Well, I think she's gone! - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

chgolatin2 · 05-22-2007, 09:44 PM

After doing some mods to the car, exhaust, intake and headers and spending quite of bit of my hard earned money I think my car will be laid to rest soon. Today I was driving my beauty around for most of the day without ANY problems, all of a sudden. My engine cought on fire, the whole interior of the engine compartment is burnt up and when I got out of the car I heard a loud explosion coming from the engine compartment. Since I am a firefighter I try to but the flames out however I didnt have the necessary equipment of tools to do the job effectively. Needless to say I call my fire dept out to assist and they drowned my car.

My interior is intack besides the read panels that is completely melted and gone, flame and smoke came out of the intake and under the engine area. I notice that I heard a weird noise when I was driving and all of a sudden she was on FIRE

I never had an issue with a car burning on me but its kinda strange that I just recently picked up the car from my Porsche indy shop on the 18th. Lastly, when the car was catching on fire it looked like the headers and 02 sensors were flaming. So I dont know. The car is intack besides the other areas that I mention.

Damn it, and I was just starting to enjoy the car

so with that said I dont think that the insurance will repair the car since stuff like this is usually declaired a totaled lost

Any other ideas?

05-23-2007, 02:26 AM

Take the insurance money and buy another one! Very sorry about the fire.

Boxtaboy · 05-23-2007, 03:16 AM

Sorry to hear, but be glad that you're ok, and were not hurt from the fire. You can always replace the car after you get the insurance settlement.

Also, I'd wonder what your Indy shop did to your car. These cars don't just catch fire for no reason. Maybe they left something loose in the engine or fuel lines? Something doesn't sound right.

Porschekid · 05-23-2007, 04:51 AM

I wonder if mid-engined cars are more prone to engine fires. I always seem to see Ferrari 360 and 430's all burnt up but haven't really heard of many Boxster incidents. Sorry to hear about that though... I can't imagine how you felt watching your baby burn.

super66 · 05-23-2007, 05:23 AM

yikes....that sucks man....good thing you're okay....get a white one now

chgolatin2 · 05-23-2007, 05:40 AM

Yeah something doesnt sound right and I am actually hurt deep inside since I put some love into her and did a couple of things to make her perform better, can I afford another 1? Probably so, however, I dont know if the insurance will probably repair the car. the car is intack besides the enginre area and the rear walls of the interior lining, the side vents are all burnt up as well and the car smells like crap.

I reported the incident to the insurance yesterday night, after, thinking and thinking about what the hell went wrong. Maybe something that the mechanics did went wrong but I cant prove that and I cant tell the insurance that the car had some modifications done they my deny my claim and have me pursue my indy shop, hmmmmmmm I wonder if they have good insurance? lol! I would LOVE to get me an all white one newer S model but I doubt that I will be able to afford her since this car was my return gift present after returning from the war in the middle east and i had saved all my money to purchase her. Sucks, that I went through so much and suffered and lost so many and now this **************** happens

just not fair! I think God has a purpose for everything, however, I dont know whats the purpose or reason for this to happen.

Thanks to everyone!

jhandy · 05-23-2007, 06:26 AM

I am sorry for your loss. I hope that you do a post mortem on your car, because I was about to do the same modifications with headers and such to my car.
My thoughts are that the steel or alloy that the "made in china" headers are made from may get red hot, burn the surrounding plastic parts and cause a fire. Also some of the heat shielding may have been removed or damaged from the install.
Whatever the case, I think I will stick with stock headers for now and wait to see how this turn out.
I really think that this is too much of a coincidence that after working on the hottest part of the car it catches fire.
I would keep my mouth closed about any modifications to the car. Surely somewhere in your insurance policy it will state that this will void your coverage.

Good Luck and keep us posted.

James

djomlas · 05-23-2007, 07:26 AM

damn dude.
just got your PM and checked ou this thread.

just when i got you all ready and buckled up to come to the autocross this sunday **************** ******************** happens. damn man, very sorry

Dr. Kill · 05-23-2007, 07:50 AM

Wow, sorry to hear about your loss.

Life is tough sometimes - maybe the way to look at it though is not that God took your car, but that he got you out in time without you getting burned up along with it.

Perfectlap · 05-23-2007, 08:01 AM

Your Boxster is like the Phoneix from the ashes to be reborn in a newer better Boxster!

Chills · 05-23-2007, 01:14 PM

Thank goodness you didn't get hurt. Where were you when it happened, like what street/tollway?

blinkwatt · 05-23-2007, 01:18 PM

Glad to hear no one was hurt. I'm sure it will all work out for you in the end,just keep your head up.

SC986 · 05-23-2007, 05:02 PM

Sorry to hear about this! It sounds from your short time posting here you were really enjoying the Boxster. Hang in there!

David N. · 05-24-2007, 12:11 AM

Does insurance cover vehicle fires normally? I just wonder where does insurance end and mechanical breakdown begin? I mean if the engine just dies, that's not an insurance thing and aside from warranty yer screwed. But spontaneously catching fire while you are driving it...hmm.

Anyone know exactly what the ruling is on this sort of thing? What if the engine breaks down and that itself starts a fire?

-David N.

Rodger · 05-24-2007, 11:29 AM

Sorry to hear about your car, chgolatin2! What kind of work was being done to your car last week? I've always wondered if a spark plugu tube failure would cause a fire, since the oil could run right down onto the exhaust headers.

I think an engine failure (IMS breaking, etc.) is the owner's problem. If the car catches on fire, though, it should be covered under the comprehensive portion of the insurance. If it's not, then what the hell am I paying $990 every 6 months for?!!

<--- Hates insurance as a whole

bnorman · 05-24-2007, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David N.

Does insurance cover vehicle fires normally? I just wonder where does insurance end and mechanical breakdown begin? I mean if the engine just dies, that's not an insurance thing and aside from warranty yer screwed. But spontaneously catching fire while you are driving it...hmm.

Anyone know exactly what the ruling is on this sort of thing? What if the engine breaks down and that itself starts a fire?

-David N.

Your automobile insurer should pay to repair or replace your vehicle under your comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage pays for physical damage to the vehicle cause by anything except collission. This includes fire, flood, theft, vandalism, falling objects etc. It ecxludes damage resulting wear and tear and mechanical breakdown and a few other things like war and necular contamination. After market parts are usually excluded but your modifications should not not void coverage for the rest of the car in this case.

r9i8c7k · 05-24-2007, 02:53 PM

Tough break...I am sure your insurance will cover it. Get another one!!!!

Uncle Bob · 05-24-2007, 03:27 PM

Really sorry for your loss, man. I understand you have lots feelings watching what you worked so hard for go up (literally) in smoke. Glad you or anyone else wasn't injured. Please let us know what happens. Best of luck on sorting this all out and getting back on the highway again real soon in another Boxster!

chgolatin2 · 05-30-2007, 10:20 AM

Wondering if I should tell the insurance that my car was being worked on 4 days prior to my engine catching on fire or talking directly to the mechanic and asking him for a refund for my repair bill plus my deductible for the insurance. Most like and accoding to most ppl that I talk to the car will be declared a total lost, most insurance companies dont want to deal with fire problems however i am not 100 percent sure.

So what do you guys think? Inform the insurance company directly or just talk to my indy shop directly and gently inform him of the options?

Lastly, talk to an attorney???

Thanks!

CJ_Boxster · 05-30-2007, 10:39 AM

It depends on what was done, usually your insurance will take care of you first, and bill the responsible party and you dont have to worry about weather they ever pay your insurance company back. If you were having repairs done, and not having aftermarket exhaust of intake.... just normal maintanence, I would definatly tell the insurance company.