Fire extinguisher

Drew20

Drew20

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have done some reading and for an auto fire the bare minimum to be of any use seemed to be 1kg foam or powder. With the obvious caveat that I'm going to save myself anyone else involved first, if there was a fire I'd like to be able to tackle it with some chance of success!
Powder sounds a bad plan as it causes such a mess, so 1kg foam seems a better plan
1kg is actually quite a big extinguisher, and I don't really want it in the cabin.
What are the likely starting points in an E9?
I'm thinking high pressure fuel line leaks in the engine bay, electricals in the dash..... anywhere else that might go up in smoke?

Anyone else got an extinguisher in their E9? Not just for aesthetics.
 
Yes, DeQuincy & Stan have custom brackets with BMW branded extinguishers.

Always a good practice to carry an extinguisher in the car, old and new.
 
I carry one under the passenger seat, it tucks in just enough in front to hold it in place.
 
Drew20 said:
have done some reading and for an auto fire the bare minimum to be of any use seemed to be 1kg foam or powder. With the obvious caveat that I'm going to save myself anyone else involved first, if there was a fire I'd like to be able to tackle it with some chance of success!
Powder sounds a bad plan as it causes such a mess, so 1kg foam seems a better plan
1kg is actually quite a big extinguisher, and I don't really want it in the cabin.
What are the likely starting points in an E9?
I'm thinking high pressure fuel line leaks in the engine bay, electricals in the dash..... anywhere else that might go up in smoke?

Anyone else got an extinguisher in their E9? Not just for aesthetics.
Click to expand...


the eye candy
140620146661_zps53c7c0a9.jpg


the fire killer
170720146852_zps901aba31.jpg
 
I will be installing a 2 1/2 lb Halotron extinguisher below the front of the left hand rear seat. That location is easily (and quickly) accessible by the driver. I don't think I'll ever have anyone setting in the rear seats anyway, but if they are, there is still room for their feet between the extinguisher and the driver's front seat. Halon does not create a big mess in the area where the fire was active, while most other extinguishers do so.

Gary

PS: Corrected my error. The extinguishers I'm using in all three classic/antique cars is Halotron. Thanks for the correction Chris and Charlie.
 
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Because Halon is a CFC, the production of Halon ceased on January 1, 1994, under the Clean Air Act, however it can still be sold if you can find it. The replacement is Halotron.
 
I have seen a few engine bay fires in my time and they are generally very small when noticed and get very big very fast... saw a guy almost lose his mint 60's mustang parked over the road from my shop - few whisps of smoke (looked like steam), saw the panic hit his face, he emptied a tiny power extinguisher into the engine bay but it caught again and he was distraught - I was already running over the road with the big CO2 one from the shop and we killed it but there was a lot of damage just in minute or so after a caught again. Honestly - have a small one under a seat and a bigger one in the boot. The last thing you need to do is watch something you care about burn... If my shitty old van catches fire on the other hand, i am standing back and filling out the insurance paperwork while I watch it eat itself...
 
Gary Knox said:
I will be installing a 2 1/2 lb Halon extinguisher below the front of the left hand rear seat. That location is easily (and quickly) accessible by the driver. I don't think I'll ever have anyone setting in the rear seats anyway, but if they are, there is still room for their feet between the extinguisher and the driver's front seat. Halon does not create a big mess in the area where the fire was active, while most other extinguishers do so.

Gary
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Halon is aggresive to environment, in EU is forbidden,

Honolulu said:
Halon isn't good for you, hope everyone knows that...
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+1
 
afishe said:
I have seen a few engine bay fires in my time and they are generally very small when noticed and get very big very fast... saw a guy almost lose his mint 60's mustang parked over the road from my shop - few whisps of smoke (looked like steam), saw the panic hit his face, he emptied a tiny power extinguisher into the engine bay but it caught again and he was distraught - I was already running over the road with the big CO2 one from the shop and we killed it but there was a lot of damage just in minute or so after a caught again. Honestly - have a small one under a seat and a bigger one in the boot. The last thing you need to do is watch something you care about burn... If my shitty old van catches fire on the other hand, i am standing back and filling out the insurance paperwork while I watch it eat itself...
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+1
CO2 fire extin. on the other hand expells very cold gas i would be careful about block and cyl head...
 
deQuincey said:
+1
CO2 fire extin. on the other hand expells very cold gas i would be careful about block and cyl head...
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What is the consensus about which type, how big? I like the idea of clipping one to the front seat bottom but wonder if the size is up to the job.
Steve
 
afishe said:
I have seen a few engine bay fires in my time and they are generally very small when noticed and get very big very fast... saw a guy almost lose his mint 60's mustang parked over the road from my shop - few whisps of smoke (looked like steam), saw the panic hit his face, he emptied a tiny power extinguisher into the engine bay but it caught again and he was distraught - I was already running over the road with the big CO2 one from the shop and we killed it but there was a lot of damage just in minute or so after a caught again. Honestly - have a small one under a seat and a bigger one in the boot. The last thing you need to do is watch something you care about burn... If my shitty old van catches fire on the other hand, i am standing back and filling out the insurance paperwork while I watch it eat itself...
Click to expand...

good on you! bet he was please to see the cavalry coming

for a bigger one in the boot, what kind of level do we need to go to? Don't want to hurt my 0-60 time.

;-)

I saw a modern merc go up in flames, again very quick. Passengers still sitting in rear seat for longer than was comfortable. Smoke (looked just like steam) coming from under the bonnet, then flickers of orange in the wheel well indicated this was not a failed coolant hose! engine bay totally engulfed 1-2 mins later, followed by entire car before the professionals arrived. No big explosion when the tank went, "just" a more invigorated burn, but I think it was diesel rather than petrol
 
I was driving a Ford Escort on the highway and pulled off at a McDonalds when I saw what I thought was steam from under the hood. When I popped open the hood, the smoke turned to flames. The plastic warm air intake had melted and dripped onto the exhaust manifold. I managed to beat it out with my shirt. If there had been gasoline involved, it would have been much worse.

I have purchased a Gloria fire extinguisher for my E9 (the larger one mounted in front of a seat in a previous post) off of an East European eBay seller. I will make the mounting for it during my restoration. It's not a BMW branded unit, but is the same sans logo.

Ian
 
i have mentioned this before, as MSc FSE i have had to play fire brigades role including using all range of their equipment
fire extinguishers FE, are very problematic

halon is probably the best choice as for being a gas that displaces oxigen thus the combustion can not happen, problem is that is not good for your health and for environment, if you live in a country that allows you to use it, well, it is up to you, probably the combustion of the car is more harmful to environment

CO2 is excellent, no residues, but it comes out too cold, at subzero temps, so if this hits a 80-100 degree wall of block or cylhead, it might create a thermal shock and a crack (not sure)

powder is very dirty, extremely dirty, moreover this type of FE are defective ina a ratio of more than 50%
then it comes the fact that a 3-5 kilo powder FE lasts 6 to 10 seconds, absolutely ridiculous for a car fire

i believe that the alternative i use is the best possible choice, it may last up to 50 seconds, it weights only 250 grams, and it produces no dirt, and you do not have to rcharge or pressure test it

i do have CO2 FE at home, but not for the coupe

IMHO
 
I have a pair of 5kg/11lb CO2 extinguishers in my garage, and IMO just one of them would be too big/heavy to put in the trunk of the e9, it would be possible but I don't know.. Their weight are about 12kg/26lb each.
But then again a 2kg/4.4lb CO2 feels a bit small to put out an engine compartment fire. All I know is, I could live with a cracked head or block as long as I can save the rest of the car.
 
Gransin said:
I have a pair of 5kg/11lb CO2 extinguishers in my garage, and IMO just one of them would be too big/heavy to put in the trunk of the e9, it would be possible but I don't know.. Their weight are about 12kg/26lb each.
But then again a 2kg/4.4lb CO2 feels a bit small to put out an engine compartment fire. All I know is, I could live with a cracked head or block as long as I can save the rest of the car.
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deQ, Unclear from your post which one you keep in your coupe, if any. What do you think of Gransin's post above.
Steve
 
DeQ is talking about the small extinguisher. It's small but powerful enough to put out most fires. Here's one available in the US on eBay. They've been kind of hard to find this side of the pond. Not cheap, but I think a good price at $90. The Gloria units have been going for $300 or so and are larger. I got mine at a good price by waiting for the right one to show up on eBay, but it was still much more than this.

Ian

Extinguishing Stick.jpg
 
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