Is randomly setting itself on fire a common feature in the 944?

[Guest]

so after a short drive to the shops and a pub for dinner i return to my car to drivie home, with a passenger, the journey started off normal but then she started to missfire (well i thought so). I had a lack of power and coudln't change gear then i heard lots of horns going off and people flashing me and pointing at me so I pull over straught away and flames start bursting out of the bonnet. Me and the passenger both jump out and I call in the big men with hoses to make her stop burning. This all happened within the time frame of 20 seconds and about 100 meters from leaving a car park habing already driven a good 25 miles today with no probelm.
Now I dont own a 944, i own a burnt out 944.
I am covered 3rd party fire n theft so i just hope the insurers don't find a magic loop hole!


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[Nouveau]

Like the Fact you have been trying to sell....
This happen to me with my kwak zzr 1100!

 

[Diver944]

Ouch! []

First one I have heard of in our little community but the US guys in the hotter southern states report it every now and again. Their hot dry climate drys out the rubber fuel hoses that pass right over the top of the exhaust manifold and if they leak onto it..........

Glad you are okay, must have been pretty scarey.

 

[Nouveau]

I'll explain myself a Little Better...
I had a ZZR 1100..which I tried to sell for about 2mths...it didn't sell...
But it was Stolen...
The insurance Knew I was trying to sell (How I don't Know) prior to the theft and used it against me!
I got some Money back ...But not enough!

 

[RC18B 911 turbo]

That's quite sad and scary too glad you and your passenger are ok.

 

[pauljmcnulty]

That does cap off a miserable ownership experience, hope it doesn't put you off the 944 as a future prospect! I've not heard of any 944 going up in flames, electrics would be the usual cause of an engine fire.

Were you getting the suspected head gasket failure looked at? I'd guess that the engine might have lost enough water to build up far too much heat, and that was the cause of the fire.

Good luck with the insurers, they are going to offer you a low value but keep arguing your case. Is there anything salvageable to make some money on flea-bay?

 

[Guest]

Well it's the morning after and it's all sunk in now and I'm so so so upset to not have the porsche sitting on the drive way smiling at me in the morning!
I didnt think about fleebay mate, only the front end was affected, everything from the inside to the rear is not touched.
The gasket was booked in for this friday, then the paint job next wednesday, then she would have been in brilliant condition!
It couldn't have been the water thing as I'd filed it up 2 days ago and checked it before going out that morning and it was at full still.
I do hope the insurers aren't unfair. When i insured it I vaueld it at £2500 which i knoe is the top end of the price for my age in its condition but that would have affected my premium so I have bene paying more for it so it should come into consideration when they sum it up.

 

[Gregson944]

i hate to burst your bubble but i don't think they will give a toss what your paying they will make an inspection of the car look at overal condition and mileage and offer you what they andI say think is a resonable offer which being 3rd party will take forever.

 

[Guest]

dont worry dude, I've no bubble to be burst but it's one o fthe things i'll try and use in argument to get as much as i can, i have also done loads of searching for adverts and sent them an email to "my personal" claims manager...lol and whats more there is no refund on my premium so i still have to pay the rest of the insurance, so i've been advised to buy a cheao car and just insure that till the end of the policy.
i'll keep you all posted

 

[pauljmcnulty]

Agreed value policies will pay out no questions asked, assuming the valuation is reasonable!

Don't forget that the Club has a free valuation service for members that is accepted widely by insurers.

Plug over.....[8|]

 

[geoffbateman]

I know it's of no help now but had a similar experience with an engine harness fire in a vehicle a few years ago and luckily had an extinguisher. Managed to get the bonnet open and use it and saved the vehicle. Care required. I have had a bit of training when I used to work on a hazard site. When travelling in France a fire extinguisher is compulsory in the vehicle.

 

[Nouveau]

When one has an "Agreed" value does it state it on the certification?
As mine just states "Value of Vehicle £2000"
As when I insured the Vehicle they ask for the Value But nobody came to verify it..I just had send a receipt for the the Purchase price of the Vehicle.

 

[Diver944]

You'll know if you have an 'agreed value' policy as they are not standard. The value you state on a normal insurance policy really means nothing and the insurance company will just pay the book value from Glass's guide, which means absolutely nothing with our old cars due to the huge spread in value between different examples

 

[JamesO]

Not totaly unheard of. My 82 Lux caught fire 2 years ago in spain. Cause not known as car hadn't moved for 2 days after driving there.

 

[JamesO]

Oops pic didnt work well.

 

[Guest]

well here we are, a few pics of the damage.
As you will see things could have been alot worse!

 

[Guest]

another pic

 

[Guest]

Not too long ago there was a red Cabriolet being auctioned by a insurance salvage company. It had been written off by an underbonnet fire. There was an 18" diameter burnt patch smack bang in the centre of the bonnet, directly over the inlet manifold/injector area.

My 924 project was bought with underbonnet fire damage. Hard to tell what went first but it was in the wiring area under the servo and/or the fuel pipes in the same area. By the way, original Porsche PVC underseal burns VERY well indeed.

 

[Siggy]

As the air filter appers to have been totally destroyed and you say it was running bad at the time
My guess would an engine backfire set the air filter alight and that was the center of the fire

 

[Mikie_gb]

i hate to burst your bubble but i don't think they will give a toss what your paying they will make an inspection of the car look at overal condition and mileage and offer you what they andI say think is a resonable offer which being 3rd party will take forever.

On the subject of non agreed values of vehicles policies, the courts have just found in favour of the owner of a vehicle where the insurer refused to pay more than the book price. This was reported in Practical Classics and it is thought that with the legal precident set insurers are going to have to cough up on realistic replacent values or face civil action and lose.

For the record, fire is not a third party issue unless it damages someone elses property, then there will be a Fire claim and a third party claim in which case. Third party refers to any person or chatels not within the vehicle or a passenger or driver.