quattro Digest, Vol 135, Issue 5
suffolkd at aol.com
suffolkd at aol.com
Wed Jan 7 17:34:32 PST 2015
Ford has many "fire related recall campaigns going on:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/ford-news-and-recalls
And search our vehicles:
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/RecallSearch.cfm
My 1998 F150 recall has a brake switch failure that the switch is always + 12v
So that burns 'em up by leaking brake fluid.
I park that one away from the house.
WAAF used to announce car fires
Seen lots of them, from flares in the trunk, saved that dude's Caddy with shovels of dirt, to those Ferraris like Mike from Pride motor group died in.
Had a close one myself:
1982 F 150 with a 400 in it.
Stopped to get gas in Plymouth MA. While pumping, I checked the oil. Popping the hood I saw the fuel line spewing gas all over so I pulled the nozzel out and drove off.
The cashier ran across the island chasing me down the street, pacing the truck, looking in my window..... I laughed.......
So I stopped in the open lot, turned it off, paid him and he didn't care about the "why", so I just drove home, 50 miles, coasted the last mile downhill and put towels on the smolder in the valley, far from the garage.
Replaced the rubber fuel line.
In fact that was nothing the more I think about them:
Limo ( Lincoln) we rode in burned to the ground.
Overloaded, hit a raised manhole cover. Took the exhaust through the gas tank. Nice orange glow through the tinted windows.
Lots of "fires". Even had one in my PC 300w power supply........ That was the hardest to pinpoint.
Old battery charger, same smell.
NSTAR Electric meter on Cape was the other one. The lugs were glowing cigar end red when they pulled the meter off, same smell.
Black tar seal coating a concrete foundation in the winter and the propane line ruptured. Fed the torch in a burning trickle of liquid propane down the line from the tank.
THAT was scary. Had to charge the bottle from around the corner (blind - more like hiding from the flames) and toss the bottle in the driveway twisted lines and all, then scramble to spin the hot valve closed.
Minivans on highways, etc., btdt!
I digress............
- Scott by BOSTON
> On Jan 7, 2015, at 6:57 PM, quattro-request at audifans.com wrote:
>
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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re:Leather and vinyl seats (TWFAUST at aol.com)
> 2. In Local Audi News: Car goes up in flames in downtown street
> (Mike Arman)
> 3. Re: In Local Audi News: Car goes up in flames in downtown
> street (Kent McLean)
> 4. Re: In Local Audi News: Car goes up in flames in downtown
> street (Tihol Tiholov)
> 5. Re: In Local Audi News: Car goes up in flames in downtown
> street (Mike Arman)
> 6. Re: In Local Audi News: Car goes up in flames in downtown
> street (Huw Powell)
> 7. Re: In Local Audi News: Car goes up in flames in downtown
> street (dgraber460 at aol.com)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2015 17:30:35 -0500
> From: TWFAUST at aol.com
> To: quattro at audifans.com
> Subject: Re:Leather and vinyl seats
> Message-ID: <16c0.106c5cd0.41df0d8b at aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
>
> Huw,
>
> Here is a link to SEM Products Color Coats.
>
> http://www.semproducts.com/automotive-flexible-coatings/color-coattm-aerosol
> s
>
> I notice that it does not specifically say for leather. On the other hand,
> I have a pair of leather sofas that were fading from use and age. I took
> those out and sprayed them with SEM color coat and they have stood up just
> fine, certainly no cracking, peeling, etc. This is a "Professional" product,
> you are more likely to find it in a store which caters to the trade than
> Advance, or Auto Zone.
>
> I think I used it, about 10 years ago, on a pair of leather Supra seats I
> have kicking around. Not a fair test as they are still kicking in my barn
> waiting for a use.
>
> I particularly recommend their "Landau Black" for exterior trim, it was an
> exact match in sheen for those cars I have used it on.
>
> There is a leather restorer advertised for Ferraris, Rolls, etc, that is
> actually supposed to fill cracks. I have never used it and cannot recall
> the name, although it is well recommended. Quite expensive, I think the kit
> for two seats is about $300.00. That is why I have never used it, I still
> have the money I got from the tooth fairy by pulling my daughter's teeth out.
>
> Tom
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 14:59:02 -0500
> From: Huw Powell <audi at humanspeakers.com>
> To: quattro at audifans.com
> Subject: Re: Leather and vinyl seats
> Message-ID: <54AD9006.5040805 at humanspeakers.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
>
> Hi Tom,
>
> No, I'm not sure, I just figured it made sense due to totally different
> materials.
>
> For the vinyl, it has to adhere to the surface of a plastic material.
>
> I bought a rattle can of vinyl dye, since I have some ugly grey I want
> to turn black, and figured I'd use that on any vinyl on the seats as well.
>
> For the leather, it should soak in a bit, and be enhanced rather than
> removed by leather cleaners and conditioners etc., right?
>
> I also picked up a bottle of Fleliblings black leather dye and have used
> all of it so far on one seat indoors, just on the pleats and bolsters.
> The leather eats it up. I had some "excess" get on the other bits here
> and there, I suppose I should look at how that would seem to hold up.
>
> What is this SEM product you speak of?
>
> What I tended to find were either sprays for "everything else" (vinyl,
> carpet, etc.) or products intended for leather.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Huw
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 17:35:14 -0500
> From: Mike Arman <Armanmik at earthlink.net>
> To: "quattro at audifans.com" <quattro at audifans.com>
> Subject: In Local Audi News: Car goes up in flames in downtown street
> Message-ID: <54ADB4A2.5080102 at earthlink.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
>
>
>
> Question . . . could this be specifically a Bosch/VW/Audi related problem?
>
>
> Some years back I had a 914 and I needed some bits - went to a joint called Nick and Noel's Salvage
> in Orlando, Porsche and M-B only. They had a LINE of low mileage 914s which had had "minor" engine
> fires, enough to total the cars. I understand there was a recall on the fuel injectors on these, the
> rubber hose between the injector body and the high pressure rail leaked and managed to spray fuel on
> the hot engine, with completely predictable results.
>
> I also wonder if we hear about this because we talk about our cars. I've seen very, very few auto
> fires in fifty years. One was in about 1968, a Pontiac convertible which scraped the gas tank on a
> concrete divider, my date and I watched the whole thing from the initial sparks to the smoking hulk.
> (Nobody was hurt.) This wasn't the car's fault. It turned out to be a hot date, but not in exactly
> the way we expected . . .
>
> The next one was a Rolls Corniche convertible which was burned in a house fire. I bought the engine
> out of that one for $129.95 at the You-Pull-It and sold it for a grand through Hemmings. Turns out
> there is a group that hot-rods these cars (!) and they wanted it for that. This one wasn't the car's
> fault either, it was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
>
> Then there was a Triumph Trident on which one of the carb ticklers got stuck - or at least that is
> what the owner told the insurance company. I knew both him and the bike and have my own opinion as
> to what really happened.
>
> So we're 0 for 3 on non-Audi/Bosch/VW vehicles.
>
> Then we read on the list about the various Audis which have done the do-it-yourself Viking funeral
> trick, and there have been more than a few, far outnumbering other makes. Why do WE see "so many"
> and don't hear about other makes of cars burning down.
>
> There's a known problem with A-8s and leaky high-pressure fuel lines, there seems to be an endemic
> problem with older type 44s and their variants, and there was the 914 debacle. Commonality: Bosch
> fuel system components.
>
> Do other makes/models have the same incidences of fires, or are we something special? I wonder what
> the percentages are, same for everyone, or higher for specific makes due to the suppliers of fuel
> system components? Is Bosch the problem? Fuel lines? Connections?
>
> Statistics?
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Mike Arman
> 90V8Q
>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2015 18:02:25 -0500
> From: Kent McLean <kentmclean at comcast.net>
> To: Mike Arman <Armanmik at earthlink.net>
> Cc: "quattro at audifans.com" <quattro at audifans.com>
> Subject: Re: In Local Audi News: Car goes up in flames in downtown
> street
> Message-ID: <B06DEBA9-A844-4529-B054-82F88B830C34 at comcast.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
>
>
>> Mike Arman wrote:
>>
>> Do other makes/models have the same incidences of fires, or are we something special? I wonder what the percentages are, same for everyone, or higher for specific makes due to the suppliers of fuel system components? Is Bosch the problem? Fuel lines? Connections?
>
> Do you read all the other lists out there for comparison? :)
>
> My guess: Audis (with galvanized bodies) last a lot longer than other makes. The chances of fuel lines lasting 10 years are good. 15 years? Not as good. 20 years? Not good at all. And Audis are one of the few cars to last that long as daily drivers. But I could be wrong.
>
> —
> Kent McLean
> ’02 VW Beetle TDI and lots of ex-Audis, including Bad Puppy
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2015 15:06:17 -0800
> From: Tihol Tiholov <t.tiholov at gmail.com>
> To: "quattro at audifans.com" <quattro at audifans.com>
> Subject: Re: In Local Audi News: Car goes up in flames in downtown
> street
> Message-ID:
> <CAFgi7AbMFx0FoZpy4DYoG0MRaeGoeH1bB9uq4b9F82QxvR_4Qg at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
>> any guesses to the year from the video? The car didn't look very old
>
> I'd say 2009+
> LED tail lights?
> --
> Tihol
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 18:20:37 -0500
> From: Mike Arman <Armanmik at earthlink.net>
> To: Kent McLean <kentmclean at comcast.net>, "quattro at audifans.com"
> <quattro at audifans.com>
> Subject: Re: In Local Audi News: Car goes up in flames in downtown
> street
> Message-ID: <54ADBF45.8010003 at earthlink.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
>
>> On 1/7/2015 6:02 PM, Kent McLean wrote:
>>
>>> Mike Arman wrote:
>>>
>>> Do other makes/models have the same incidences of fires, or are we something special? I wonder
>>> what the percentages are, same for everyone, or higher for specific makes due to the suppliers
>>> of fuel system components? Is Bosch the problem? Fuel lines? Connections?
>>
>> Do you read all the other lists out there for comparison? :)
>>
>> My guess: Audis (with galvanized bodies) last a lot longer than other makes. The chances of fuel
>> lines lasting 10 years are good. 15 years? Not as good. 20 years? Not good at all. And Audis are
>> one of the few cars to last that long as daily drivers. But I could be wrong.
>>
>> — Kent McLean ’02 VW Beetle TDI and lots of ex-Audis, including Bad Puppy
>
> Kent,
>
> At first blush, I liked this idea a lot, being a hopeless Audi-holic. Yeah, our cars develop obscure
> problems because other cars don't last long enough to . . . sounds good to me!
>
>
> Alas, the average age of a car in the US is 14 years (darn statistics again), so we still need to
> compare the incidence of car fires across other makes and models for similar age groups.
>
> (Another good theory shot to heck. Drat.)
>
>
> I also think that the retirement rate for older Audis may be higher than other makes because these
> cars become insanely maintenance intensive as they get old, and most people just trade 'em in on
> something reliable or park them in the back yard when they discover there's simply no trade-in
> value. Car owners who are willing to actually get their hands dirty are an endangered species.
>
> Anecdotal evidence, yes, but I think possibly worth a further look.
>
> Best,
>
> Mike
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 18:33:06 -0500
> From: Huw Powell <audi at humanspeakers.com>
> To: quattro at audifans.com
> Subject: Re: In Local Audi News: Car goes up in flames in downtown
> street
> Message-ID: <54ADC232.3010603 at humanspeakers.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8; format=flowed
>
> Remember those car owner "slogans" that were going around, oh, 15 years
> ago? The one for the A4 was "I like engine fires".
>
>> On 1/7/2015 5:35 PM, Mike Arman wrote:
>>
>>
>> Question . . . could this be specifically a Bosch/VW/Audi related problem?
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 7
> Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2015 18:50:12 -0500
> From: dgraber460 at aol.com
> To: Armanmik at earthlink.net, kentmclean at comcast.net,
> quattro at audifans.com
> Subject: Re: In Local Audi News: Car goes up in flames in downtown
> street
> Message-ID: <8D1F8EBD015B45C-C98-D0214 at webmail-va191.sysops.aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
>
> Do keep in mind that 48.6 % of all statistics are made up on the spot. (or is that 46.8%?)
>
>
> Alas, the average age of a car in the US is 14 years (darn statistics again), so
> we still need to
> compare the incidence of car fires across other makes and models for similar age
> groups.
>
>
>
>
> Dennis
> Denver
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mike Arman <Armanmik at earthlink.net>
> To: Kent McLean <kentmclean at comcast.net>; quattro <quattro at audifans.com>
> Sent: Wed, Jan 7, 2015 4:20 pm
> Subject: Re: In Local Audi News: Car goes up in flames in downtown street
>
>
>> On 1/7/2015 6:02 PM, Kent McLean wrote:
>>
>>> Mike Arman wrote:
>>>
>>> Do other makes/models have the same incidences of fires, or are we something
> special? I wonder
>>> what the percentages are, same for everyone, or higher for specific makes due
> to the suppliers
>>> of fuel system components? Is Bosch the problem? Fuel lines? Connections?
>>
>> Do you read all the other lists out there for comparison? :)
>>
>> My guess: Audis (with galvanized bodies) last a lot longer than other makes.
> The chances of fuel
>> lines lasting 10 years are good. 15 years? Not as good. 20 years? Not good at
> all. And Audis are
>> one of the few cars to last that long as daily drivers. But I could be wrong.
>>
>> — Kent McLean ’02 VW Beetle TDI and lots of ex-Audis, including Bad Puppy
>
> Kent,
>
> At first blush, I liked this idea a lot, being a hopeless Audi-holic. Yeah, our
> cars develop obscure
> problems because other cars don't last long enough to . . . sounds good to me!
>
>
> Alas, the average age of a car in the US is 14 years (darn statistics again), so
> we still need to
> compare the incidence of car fires across other makes and models for similar age
> groups.
>
> (Another good theory shot to heck. Drat.)
>
>
> I also think that the retirement rate for older Audis may be higher than other
> makes because these
> cars become insanely maintenance intensive as they get old, and most people just
> trade 'em in on
> something reliable or park them in the back yard when they discover there's
> simply no trade-in
> value. Car owners who are willing to actually get their hands dirty are an
> endangered species.
>
> Anecdotal evidence, yes, but I think possibly worth a further look.
>
> Best,
>
> Mike
>
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>
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> ------------------------------
>
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