[hitandhope]

A little while ago, my 2007 307 hdi 136 went up. Fortunately, we were in traffic so we all got out in good time, but please bear this in mind and don't hang about if you get the same symptoms. I was shocked at how quick the whole lot went up, especially for a diesel, you'd think there would be flame retardants everywhere. I was told by a couple of people in the trade that fires are fairly common with Peugeots and Vauxhalls, but then they're are large numbers of them so I don't know if that means anything.

We smelt burning, like a slipped clutch.
I opened the window, and the smell went – so we knew it was our car.
Engine management light came on.
“Depollution system faulty” code displayed.
I pulled over.
I checked under the bonnet, a little smoke was coming from under the engine.
We got out...the smoke got heavy....then flames….and a few minutes later this was left.

P.S. Apologies if you were stuck on the A158 at Horncastle on the 10th April...at least you know why now.

 

[jimmymarsbar]

Sh*t the bed, glad everyone was ok

Any idea of what caused it?

An airline I used to work for had a fleet of Peugeots as their pool cars. I saw a 406 go up in flames, looked like it started around the battery area, but it was impossible to tell afterwards.

 

[hitandhope]

Insurers went over it - mainly to look for accelerants I think, like I'd set fire to it with my family in on a main road - but no report back. The smoke was coming from under the car so that plus the error message makes me think of cat/dpf maybe, but no idea really.

 

[jimmymarsbar]

The cat and DPF is further back on this, underneath the handbrake lever area. There's a pre-cat coming off the back of the engine, and the turbo sits there too.

There are vacuum pipes running all over the place on these, it could be that one these was covered in oil, got too hot, ignited and the rest of the oil cooked everything.

I love the way insurers always assume were on the con and out to make bogus claims. I think anyone with half an ounce of common sense would work out the difference between an insurance scam and a genuine accident or incident, bearing in mind a whole family was caught up in it......

 

[xlineiain]

Wow nasty, glad every one is ok. Horncastle is just up the road from me, and I know someone there. Ill ask him if he saw the Peugeot bonfire!

Insurers went over it - mainly to look for accelerants I think, like I'd set fire to it with my family in on a main road - but no report back. The smoke was coming from under the car so that plus the error message makes me think of cat/dpf maybe, but no idea really.

Insurance assessors are prats. My Saxo had seat covers in it, and when it got written off the assessor told the insurance company I had sports seats in it.

In a 1.5 non turbo diesel? Really?

 

[reliable406]

This nearly happened to 1 of our taxis luckily the jetwash was always plumbed in ready as thats all that saved it.

The cats on the later engines are bolted to the turbo and run very hot in our case the rocker cover was leaking and i had just thrashed it down the road to replicate the smell/smoke driver was complaining about

I have seen a few fire damaged HDIs but to be honest mainly 1.6 engines in 307 308 fiestas focus etc

zafiras self combusting is well documented

 

[storeman]

That's one horrendous phot. Must have been an extremely traumatic experience for all of your family. So glad you all got out before the fire took hold. The experience of this is really enough trauma to experience but to have the insult of suspicion from the insurance assesors was unnecessary. I know they have a job to do and all insurance companies start with the viewpoint of assuming it's a false claim and had it happened with no-one in the car then maybe that would be reasonable but being in the car with your family, surely someone would have realised this was an unforseeable event.

Hope you all manage to come to terms with what has happened and can move on from this unscathed. Hopefully the insurance company will help this happen by not dragging out the claims process.

 

[Misslizmiles]

OMG my car constantly smells hot like it's burning plastic somewhere did ur temp gauge give u any indicators I'm really worried now I'm so glad u and ur family got out though x

 

[reliable406]

Temp wont go up as it is OUTSIDE the engine the problem is

 

[SilverDash]

Indeed, quite a nasty thing to happen, hope everyone is safe, no doubt buying another exact same vehicle if now off the list.

Wow nasty, glad every one is ok. ....

Insurance assessors are prats. ...

This is an interesting comment. Many years ago one came out to look at my vehicle, his suggestion to me was rather unbelievable I didn't think he was being serious but he was.. more

Maybe this is the subject for a new thread.

 

[PugJon]

Ah that's a shame.

Will defo be weary of this now.