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Something caught fire, help me I am an idiot and don't know what

680 views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  Lark 
#1 ·
Situation:

Car has 101K on it. I drive 75 miles a day, 60 of which are highway. It was raining, I had the wipers on at their top speed and the heater on to 78 degrees. As I was coming off 25 miles on the highway, I smelled burning rubber. No idiot lights. No temp change in the engine. Dash looks fine--I assume it isn't me (lots of stopped traffic coming off the highway there). I pull into first gas station just to check--when I stop, I see the smoke coming from under my hood. I opened the hood VERY CAREFULLY and the smoke was coming from under the hoses in these photos (for reference, this is in front of the washer fluid resevoir), and when I tried to look a litttle more carefully I could see some red hot metal in there too (no flames or anything like that--just really smelly smoke and something glowing). I did not try to get any closer to get a better look. What is this thing that the smoke was coming from, and what is your guess on the problem? I called my car saavy friend who said that since I was literally a block from home and there were no idiot lights and the temp was fine to limp it carefully home and take it to the mechanic in the morning. We limped the half block fine--it is about a mile to the mechanic.

Yes I am am idiot, yes I should know what the basic components of my engine compartment are. Point taken, I will learn more I promise...

Thoughts?

http://www.blight.com/~westyp/fire.jpeg
http://www.blight.com/~westyp/fire2.jpeg
 
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#2 ·
Likely your accessory drive belt pulley or tensioner failed and seized causing the accessory belt to slip and overheat. This is not uncommon. It will not be cheap to fix but it is unlikely anythign seriously wrong occurred.


If the cause was your AC compressor seizing (another likely cause) then it will be fairly pricey to replace the AC unit. Perhaps the AC drive pulley seized which is fairly common and less expensive than a compressor seizing. One of these is the likely cause. the smoke and fire is just the rubber belt overheating and self destructing.
 
#3 ·
What happens is the bearings on the ac compressor pulley have failed and the bearing gets red hot. Once you stop it melts the belt....it happened to me and I had no available water so in desperation peed on it...bit smelly but saved the belt...:lol: .

If it is the pulley, just get a non ac belt and fit that until you can source a new pulley bearing HTH
 
#4 ·
So apparently the clutch assembly and the A/C compressor somehow managed to fuse together a little--I wish I had taken a photo, it was very interesting to see when he pointed it out. I am lucky that the time from "smell detection" to "smoke" was less than a mile and a half, because I did not throw the belt. I mean, when the car is on, it spins and everything it just makes a very sad noise. The good news is, I should have the car back tomorrow. The bad news is, it is likely to cost me about a grand. It could have been worse, huh?

Considering it was pouring and the distance I drive daily is so considerable (and some of it is on really isolated back roads with no shoulder or lights and people drive WAY too fast and the rest is on a major interstate) I could have gotten stuck somewhere very unpleasant. I mean, if I was going to observe smoke billowing from under my hood, the gas station next to my house is the place to do it, right? :)
 
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