Pictures of my burned out 996

[Chuck Jones]

As you can see, it used to be a very nice car...I loved the Iris Blue and can't seem to find another one....but I'm pretty sure I'll be going up to a 996TT X50 as long as calamity has made up my mind for me.

Hey guys....in truth...buy a good Halon fire extinguisher....they're about $125 for a good one, but they can save you the heartache of watching your car go up in flames.

chuck

[Izzy]

Chuck,

I already ordered the Porsche fire extinguisher holder from the dealer, $17 or so. will be installing it this weekend with a new extinguisher. Lesson learned from you.

[Chuck Jones]

IZZY: I'll feel a lot better if by my example I can help save someone else's car. I had tossed the idea of buying a good halon extinguisher back and forth, and decided that I just didn't want to spend over $100 for an extinguisher. I'm so sorry now that I didn't make that small investment when I've spent over $6,000 in various mods for the car....then cheaped out on a good Halon extinguisher that could have saved me. That doesn't make any sense does it?

My new car WILL have an extinguisher in it. I'll probably go to a 996 twin turbo X50.....they're really coming down in price and they're looking like an attractive buy.

[wvicary]

Sorry to hear about this, hope no one was hurt. Any idea what started the fire?

[inverterman]

Sorry to hear about this, hope no one was hurt. Any idea what started the fire?

I would like to know too. Looks like one of the computers hanging down. Worrisome.

[Chuck Jones]

I asked the insurance folks if they had traced down the cause of the fire. The fellow was pretty candid and said that it was obvious that the fire was caused by an electrical short under the dash and that it would cost them around $1K to pay someone to trace down the exact cause....and since they were totalling it anyway and there was no reason to suspect arson or foul play, the were just totalling it with cause listed as "electrical fire".

I have gone on this forum a number of times inquiring about a periodic "hot smell" I was getting every once in a while....and I had Loren put the car on his computer and read out all the codes and there was nothing amiss. The only curious thing was that when I would lock the car, I'd get that little quick "beep" of the alarm horn that tells you something is open....when in fact I had systematically gone thru the car and ensured that there was nothing open. Loren's computer pointed to the front hood latch assembly...probably the alarm sensor there.....but the fire was under the dash and no where near the front latch. So the only thing I can think of is that periodic hot smell I'd get...but I thought it was coolant possibly being exhausted by the pressure cap.

I'll never know now....but one thing I DO KNOW is that the next car will have a Halon extinguisher in it.

[Loren]

This is only a guess... but I would guess that a previous owner had an after market radio put in. Then we he sold the car he took the 3rd party radio out and hastily put the original radio back in not taping the wires or checking for hazards. That would be my guess - because I do not understand why any "normal" Porsche part would not have just blown a fuse or at worst taken out just one component.

[johnj.moran]

Chuck,

I already ordered the Porsche fire extinguisher holder from the dealer, $17 or so. will be installing it this weekend with a new extinguisher. Lesson learned from you.

Would you post the part number for the extinguisher holder and also a web link to the proper size Halon extinguisher that you plan on ordering? That would make it that much easier to go ahead and get this done. Sounds like something everyone should have. Thanks.

[RedRidge]

those bad fuses with aluminum foil wrapped around it will do it all the time :) ... I hate when that happens... Sorry Chuck, GL with the new turbo!

[ivass]

This sucks ... sorry to hear about it. I hope you find a nice 996TT.

I already have a small $30 ABC extinguisher, but would relay like to add a quick release battery terminals. In a case like this disconnecting the battery is just as important as a fire extinguisher. For now I just have a 10mm wrench taped to the battery, because I can't find decent quick release terminals. AutoZone used to have a set of solid terminals in red and black, but now they only carry some flimsy staff. If anyone has any good ideas on the subject, please share.

Also, if anyone is using a kill switch, please let us know how this is working out for you.

[kabman0210]

Chuck,

You have me all freaked out about this! I have the same color 996, similar "hot smell" from time to time, the same occaisional beep from the horn when locking the car (nothing is open), and I recently added cupholders to the dash and moved my AC unit down to the bottom. While moving the AC unit, I noticed that some of the existing wiring at the bottom of the center console was not taped properly. I'm not sure if this is from the previous owner not taking the proper precautions or something else. Anyway, I did what I could to tape the exposed wires, but I was so nervous after reading your post that I went online an ordered a Halon Extinguisher just to be safe. Thankfully, you were not hurt and, at least, some sort of lesson can come from your misfortune. I wish you good luck on your search for a TT. Thanks for sharing your story with us!

Kabir

[Izzy]

Halon fire extinguishers sources I have found:

http://www.chiefaircraft.com/airsec/Aircra...tinguisher.html

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/pspages/halon1211.php

and:

http://www.h3r.com/

Edited September 15, 2007 by Izzy

[blinkwatt]

Chuck,

I already ordered the Porsche fire extinguisher holder from the dealer, $17 or so. will be installing it this weekend with a new extinguisher. Lesson learned from you.

Whoa,Chuck that's nuts! Glad your o.k.

Porsche has their own fire extinguisher holder? Could you post the part no. please? Does anyone know which fire ext. fit the holder?

Thanks.

[deanslist.us]

This is only a guess... but I would guess that a previous owner had an after market radio put in. Then we he sold the car he took the 3rd party radio out and hastily put the original radio back in not taping the wires or checking for hazards. That would be my guess - because I do not understand why any "normal" Porsche part would not have just blown a fuse or at worst taken out just one component.

Oh no, I think the previous owner of my car did the same thing!! I have been having radio problems recently!!

[Chuck Jones]

I just drew a little friendly flak from IslandmanPA over on Rennlist asking if I had a fire extinguisher in the car....sort of a rhetorical question at this point.....moot too. At any rate, he's always touting his halon extinguishers at a reduced price. You might want to give him a PM over on Rennlist and see what his rates are. I just added a comment suggesting that he's getting some free advertising and to post his prices for the two sizes....one is about a 1.5 pound unit and the other is a 5 pound unit. I could have stopped this fire with the small one.

I also tried to pull off one of the battery leads and didn't have anything available to loosen the nut. I might also consider going to some place like West Marine and getting a really good solid and well built marine wing-nut type disconnect on one of the battery posts....most likely the positive side since there are components that have their own grounds and simply disconnecting the negative post may not stop it...dunno really....just an unqualified guess about the negative ground.

Chuck

[X51]

I bought an extinguisher (halon) and Brey and Krause (B&K) mount through CDOC online. Best pricing and great service. The mount mounts on the driver's or passenger's seat track and moves with the power seat. Put it on the passenger's side and avoid banging the bottom of your legs on it while driving. It fits great and is close at hand.

My 2002 996 C2 has been making the short horn chirp when I lock it as well, but this just started after I had it into the dealer for service. Is this also a setting that's available with the locking mechanism, as opposed to just indicating something is open?

[Chuck Jones]

I'm not aware that Porsche has a "chirp" like some other cars have to indicate it's locking. (At least not the older 99-00) Your indicator is the lights flashing. The short beep...as far as I know...is always an indicator that something is not locked....or a sensor is indicating the wrong signal. My front trunk had a defective sensor in the latch and would give me that short beep when nothing was amiss. Loren ran it on his computer and it showed the front latch as open when it wasn't.

Have someone run it on their reader to get the code for what's causing it. The dealership should be able to do this very quickly.

[Loren]

The short chirp means that an alarm zone is open - usually the center console storage or a bad microswitch in the center console or front trunk lock (like on Chuck's car).

There is no setting on the 996 series that causes an audible chirp on locking - just the opposite no chirp (lights flash) means all zones are armed.

[easymoney]

IZZY: I'll feel a lot better if by my example I can help save someone else's car. I had tossed the idea of buying a good halon extinguisher back and forth, and decided that I just didn't want to spend over $100 for an extinguisher. I'm so sorry now that I didn't make that small investment when I've spent over $6,000 in various mods for the car....then cheaped out on a good Halon extinguisher that could have saved me. That doesn't make any sense does it?

My new car WILL have an extinguisher in it. I'll probably go to a 996 twin turbo X50.....they're really coming down in price and they're looking like an attractive buy.

sorry for your loss chuck, i know very well how you felt watching this beautiful car burn, i had a 1970 lime green challenger, showroom mint all matching burn because of electrical, i could never replace this car, i also carry the halon extinguisher in all my vehicles, my 99 996 also has the burn smell near the radio area. i wonder if this is a design flaw

[Izzy]

Chuck, gents, look at this one from two weeks ago down here near our local track of Kershaw, SC. My understanding is that the power steering line was pinched, and leaking fluid. Driving home after some tracking the steering was getting worse, pulled over on the dry (no rain in 2 months here) grass shoulder and caught fire. He had an extinguisher, but inside the trunk and could not get it. Owner is not hurt from what I know.

Anyways, I bolted the Porsche FE bracket and a 1 lb halon unit right to the bracket on the passenger seat. Looks out of the way and still easy to get to.

[Loren]

Chuck, gents, look at this one from two weeks ago down here near our local track of Kershaw, SC. My understanding is that the power steering line was pinched, and leaking fluid. Driving home after some tracking the steering was getting worse, pulled over on the dry (no rain in 2 months here) grass shoulder and caught fire. He had an extinguisher, but inside the trunk and could not get it. Owner is not hurt from what I know.

Anyways, I bolted the Porsche FE bracket and a 1 lb halon unit right to the bracket on the passenger seat. Looks out of the way and still easy to get to.

I don't know the year of this car - or whether he had the recall attended to but there was a Voluntary Recall addressed on TSB 2/03 A307 - Check Power Steering Threaded Connection -- dated Nov 24, 2003.