Posted on 01/08/2014 1:52:01 PM PST by ZirconEncrustedTweezers
This really shouldn't be a shock to anyone, but for the record, let's just say it's usually a pretty bad idea to set a charcoal fire under your car. A Wisconsin woman did just that, and set her 2007 Dodge Caravan on fire. Even better, she lives in an area named after a burning torch!
The Lac du Flambeau woman was trying to start her minivan in some really awful temperatures, around -23°F, and after removing her battery and warming it indoors (smart), she decided to warm the engine block with a charcoal fire (not smart).
The inevitable fire started with the underside of the bumper, and quickly spread to all the deliciously flammable bits of rubber under the hood and around the engine bay, causing what the local news says is "about $1000" worth of damage. That would total a 2007 Caravan, right?
I kid, I kid! Still, that looks like it's way more than $1000 of damage to me those plastic bumper covers alone aren't cheap, and it looks like grille, lights, air cleaner, hoses, and a lot more got engulfed in flames. And then there's paint. The news story also referred to the "engine chamber," which has a strangely medieval feel to it as well, so I'm going to take their estimate with a grain of salt.
So, once again, we all know it's cold, and we get desperate but an open fire under your car is rarely a good idea.
this works far better....
My brother-in-law did that to his dad’s car.
BTW, it’s also a mistake to try to heat your house or vehicle with thermite.
Using a giant parabolic reflector to focus solar energy on your house or vehicle could also be a bit risky.
Wisconsin has some very strange folks.
Most of whome wear those orange hats with ear flaps 11 months out of the year.
They should have a law against stuff like that
At least she wasn’t in it and she is still breathing to tell the tale. I can’t believe how many die in their sleep trying to warm a tent with charcoal.
After 2 days it still wasn't turning over. When we went down with a charger, we discovered she was using a florescent trouble light. She said she bought it because it was more economical than her old one.
The underside of that bumper is plastic.
Um, I thought that was a Baptist parking lot on Wednesday night.
Gasoline itself doesn’t freeze, but some of the additives might. At -100F, you could have a gasoline Slurpee in your tank.
But that probably isn’t likely anywhere outside Antarctica.
Ironic that she is from a town with a name meaning “Lake of the Torch”
That’s another downside to the incandescent bulb ban. A drop light occasionally comes in handy for fitting close-tolerance parts together as well.
Also ironic is the name of the post’s author. :)
“Most of whome wear those orange hats with ear flaps 11 months out of the year.”
Well, by golly, I think we’ve found a solution. We just need to make orange hunting caps big enough to fit over a car, and Wisconsonites’ problems are over!
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