SF Gate: Freak fire traps man inside Audi/Battery failure a possible cause

[Brett Dikeman]

At 11:09 AM -0800 1/14/02, Greg wrote:

>    Redwood City -- A Redwood City man was in critical condition last night at
>a San Jose hospital after he was trapped in a bizarre car fire that may
>have disabled the automobile's electrical system, preventing him from
>unlocking the doors, authorities said.
>    The man suffered burns over 50 percent of his body after being trapped in
>a 1985 Audi 5000 sedan.

It sounds like what happened was the doors locked or -were- locked;
the fire started...and he panicked.  He kept pulling the door
handle...but as anybody who  drives an Audi knows, unlike american
cars, the doors don't just pop open when you pull the handle.  I will
note that the Volvo unlocks the door when you pull the handle,
arguably better since if you've got kids young/dumb enough to pull
the door handle while in motion, that's what kiddie locks are for and
they should be in back.

What should be noted is that the cause of the fire was -probably- an
improperly installed battery and possibly a faulty charging
system...ie, no battery vent hose installed.  Hydrogen builds up
etc...especially if the battery is getting overcharged or has been
neglected.

$20 says that the fire department finds no traces of a vent hose,
burnt or otherwise.  It'll be virtually impossible, I suspect, to
tell if the battery was improperly maintained and thus overheated.
Obviously the charging system is going to be tougher, but I suppose
any shop with an alternator tester can confirm that part.

Another $20 says that the family of the man, especially if he doesn't
make it(I hope he does, and not because they might sue...any death is
tragic), sues Audi despite the fact that the car is almost 20 years
old and had a battery installed in a manner which Audi CLEARLY and
VEHEMENTLY states can cause explosion/fire etc.

Although he wouldn't admit it if he knew otherwise, I suspect the AoA
marketing guy is right...I do have a vague memory of someone saying
they had a small kaboom, but I seem to remember that, in that case,
there was no battery vent hose installed either.  It should be noted
that probably a large number of 5000's are running around without
vent hoses, due to incompetance on the part of places like NTB
etc...and still, we don't hear about this sort of thing very often.

   I've heard of people who had batteries short out because there was
no cap on the positive terminal and they overloaded the seat, but
again...Audi specifically cautions the positive terminal should be
covered for just that reason.

Perhaps a lister in the area could contact the office for that area
and offer to pass along, say, a faxed page from the Bentley or two....

BTW, many type44 owners have discovered that you cannot unlock,
immediately after unlocking...you'll pop the ball joint.  Can anyone
confirm my suspicion and memory of the way it is set up, that such a
failure would be impossible by pulling up on the lock knob?


B
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