Total loss... 🤦🏼‍♂️ Engine bay fire burned down my Bronco

[Tex]

Argue all you want, I’ll believe what I have seen with my own eye’s. It’s not the coolant that burns them down but when the coolant fire causes a fuel line to fail. It was a design flaw with the 3516ULB not a lack of maintaince. All of these dry manifold engines are being converted to wet manifold to prevent this from happening. BTW nothing will kill an AJAX damn old two strokes just keep going!

You're arguing that coolant fires are possible to one of the few people in the thread that said coolant fires are possible. It's an order of magnitude less likely in a Bronco than a Cat, given how much more heat the Cat manifolds can hold, but I never ruled it out...it would just have to be a perfect scenario for it to happen in a Bronco. You could just about quench one of these tiny turbos with a squirt bottle LOL

Oh, the engines were great, it was all the ancillary stuff attached to them that needed addressed a long time ago. Leaking gas lines, brittle coolant hoses, that sort of thing. I loved cranking them up with that gas start though, all the noise and smoke and fire, sounding like a steam engine spooling up, the potential for unburned H2S to kill me, it was pretty cash money. A nearby lease actually had a few Fairbanks Morse engines running pumpjacks too, hadn't seen or heard those things for decades and there they were still putting in work right next to multi-million dollar fully automated pads. It was a strange mix of old and new side by side.

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[Kerney]

This is an interesting thermal event and glad nobody was hurt. The op is wisely not answering any questions on electrical modifications as this may or may not end up going legal. If so chosen a professional investigator can likely determine root cause but ultimately that may not happen. The cost of this vehicle is going to be weighed against the cost of hiring the investigator which will be quite expensive then the added legal costs which would likely exceed the Broncos value. They may choose to pay off the insurance claim and this go nowhere. It would be different if this was a million dollar piece of equipment or if somebody was hurt.

Based in my limited knowledge of this situation I doubt this was electrical and likely gasoline, oil, or something external (nest). It went up fast following a hot shutdown ( heat soak ) which doesn't seem electrical, but I've seen crazy stuff that you'd never would have thought could happen. If the OP did some electrical work before this trip then everything changes.

 

[North7]

I am not going with the odds, I am going with the long shot. Not the most likely.

Anyway from what I know of these systems, I put it as even odds that software could cause this sort of event.

Okay, we will test your hypothesis, please explain:

1. Which Bronco module could produce such an errant software event?
2. Which connected engine mechanical part, fuel system component or electrical device would catch fire in your scenario?
3. Do you really understand automotive systems or do you only know where to put the gas in and how to start it?

For another real case of fire cause and effect, read about Swissair Flight 111 here, hint, the probable cause was not a software event (@KABQ this was a sad loss of an MD-11):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swissair_Flight_111

 

[stickshifthappy]

In the midst of all this speculation of what caused the fire we have this gem. Do I want to know how you come about enough sheep urine to fill a Super Soaker? And does it have to be sheep urine or can I use what’s available, like my own? Ya just never know what you’re going to read on that forum.

1. Those records are sealed.

2. Any urine will do in a pinch.

 

[KABQ]

Okay, we will test your hypothesis, please explain:

1. Which Bronco module could produce such an errant software event?
2. Which connected engine mechanical part, fuel system component or electrical device would catch fire in your scenario?
3. Do you really understand automotive systems or do you only know where to put the gas in and how to start it?

For another real case of fire cause and effect, read about Swissair Flight 111 here, hint, the probable cause was not a software event (@KABQ this was a sad loss of an MD-11):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swissair_Flight_111

Yeah that's a strange one, especially because I believe all the rules about cabin materials were in place by the time that aircraft was manufactured.
https://www.fire.tc.faa.gov/Research/Background

 

[Tex]

Do you really understand automotive systems or do you only know where to put the gas in and how to start it?

Next time maybe add a little bit more of a condescending tone, it'll help you win arguments better on the internet.

 

[North7]

Yeah that's a strange one, especially because I believe all the rules about cabin materials were in place by the time that aircraft was manufactured.
https://www.fire.tc.faa.gov/Research/Background

Yes, a typical unknown chain of events, that when combined, lead to a catastrophic outcome. I remember the event well, I worked for a competitor at the time that had a similar LRU to the one that brand x was blamed for as the source of the overheating (they went bankrupt). Our unit drew 40 amps, when it came time for a mod, I was on the hook as the engineering manager to sign off for design approval, talk about pucker factor. I made sure we tested (DO-160) and reviewed it at all levels, including wiring, to be 100% confident our unit would not lead to a similar outcome.

 

[stickshifthappy]

Next time maybe add a little bit more of a condescending tone, it'll help you win arguments better on the internet.

There are a few of those folks here. Thankfully they’re not many in number.

 

[F-Spot]

Typically the darker or more discolored areas are signs of either starting points for fires, or where there was a different type of fuel or accelerant, in this pic you can see the glovebox area and the driver side close to the firewall are the blackest which is also where our accessory cables are for the AUX switches. Also the passenger side aux cap above the windshield I think has a cable too. All three areas are burnt to a crisp more than the surrounding areas

Just a guess but it looks like their was either an incorrect wiring job done to the AUX switches, or the powered runs shorted or grounded out. Just noticed what could have been pod lights that mount close to the side mirrors and the passenger side of the windshield A pillar is more discolored than the drivers side, which does not have an AUX cable.

but just a guess based my my few years of being a fire fighter and just happening to know where the aux cables are, which the fire investigator or fire fighters wouldn’t know if they didn’t have a bronco or didn’t check wiring schematics. Which honestly is the insurance guys job since there were no deaths.

The top of the engine looks super dark. Could it be possible, the other dark areas are dark due to the hood deflecting the flames and heat towards them? The top of the front tire is melted away and the other front tire likely is too...likely from the hood deflecting the fire and the fire intensifying anywhere it can get oxygen, like from the wheel wells after the liner melted away.

 

[Easy-v]

The top of the engine looks super dark. Could it be possible, the other dark areas are dark due to the hood deflecting the flames and heat towards them? The top of the front tire is melted away and the other front tire likely is too...likely from the hood deflecting the fire and the fire intensifying anywhere it can get oxygen, like from the wheel wells after the liner melted away.

Engine cover? Some people have put them on…

 

[Rex21c]

The top of the engine looks super dark. Could it be possible, the other dark areas are dark due to the hood deflecting the flames and heat towards them? The top of the front tire is melted away and the other front tire likely is too...likely from the hood deflecting the fire and the fire intensifying anywhere it can get oxygen, like from the wheel wells after the liner melted away.

yea it’s hard to tell from color on top of the engine since when it’s not been on fire it’s natural color is black, but there are a lot of debris on the engine that is partially melted vs for example the fuse box which is just gone. this Is where it could get tricky narrowing it down. Just pointing out what I know, and what evidence there is for it. Tires typically will bow as the air inside them heats up and increases the pressure inside the tire past it’s specs. The rubber tires and plastic inner fenders are close to the driver and passenger AUX wires. The inner fenders could catch first then it’s just a matter of radiant heat for the tires to blow, then dripping hot plastic on the tire or tire debris and the rubber will catch fire sooner or later.

the hood could have presented more clues, but unlikely as it probably is cover in pollutant from the fire and is all black.

 

[F-Spot]

After looking at all the photos, it looks like the driver's side is considerably more damaged from the fire than the passenger side. Very glad no one was inside the vehicle. I was pulling into my neighborhood a couple years ago and a brand new Range Rover started smoking at the stoplight waiting to turn out of the neighborhood. First the driver got out and was walking around, then he motioned his wife and kids to get out of the vehicle. None of them seemed to move with any urgency. First they just hovered around the Rover, I guess assuming the smoke was just something overheating. Then the smoke got dark and thick and flames burst out from under the front. The family moved to the sidewalk and before they could turn around, the flames were really flaring up. We have a fire station one mile down the road...thankfully. Within minutes, the entire vehicle was ablaze and popping like popcorn in a bag. To this day, I have no idea what happened with that Range Rover.

 

[Tex]

To this day, I have no idea what happened with that Range Rover.

Obviously it was his aftermarket lights that ultimately caused it to rove its last range.

 

[JohnnyBronco]

Okay, we will test your hypothesis, please explain:

1. Which Bronco module could produce such an errant software event?
2. Which connected engine mechanical part, fuel system component or electrical device would catch fire in your scenario?
3. Do you really understand automotive systems or do you only know where to put the gas in and how to start it?

For another real case of fire cause and effect, read about Swissair Flight 111 here, hint, the probable cause was not a software event (@KABQ this was a sad loss of an MD-11):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swissair_Flight_111

So you ate suggesting bird strike? The number one cause of planes falling from the skies?

 

[North7]

So you ate suggesting bird strike? The number one cause of planes falling from the skies?

No, a high amperage unit over heated and ignited the cockpit liner that turned out to be more flammable that it should have been. There are no cases of the three jet engine DC-10 / MD-11 being brought down by bird strikes, see the link above for more details. By the way, the number one cause of planes falling from the sky is pilot error, you will be hard pressed to find any stats putting bird strikes in the top ten.

Now back to the analysis of the spontaneous combustible Bronco.

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