/dpp/news/state/Oklahoma-boy-rescued-after-tongue-gets-stuck-on-pole

Quote:

WOODWARD, Okla. (AP) — What began as a dare between two brothers ended with a trip to the hospital for one of them.

The Woodward Fire Department was called around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday after a teacher called to report that an 8-year-old boy's tongue was stuck on a pole.

Officials say when fire crews arrived, they saw the boy standing on his tiptoes, trying to wriggle his frozen tongue free from a stop sign pole across the street from Woodward Middle School.

Paramedics were able to help the boy by pouring water on his tongue. Once free, the boy told officials he got stuck after his brother dared him to lick the pole.

Officials say the boy was taken to a Woodward hospital for treatment.

catmandoo62 · #6 01-11-2011, 11:19 PM

probably been looking for a reason to dump the bimmer.this way his insurance will pay pretty much book price,whereas on the open market he wasn't gonna get near that.

retmil46 · #7 01-11-2011, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kuan

It starts when they're about eight...

http://www.kjrh.com/dpp/news/state/Oklahoma-boy-rescued-after-tongue-gets-stuck-on-pole

Guess that kid doesn't watch much TV around Christmas. How many friggin times do they replay that movie each year?

retmil46 · #8 01-11-2011, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 86560SEL

... didnt see many 80s MBs on there.

Perhaps that's because diesel is combustible, not flammable.

jcyuhn · #9 01-12-2011, 10:36 AM

Probably some oil leaks/congealed oil sludge on the engine they managed to light on fire by running it so hard on the ice. I'd say nice way to get insurance to buy you a new car, but I think we all know how much a '99 BMW is worth...

cscmc1 · #10 01-12-2011, 10:44 AM

My buddy's 5-series went up in a very similar fashion. It turned out to he his blower motor that started the fire.

That newscaster is clueless.

Honus · #11 01-12-2011, 10:48 AM

I bought a 1999 BMW 528i last summer. It's my first BMW and this is my first winter with it. It's not bad in the slippery stuff. It's got some kind of traction control that seems to limit the revs when it starts slipping, although I must admit that I haven't tried that guy's method on stomping on the gas and letting it spin. Good grief.

BTW, my Bimmer is one sweet car.