Help, 90's Legacy caught on fire
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Help, 90's Legacy caught on fire
The other day my friends car caught on fire. Its a early 90's Subaru Legacy. The night before I put a new battery in it because the old one was bad. She started it up and let it run for a few minutes, but it diddnt want to idle. It would sputter and die. It diddnt sound good when it was running. You could hear the motor struggling to stay alive, and some soft "pop pop" noises coming from the exhaust. She also said there was a bad exhaust smell inside the car. I just figured it was due to the fact it had been sitting for a week or 2 and its never really sounded good to begin with.
Well, the next morning the car caught on fire! Small flames came from the muffler and burnt a part of the rear bumper.
She's now afraid to drive it. I would be too.
What do you think is wrong with it? Clogged muffler? Clogged cat converter?
If it was just the muffler I could chop it off and put a new one on.
Well, the next morning the car caught on fire! Small flames came from the muffler and burnt a part of the rear bumper.
She's now afraid to drive it. I would be too.
What do you think is wrong with it? Clogged muffler? Clogged cat converter?
If it was just the muffler I could chop it off and put a new one on.
wow..
when you say the car caught on fire, do you mean something was actually burning? or just small flame poped from the exaust pipe.?
If it is a fire ***** shooting out from the exhaust pipe, it means there is some problem in engine management I assume. Maybe misfiring.
Check spark plugs and spark plug wires to start with if you can.
I forgot if the early 90s model had direct ignition...I think it was direct ignition. It could be cracked ignition coil.
I don't think it's exhaust or cat, I'd take the car to dealer or to a mechanic who knows Subaru well.
when you say the car caught on fire, do you mean something was actually burning? or just small flame poped from the exaust pipe.?
If it is a fire ***** shooting out from the exhaust pipe, it means there is some problem in engine management I assume. Maybe misfiring.
Check spark plugs and spark plug wires to start with if you can.
I forgot if the early 90s model had direct ignition...I think it was direct ignition. It could be cracked ignition coil.
I don't think it's exhaust or cat, I'd take the car to dealer or to a mechanic who knows Subaru well.
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Originally posted by Subaruski42o
Ha ahhahaha the fire depo came to put your bumper out?????
I find that strangly ammusing
Ha ahhahaha the fire depo came to put your bumper out?????
I find that strangly ammusing
Actually, if you read closely, it was my friends car that caught on fire, and my friend called the fire dept. to put the fire out. I guess it scared her and she diddnt want to risk it. I wasnt actually there when it happened. Can you blame her though?
What was she supposed to do? Her car is on fire. Was she supposed to play volunteer fire fighter and turn on the garden hose, and hope the flames diddnt reach the nearby gas tank? Or maybe get some buckets of water?
Thanks for the help though.
Last edited by Adam F; Jul 18, 2003 at 08:56 AM.
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Hey, Adam, lighten up a tad.
I, for one, am laughing with you, not at you.
Yes, in the heat of things (no pun intended), it must of been scary, but now you can laugh about it.
Anyway, the problem you describe sounds like there is a lot of unburt fuel left in the exhaust gases.
As someone mentioned above, there is a serious fuel management problem.
I suspect the fuel injectors are running at, well, full throttle at idle conditions, spray excessive fuel into the motor. The fuel then puddles up in the exhaust pipe, waiting for a miss fire.
BOOM! Spark fires off during the exhaust stroke, and the flame travels down the exhaust pipe to the tailpipe, setting the bumper on fire.
Which, from my perspective, is funny as hell
DISCLAIMER: As I'm no longer a professional mechanic, don't take this rant as the Gospel.
I, for one, am laughing with you, not at you.
Yes, in the heat of things (no pun intended), it must of been scary, but now you can laugh about it.
Anyway, the problem you describe sounds like there is a lot of unburt fuel left in the exhaust gases.
As someone mentioned above, there is a serious fuel management problem.
I suspect the fuel injectors are running at, well, full throttle at idle conditions, spray excessive fuel into the motor. The fuel then puddles up in the exhaust pipe, waiting for a miss fire.
BOOM! Spark fires off during the exhaust stroke, and the flame travels down the exhaust pipe to the tailpipe, setting the bumper on fire.
Which, from my perspective, is funny as hell
DISCLAIMER: As I'm no longer a professional mechanic, don't take this rant as the Gospel.
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Thanks Oaf. You probably are right about the unburned fuel.
Sorry for going off a little, but I still don't see how one's car catching on fire and rendering it useless is funny. Even though it's not my car, I know I would be quite pissed if my daily driver caught on fire, and I didn't have the money to fix it. Nothing to laugh at really.
I guess there is no easy answer here. I was hoping to get a "yea, thats a common problem. Replace the XXX and it should run just fine!" but I guess that's not going to happen!
Sorry for going off a little, but I still don't see how one's car catching on fire and rendering it useless is funny. Even though it's not my car, I know I would be quite pissed if my daily driver caught on fire, and I didn't have the money to fix it. Nothing to laugh at really.
I guess there is no easy answer here. I was hoping to get a "yea, thats a common problem. Replace the XXX and it should run just fine!" but I guess that's not going to happen!
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Adam
Does the car run now?
Did you move/remove anything when you changed out the battery?
"Not wanting to idle" sounds like a vacuum leak, a big vacuum leak. Look at all the plastic ducting, making sure everything is in place & tight.
Look at the wiring harness. Are ther any exposed wires or loose connectors?
How well is the car being maintained?
Sounds like a trip to the local Scooby garage may be in order.
Does the car run now?
Did you move/remove anything when you changed out the battery?
"Not wanting to idle" sounds like a vacuum leak, a big vacuum leak. Look at all the plastic ducting, making sure everything is in place & tight.
Look at the wiring harness. Are ther any exposed wires or loose connectors?
How well is the car being maintained?
Sounds like a trip to the local Scooby garage may be in order.
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Car Info: '00 BRP RS Sedan / '04 PSM FXT (RIP)
Check out this page and do the "Battery Dance". This will reset the ECU and then you can do some more thorough diagnostics.
http://www.surrealmirage.com/subaru/engine.html
-Brian
http://www.surrealmirage.com/subaru/engine.html
-Brian
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HAPPENED TO ME
CHECK THE INJECTORS FOR CRACKS. PULL THE PLUGS AND SEE IF FUEL COMES OUT WHEN YOU BUMP THE IGNITION. IT JUST HAPPENED TO ME. I WAS TOLD BY MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP THE 90 AND 91'S HAD ATE INJECTORS ON A REGULAR BASIS. MINE WAS LEAKING WHILE THE CAR SAT FOR A FEW WEEKS WENT TO START IT UP GAS MADE IT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE TAILPIPE, STARTED ON FIRE. I PUT IT OUT WENT TO START AGAIN TO MOVE IT AND TWO RODS BROKE FROM THE OVER COMPRESSION IN THE CYLINDER. HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE.
HOPE IT HELPS!
HOPE IT HELPS!
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