My dads mrs's sisters car went up in flames for no apparent reason.

Ace Modder · 22 Mar 2011 at 21:22

My dad's partners sister went to work yesterday and parked her car a few hundred yards away from her place of work (out of site though).

She finished work and her car was gone, so she got straight onto the phone to the rozzers and they advised that her car was "on fire" and a fire engine had to come and put the fire out and they removed the car.

The police report claims, nobody was involved, but the car did also damage the car of her boss (a BMW). Her insurance are not willing to give her a curtosy car for a few days until an initial investigation has been carried out. If she is found responsible for the fire then she is apparently not going to be entitled at a car or any insurance payout.

Here is an article for the incident.

http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/news/M...st-flames/article-3357630-detail/article.html

Muncher · 22 Mar 2011 at 21:28

How could she have possibly caused it? She's covered short of torching it herself!

johnny6 · 22 Mar 2011 at 21:29

Really really bad parking job

Cosimo · 22 Mar 2011 at 21:31

How on earth could it ”lurch” forward by itself. That sounds very odd. I do hope she gets a payout.

Ace Modder · 22 Mar 2011 at 21:31

I assume that a dodgy wiring loom was at fault here.

Ace Modder · 22 Mar 2011 at 21:32

simulatorman said:
How on earth could it ”lurch” forward by itself. That sounds very odd. I do hope she gets a payout.

Nobody saw this as far as I'm aware, the person who reported the fire told her the cars were both already on fire when she found it.

VFM Addict · 22 Mar 2011 at 21:40

Its the leap forward that totally baffles me. Was it on a slight hill possibly? Forgot the hand-brake and it later rolled forward. No way it should have gone forward if parked with the hb on.

Shimmy · 22 Mar 2011 at 21:51

Possibly left in gear, then car electrics randomly start engine = lurch forward?

I've heard of car fires spontaneously starting due to faulty power sounders when batteries have corroded over time.

grudas · 22 Mar 2011 at 21:55

can't the handbrake cables burn off? i mean if the fire started of course it was internally.. then the cable burned off and the car moved forward.. fire got bigger and then got noticed by someone?

4T5 · 22 Mar 2011 at 21:56

If she left it in gear & the loom/starter motor engaged it would lurch forward.
Sorry to hear about this though mate I hope your Dads partners Sister isn't to shaken up by it.

Stinky · 22 Mar 2011 at 22:00

VFM Addict said:
Its the leap forward that totally baffles me. Was it on a slight hill possibly? Forgot the hand-brake and it later rolled forward. No way it should have gone forward if parked with the hb on.

That's what I thought until one day parked on a hill I left my van for 6 hours with HB on, and just as I was walking back to it it started rolling back towards me down the hil :eek:

It could happen

SpeedFreak · 22 Mar 2011 at 22:02

tyres blowing out?

Ace Modder · 22 Mar 2011 at 22:06

SpeedFreak said:
tyres blowing out?

Ah, good point there.

SpeedFreak · 22 Mar 2011 at 22:10

Ace Modder said:
Ah, good point there.

would have been pretty easy for a person awakened by it to assume it was a crash.

VFM Addict · 22 Mar 2011 at 22:33

SpeedFreak said:
tyres blowing out?

Yep, that makes sense. Effectively an afterburners powered lurch.

bledd · 23 Mar 2011 at 00:45

Remote start fob y0!

Dogbreath · 23 Mar 2011 at 10:29

grudas said:
can't the handbrake cables burn off? i mean if the fire started of course it was internally.. then the cable burned off and the car moved forward.. fire got bigger and then got noticed by someone?

They can, this happened to a neighbours car close to where I live. Pretty stupid not leaving it in gear if you are parked on a hill though.

Firestar_3x · 23 Mar 2011 at 10:33

Ace Modder said:
I assume that a dodgy wiring loom was at fault here.

Yep, odds are it's a wiring / battery fault.

ScarySquirrel · 23 Mar 2011 at 11:09

That article is a bit misleading isn't it?

Mystery as cars with no occupants collide and burst into flames

Did they actually collide?

PhillyDee · 23 Mar 2011 at 11:12

ScarySquirrel said:
That article is a bit misleading isn't it?

Did they actually collide?

I think they are just assuming so.