Fire Brigade called to my 124.

[trapperjohn]

You know how it is. You get the car you have always wanted - In this case a 124 300D 24V, Saloon. 142K on an M. You have it serviced - new glow plugs too. You get new wings on it, you have the wheels refurbed. You have just about a bottom half respray. New bumper inserts. You fit a leather interior. Nice spring morning and you go for a drive. 14 miles later you notice smoke, quite a lot of it, coming from the right hand side of the steering wheel.

So I pulled over, I just happened to be in a supermarket car park at this point. Switched off, got out, closed up and called the Fire Brigade and stayed out. The retained boys and girls from Wesham Fire Station did a cracking job. Quick turn out, checked all round with heat seeeking cameras (just smoke - no sign of any flame) We waitied for the car to cool down - Cameras out again and no further heat source found. So they left for a well earned brew or went back to work or whatever they do as the station is not permanently crewed.

There is no smoke damage - no flame damage. Big thanks to Ian Walker for dragging me and the car back to his place, me for a cuppa and the car for investigations.

Investigations today reveal the ABS lamp wire had burned right back to the fuse box and has done some colleral damage enroute either from the fuse box back to the lamp or vicky verky. No work has been carried in this area so we are a bit puzzled as to what happened. All I know is an auto electrician is going to have a good look at the damage soon. As I say no damage to the fabric/leather or superstructure of the car. My lucky day I guess, if you think what could have happened.

 

[LTD]

Lucky boy.

The old girl is just reminding you that her top half needs fettling too

 

[ringway]

Could have been worse, in the outside lane, in the darkness/rain..

At least you got out in one piece.

 

[Will]

No fuses gone?

Seems unusual to draw so much current through shorted/burnt wiring for lots of smoke to be generated without a fuse popping somewhere.

Really pleased that the car wasn't badly harmed, could have been a lot worse - lucky car, keep it forever once it's fixed

Will

 

[Dieselman]

Auxiliary heater.

 

[markjay]

Lucky indeed!

 

[chris846]

No specific knowledge of that bit of the wiring loom - but seeing as how the bulb is the resistance in the circuit, and the grounding in the instrument cluster caters for many bulbs (as is therefore man enough to fry a live wire shorted onto it), seems like your problem may be as simple as the bulb failing to a dead short - not that it's commonplace, most bulbs usually fail to an open circuit.
Anyway, please buy 2 lottery tickets and send me one.

 

[d w124]

You know how it is. You get the car you have always wanted - In this case a 124 300D 24V, Saloon. 142K on an M. You have it serviced - new glow plugs too. You get new wings on it, you have the wheels refurbed. You have just about a bottom half respray. New bumper inserts. You fit a leather interior.

Glad to hear you`re ok and no big damage was caused

Did you not fit the steering wheel yet?

 

[wemorgan]

Lucky escape. 10-15 years ago my BX melted through its fuse box when on the M40, with toxic smoke coming in to the cabin. Hard shoulder, fire brigade, insurance, write-off. The previous month I'd spend ~£500 on new head gasket and radiator too. Just the way it goes some times. Glad to see yours will live on for another day

 

[camerafodder]

Flippin' 'eck TJ, glad you're OK. I'm just going to dig around for something to cheer you up (knowing your sense of humour is so very similar to mine!)

 

[camerafodder]

Here it is!

[YOUTUBE]bMMV_RoEMxE[/YOUTUBE]

 

[LTD]

Nah, more like this

[youtube]wmin5WkOuPw[/youtube]

 

[trapperjohn]

Not bad with the YouTube clips guys. This is more like it.

YouTube - Arthur Brown - Fire

Dash the steering wheel you sent me is on my black one, the one you saw in London. So that is nice and safe.

 

[trapperjohn]

No fuses gone?

Seems unusual to draw so much current through shorted/burnt wiring for lots of smoke to be generated without a fuse popping somewhere.

Really pleased that the car wasn't badly harmed, could have been a lot worse - lucky car, keep it forever once it's fixed

Will

Duff fuse count tomorrow.

 

[camerafodder]

Nah, more like this

Its a little known fact that the prodigy video is actually a film of Mr Walker dancing around inside TJ's steering column! Strange but true!

 

[d w124]

Its a little known fact that the prodigy video is actually a film of Mr Walker dancing around inside TJ's steering column! Strange but true!

Lol @ the video ^ and this post

 

[dinoy]

keep us posted about why it happened and damage caused so we are alert glad u and family not harmed let us hope w124 is too!!

 

[BillyW124]

Glad to see that the diagnostics were successful John, great looking saloon you have there, would have been a waste if it was somthing else very major.

p.s. The black leather in the other is spot on and the steering wheel looks $'$'s. Roof line it mate in black, that will set it off completly, long job i know but wpuld be worth the hassle in the end:bannana:

 

[poormansporsche]

gutted for you mate still least turned out not too bad, a similar thing happened to one of my old vans, absolutely tons of proper toxic smoke, turned out to be a short on a amp lead so caused no damage at all luckily but was proper scary at the time

 

[d w124]

p.s. The black leather in the other is spot on and the steering wheel looks $'$'s. Roof line it mate in black, that will set it off completly, long job i know but wpuld be worth the hassle in the end:bannana:

Black roof liner was not available on 124s