Fiery test drive

[DSGrebel]

I went to test drive a 1993 Buick le sabre yesterday evening, since my brake lines went out on my bonneville. Temp gauge was lower than normal operating temp. I took it 10 mins down the road before it started to smoke really bad so I went to pull over and the engine bay caught fire!

[CMNTMXR57]

It had nothing to do with the temp the vehicle was running at. Looks like a fuel leak or other fluid leak (trans fluid??).

[ddalder]

Well, you might be able to pick this up cheap on a fire sale! Glad you weren't hurt

[DSGrebel]

I did happen to take a photo of the engine bay before I took it out on the road.

[harofreak00]

Someone did a horrible job trying to clean up a greasy pig... look at that valve cover.

[CMNTMXR57]

Yea, I've never understood that. You want to sell something, at least put a little lipstick on it and clean it up some...

Anyway, Hard to really see anything "wrong" there per-se, but one thing I do see, and I'm not saying this is the cause, The trans fluid dipstick is in upside down. Normally this is completely irrelevant as once it's firmly pressed down, it's seated and fine. But in some other vehicles, if you don't put it in correctly, it won't go all the way down and seal properly and may push back up a little when the engine is running and being driven. If that is the case, could some fluid flow up and out (it would have to be a substantial amount mind you), and then down onto a hot exhaust manifold and voila... Again, this IS a complete idiotic stretch of a possibility, but not unheard of either. I think most GM seal no matter which way they're put in, just trying to think outside the box so to speak.

[haro1225]

Didn't the early 92-95 cars have some fires due to the trans lines leaking onto the exhaust? I want to say I've seen this kind of thing before.

[CMNTMXR57]

Had the car been in a frontal accident? That's what happened to my GTP. When everything was put back together afterword, the trans line coming out of the radiator eventually failed, spraying the engine with trans fluid, starting a nice little bonfire.

Now mind you, it wasn't a colossal raging inferno like above, it was enough to where I was able to hop out, open the hood and blow it out. Yes, I have that much hot air...

[00Beast]

Yikes! What did the owner have to say about it?

[agrazela]

LeSizzle!

From the looks of the engine bay pic, could have been VC gaskets leaking oil onto exhaust manifolds. Many a W-body has sparked one that way.

[Jfridge92]

I can see the ad now: "LeSabre for sale, heat works great!"


Otherwise, glad no one was injured in the fire. That engine bay is definitely a mess, that car was rode hard and put up wet! That poor LeSabre



Also, I see that it had a Georgia plate on it.

[CMNTMXR57]

It would have to be a titanic oil leak from the valve covers to start a fire like that. Many vehicles as they age/accumulate mileage, have leaky valve covers and nothing comes of it. Most oil, while yes, they're flammable because "duh, they have petroleum in it...", have a rather high "flash" rating, that in most common small leaking doses, won't amount to much other than smelling.

Regular Valvoline conventional motor oil has a flash of 220*C, which converts to 428*F. Not saying that a header won't get that hot, but that it would take a bit to actually start a flame.

[RJolly87]

Didn't the early 92-95 cars have some fires due to the trans lines leaking onto the exhaust? I want to say I've seen this kind of thing before.

Yup, I think there was a recall on it too at one point. The crimps would cut loose at the transition from metal to rubber

[Luxrain]

The car apparently didn't want to leave it's previous owner obviously. So it committed suicide in the best way possible. All joking aside glad your ok

[Jfridge92]

I'm actually really curious as to what the owner had to say after this hahaha, had to be awkward considering he was trying to sell it in a poor condition that he was likely aware of. Not that he knew it would catch fire, but that it wasn't maintained at all.

[DSGrebel]

The guy who owned the car said he just bought it 2 weeks ago from an old man. Which is believable to me considering the odometer was only at 113k miles for a 93. The interior was 9/10 only the dash lights didn't work.

After I called the emergency services to come put it out I called the owner and let him know. He said " really?!? Fu*******." Then I sent him this picture.

[Jfridge92]

Dang that really sucks for him if that's the case
Hopefully he had full coverage on it or didn't pay to much for it

[VIN_H_For_Hotness]

I suspect a fuel leak.

Look at the hose underneath the TB. It's soaked in something all the way up to the intake manifold, and the fuel lines go right by that area.

[BonnieBoy08]

Well, I guess at least it happened on the test drive and not the drive home after purchase! That's nuts, glad you're ok