Posted on 03/07/2021 11:27:38 PM PST by nickcarraway
Before the BMW caught fire, Mr Lester Cher had noticed a burning smell and white smoke emitting from the air-conditioning vents. Lianhe Wanbao
When his BMW X1 burst into flames on the Bukit Timah Expressway last Saturday, Mr Lester Cher thought of going back into the SUV to retrieve some items.
But the memory of a recent fire involving another BMW made him think better of it.
The 33-year-old told The New Paper yesterday: "I kept thinking of the people in the Tanjong Pagar car accident. Five of them were burned. How scary.
"All those items I wanted to retrieve were material goods and it was not worth risking my life for them.
"In fact, when I thought of how I was almost a victim of a car fire, I was so traumatised and shaken. But I'm safe and just thankful to be alive."
Mr Cher, who declined to reveal his occupation, said he just stood back and watched his black car burn to an empty shell.
In the Tanjong Pagar accident on Feb 13, five men died when the BMW M4 Coupe they were in crashed into a shophouse and caught fire.
A woman is recovering in hospital after suffering severe burns when she tried to save her boyfriend, who was the driver.
Mr Cher was on his way to pick up his wife at about 1.30pm when he noticed a burning smell and white smoke emitting from the air-conditioning vents.
Realising that something was amiss, he pulled over immediately at a road shoulder before the Bukit Panjang exit.
"It was weird because there were no warning lights or messages from my car to indicate anything was wrong.
"I even checked under the bonnet, but visually everything seemed fine," said Mr Cher, who bought the second-hand car in August last year.
As the smoke started to get thicker, he decided to check the fuse box and saw it was on fire.
"I immediately called 995 and tried to flag down passing motorists to see if anyone had a portable fire extinguisher. Unfortunately, no one stopped."
By the time the Emas Vehicle Recovery Service team arrived, their attempt to put out the fire was futile as the flames had grown too big.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) arrived minutes later and extinguished the blaze with a water jet and a compressed air foam backpack.
Its spokesman told TNP there were no reported injuries and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
"The fire was so strong, it melted the rims of my car and destroyed it," said Mr Cher.
He added that cash cards, some documents, a car seat and a stroller were also destroyed.
Mr Cher said he had sent his car to Performance Motors' East Coast Centre last Thursday to replace a faulty fuse box connected to the auxiliary power outlet.
"I don't know if that's the reason my car caught fire. But I'm planning to talk to the people at the BMW workshop on Monday to figure out how this might have happened."
Mr Eric Cheong, 56, the director of BH Auto Services, told TNP that such vehicle fires are likely caused by a short circuit and are not uncommon. components are more likely to encounter such mishaps, he said.
Mr Cher said he has not made any modifications to his car.
Mr Cheong, who has been in the motoring industry for over 15 years, recommended motorists to keep a portable fire extinguisher in their vehicle.
"You never know when you will need one," he added.
He advised drivers not to use water to put out electrical fires as it is ineffective and poses a risk of electrocution because water conducts electricity.
"If you don't know whether it's an electrical fire or not, just refrain from pouring water on it. Instead, keep a distance and call 995."
As for Mr Cher, his experience has taught him the value of having a portable fire extinguisher in his next car.
"I may not dare to fight a big fire. But at least it will be available if I do need it," he added.
I wonder if my ex-wife would like a BMW?
China: report of foreign company problem... OK!
Tell her to pick it up in Chicago.
Hmmm. Usually this type of incident makes it on FR if an EV does this.
So reading through this I have to ask, have two BMW this person has owned and both have gone up in smoke?
then the stuff you line from the BMW Representative is
“Mr Eric Cheong, 56, the director of BH Auto Services, told TNP that such vehicle fires are likely caused by a short circuit and are not uncommon. Components are more likely to encounter such mishaps, he said.”
So what BMW are saying is that your $100k car can and will burst into flames at any time due to the components that they build them out of. ????? WTH !!!
And about carrying a fire extinguisher — what size, the tiny little ones they sell that have a 5 to 7 second output, or something like a commercial grade fire tank located in the trunk of the car and plumbed into the engine compartment, fire starts, hit the button, flood area. ??
I think a vehicle foam system that includes outlets into the A/C and front instrument panel system would be best.
OR, Just don’t buy a car that has the highest chances of bursting into flames due to its components.
Bet I do not get a Christmas Card from BMW this year.
lol
Blessings
That’s why I don’t have a BMW. Well, one of the reasons.
BMW Adds 185,000 Vehicles to Fire Hazard Recall in the US
[Search domain www.bmwblog.com/2019/04/19/bmw-adds-185000-vehicles-to-fire-hazard-recall-in-the-us/] https://www.bmwblog.com/2019/04/19/bmw-adds-185000-vehicles-to-fire-hazard-recall-in-the-us/
According to an NHTSA notice, BMW is recalling a large number of vehicles for a potential fire hazard. It first started out in South Korea and then things escalated to a global scale. Now, BMW USA...
and in 2017 they recalled over a 1 million vehicles.
Now you know why that BMW is such a great price, roflmao.
Hint for BMW, sack your engineers and testers, hire some with brains, SUE the daylights out of the componant manufacturer who sold you faulty and under spec. componants.
Then and only then will you be able to sell a vehicle of quality.
I smell global class action law suits, or is that my BMW lawn mower bursting into flames again?
Blessings.
CC
Porsche. Accept no substitutes.
Porsche: A Volkswagen for people with more money than brains.
Concur. I spent a fair amount of time is Germany where the debate among BWM, Mercedes, and and Porsche often appeared to be theological in nature.
Not a luxury car fan by any means. More of a "What the hell, it runs" kind of guy whose cars run from 15 to 7 years old and getting older.
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