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

[Larry C Leung]

Note, a vast number of earlier (say 60's, 70's, 80's) 'merican cars could
not be unlocked unless the button on top of the door was lifted. No
double pull on the lever would work there either.

As for legal defense on the (probable improper) installation of the
battery (circumstantial evidence says it wasn't properly installed, at
least from what I've read) you can bet AoA will defend itself profusely.
A helpful local lister certainly can offer the investigators pages from
the Bentley, but if they refuse, you know Audi will more than pitch in to
defend it's position.

Personally, I rather like the battery under the back seat. It stays much
cleaner, it gets to operate in warmer conditions much of it's life, and
it's out of the way of the engine compartment (somehow with the anchor of
an engine that the I-5 sort of is, I doubt it really helps weight
distribution). It also is an effective use of wasted space.

LL - NY

On Mon, 14 Jan 2002 16:24:40 -0500 Brett Dikeman <brett at cloud9.net>
writes:
>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
>--
>----
>"They that give up essential liberty to obtain temporary
>safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - Ben Franklin
>http://www.users.cloud9.net/~brett/
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