2004 6MT - Death by Engine Fire
07-31-2018, 11:35 AM
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2004 6MT - Death by Engine Fire
Sad to say, my 2004 2.7T allroad has been totaled due to an engine fire after state emissions mechanic replaced the PCV valve.
Details:
Old car, but had been running well with no problems for years.
New state resident, brought car to state regulated emissions site, a chain owned by a big parts manufacturer.
Car fails emissions test due to check engine light.
Bring back for diagnostic, results in diagnosis the PCV valve needs to be replaced.
$700 for parts/labor, told to drive for three days and bring back for new emissions test.
Pick up car and drive 5 miles of 25 mph roads home.
Sits in driveway for one day. The next day, first time driving since pickup, drive 60 highways miles to pick up my children at their grandmothers and go to a nice playground we've been going to for years.
After 35-40min at the playground, I see smoke coming from the parking lot, and within 5 minutes flames are coming out from under the front driver's side.
Another minute passes and the whole front end is engulfed in flames. The car I've loved for 11 years is dead.
I am obviously livid. My children could have been in the car, stuck in traffic. The car could have been parked in our garage and burned while we went to bed. Only out of sheer luck are we not injured, or dead, and still have a home.
While it's clear from my perspective having driven the car for 140k miles without it bursting into flames that the shop did something wrong which caused the engine area to catch fire, but I'm not technically inclined enough to know what could have happened. I'm curious if anyone has any suggestions. Does anyone know the process of changing the PVC valve well enough to know what could have gone wrong with either the part or installation that could result in a fire? The fire started in the front portion, driver's side.
Full disclosure, my insurance is going to do a forensic investigation, but that may take some time. I'll upload photos of the engine remains a bit later.
Details:
Old car, but had been running well with no problems for years.
New state resident, brought car to state regulated emissions site, a chain owned by a big parts manufacturer.
Car fails emissions test due to check engine light.
Bring back for diagnostic, results in diagnosis the PCV valve needs to be replaced.
$700 for parts/labor, told to drive for three days and bring back for new emissions test.
Pick up car and drive 5 miles of 25 mph roads home.
Sits in driveway for one day. The next day, first time driving since pickup, drive 60 highways miles to pick up my children at their grandmothers and go to a nice playground we've been going to for years.
After 35-40min at the playground, I see smoke coming from the parking lot, and within 5 minutes flames are coming out from under the front driver's side.
Another minute passes and the whole front end is engulfed in flames. The car I've loved for 11 years is dead.
I am obviously livid. My children could have been in the car, stuck in traffic. The car could have been parked in our garage and burned while we went to bed. Only out of sheer luck are we not injured, or dead, and still have a home.
While it's clear from my perspective having driven the car for 140k miles without it bursting into flames that the shop did something wrong which caused the engine area to catch fire, but I'm not technically inclined enough to know what could have happened. I'm curious if anyone has any suggestions. Does anyone know the process of changing the PVC valve well enough to know what could have gone wrong with either the part or installation that could result in a fire? The fire started in the front portion, driver's side.
Full disclosure, my insurance is going to do a forensic investigation, but that may take some time. I'll upload photos of the engine remains a bit later.
08-13-2018, 10:52 AM
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Sad to say, my 2004 2.7T allroad has been totaled due to an engine fire after state emissions mechanic replaced the PCV valve.
Details:
Old car, but had been running well with no problems for years.
New state resident, brought car to state regulated emissions site, a chain owned by a big parts manufacturer.
Car fails emissions test due to check engine light.
Bring back for diagnostic, results in diagnosis the PCV valve needs to be replaced.
$700 for parts/labor, told to drive for three days and bring back for new emissions test.
Pick up car and drive 5 miles of 25 mph roads home.
Sits in driveway for one day. The next day, first time driving since pickup, drive 60 highways miles to pick up my children at their grandmothers and go to a nice playground we've been going to for years.
After 35-40min at the playground, I see smoke coming from the parking lot, and within 5 minutes flames are coming out from under the front driver's side.
Another minute passes and the whole front end is engulfed in flames. The car I've loved for 11 years is dead.
I am obviously livid. My children could have been in the car, stuck in traffic. The car could have been parked in our garage and burned while we went to bed. Only out of sheer luck are we not injured, or dead, and still have a home.
While it's clear from my perspective having driven the car for 140k miles without it bursting into flames that the shop did something wrong which caused the engine area to catch fire, but I'm not technically inclined enough to know what could have happened. I'm curious if anyone has any suggestions. Does anyone know the process of changing the PVC valve well enough to know what could have gone wrong with either the part or installation that could result in a fire? The fire started in the front portion, driver's side.
Full disclosure, my insurance is going to do a forensic investigation, but that may take some time. I'll upload photos of the engine remains a bit later.
Details:
Old car, but had been running well with no problems for years.
New state resident, brought car to state regulated emissions site, a chain owned by a big parts manufacturer.
Car fails emissions test due to check engine light.
Bring back for diagnostic, results in diagnosis the PCV valve needs to be replaced.
$700 for parts/labor, told to drive for three days and bring back for new emissions test.
Pick up car and drive 5 miles of 25 mph roads home.
Sits in driveway for one day. The next day, first time driving since pickup, drive 60 highways miles to pick up my children at their grandmothers and go to a nice playground we've been going to for years.
After 35-40min at the playground, I see smoke coming from the parking lot, and within 5 minutes flames are coming out from under the front driver's side.
Another minute passes and the whole front end is engulfed in flames. The car I've loved for 11 years is dead.
I am obviously livid. My children could have been in the car, stuck in traffic. The car could have been parked in our garage and burned while we went to bed. Only out of sheer luck are we not injured, or dead, and still have a home.
While it's clear from my perspective having driven the car for 140k miles without it bursting into flames that the shop did something wrong which caused the engine area to catch fire, but I'm not technically inclined enough to know what could have happened. I'm curious if anyone has any suggestions. Does anyone know the process of changing the PVC valve well enough to know what could have gone wrong with either the part or installation that could result in a fire? The fire started in the front portion, driver's side.
Full disclosure, my insurance is going to do a forensic investigation, but that may take some time. I'll upload photos of the engine remains a bit later.
Gawd that sux. I'm glad you're OK. Curious to see what insurance finds...
09-04-2018, 09:46 AM
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Ugh, That sucks really, really bad, sorry to hear about your experience, and thanks for sharing,
since we should all be aware that this car is of the "burst into flames" type. If the car had been driving ok, no smells of fuel, running smooth, then there's
no telling when you could have an issue like yours. That's nuts that it went up in flames while parked, engine off. I've heard of fuel lines leaking onto hot turbos while running and woosh, up in flames,
I'm gonna take a stab and guess anything electrical could have been the culprit, but driver's side? Hmm.. air intake, maf, exhaust manifold, fuel lines, anything electrical or has an electrical motor or high voltage...leaky injector?
Thanks for the story... hope we can figure this out, unless as a forum community, everyone already knows the spots in the engine bay prone to causing a fire.
since we should all be aware that this car is of the "burst into flames" type. If the car had been driving ok, no smells of fuel, running smooth, then there's
no telling when you could have an issue like yours. That's nuts that it went up in flames while parked, engine off. I've heard of fuel lines leaking onto hot turbos while running and woosh, up in flames,
I'm gonna take a stab and guess anything electrical could have been the culprit, but driver's side? Hmm.. air intake, maf, exhaust manifold, fuel lines, anything electrical or has an electrical motor or high voltage...leaky injector?
Thanks for the story... hope we can figure this out, unless as a forum community, everyone already knows the spots in the engine bay prone to causing a fire.
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