E30 Zone

pulled in to work at just before 8 this morning. at 10 someone came into the office saying a black old BMW was on fire outside the building.

ran outside to see a fire engine crew about to smash the windows and the cab completely full of smoke. I unlocked the doors poped the bonnet opened the boot and disconnected the battery. The smoke was only in the cab. took the radio out dropped the glove box and the cover under the steering wheel no sign of damage whatsoever. The fire crew checked all over with there thermal imaging camera and could find no hot spots.

went back to it at 12 in my lunch break connected the battery back up. she started 1st time. no new burning electrics smell. checked all the wiring i can see and reach and still no signs of melted wire anywhere.

AA guy turned up at that point and followed me home. no problems

just sat in her for an hour and no new burning smells.

All fuses are intact. everything electrical is still working.
nothing electrical has been touched for about 6 months.

Shes is now parked up with the battery connected and me nipping to the window every 10 minutes checking on her

Has anyone got any ideas on what to check or look at as a cause?

Wiper Motor?

engine was off

what is actually still live when the keys not in it and its locked?

torch recharge in the glovey is still live and i think the lighter.


saved yourself a big clean up operation there by getting in before the fire brigade cut the roof off it,well smashed a window!

before the fire brigade cut the roof off it

yeah they like doing that dont they,

HairyScreech wrote:before the fire brigade cut the roof off it

yeah they like doing that dont they,

are you having a pop?

or have they cut your roof off

init. Still cant work out what caused it? Its sitting there looking sweet and innocent like it hasn't just given me a hart attack

no no pop, well not at you anyway, they do like to cut the roof off things, seen far to many good cars cut up for little real reason.

someone i know had the roof cut off there (brand new) panda cause there mrs said her neck hurt after a little tap up the rear. and were talking like 10mph impact speed here.

When you say "no new burning smells", did it smell like an Electrical burning problem when you got in it at 10,0clock ? Did,nt leave a lit ciggy in the ashtray perchance,
or could it be steam from damp carpets, drying out in the warmer weather of the last Two
days? The last suggestion is said half jokingly, btw.

Could it have been your air con system leaking giving the impression on smoke? Just a total guess there

yeh electric burning smell. just been through her again following every wire in the loom glove box side. I roll my own smokes as anyone who smokes them knows sometimes its hard to keep them alight when your smoking them let alone start a fire with a dropped one. checked everywhere for burn marks and there are none. Its a complete mystery. and carpets are as dry as a bone

HairyScreech wrote:no no pop, well not at you anyway, they do like to cut the roof off things, seen far to many good cars cut up for little real reason.

someone i know had the roof cut off there (brand new) panda cause there mrs said her neck hurt after a little tap up the rear. and were talking like 10mph impact speed here.

all hands to the pump-ermm i mean cutting gear

Clutch fluid/oil on the zorst??

oakey wrote:Clutch fluid/oil on the zorst??

engine had been off for 2 hours. when i opened the bay there was no smoke in there

Twas just a stab in the dark. I had a clutch fluid spill once on the motorway. It spilt onto the exhaust and within seconds the cabin was FULL of smoke.
Well there aint smoke without fire! So there must be some sign of damage somewhere.
Or someone was playing with you and chucked a smoke bomb under your car

oakey wrote:Twas just a stab in the dark. I had a clutch fluid spill once on the motorway. It spilt onto the exhaust and within seconds the cabin was FULL of smoke.
Well there aint smoke without fire! So there must be some sign of damage somewhere.
Or someone was playing with you and chucked a smoke bomb under your car

keep the wild stabs coming cos i am lost on this one.

i did look for a smoke bomb to see if it was a wind up

All i can smell inside her now is the black ice xmas tree air freshener.

I'm going to wait till rush hours over and then take her for a spin

knightmare wrote:

oakey wrote:Twas just a stab in the dark. I had a clutch fluid spill once on the motorway. It spilt onto the exhaust and within seconds the cabin was FULL of smoke.
Well there aint smoke without fire! So there must be some sign of damage somewhere.
Or someone was playing with you and chucked a smoke bomb under your car

keep the wild stabs coming cos i am lost on this one.

i did look for a smoke bomb to see if it was a wind up

All i can smell inside her now is the black ice xmas tree air freshener.



I'm going to wait till rush hours over and then take her for a spin

make sure u take a fire extingisher with you!

well when i opened my door last night in mine the wiper started to sweep and the keeys were still in my hand so anything is worth a look

black ice air fresh

no doubt the monster will rear its head soon enough,beats me,ive been driving a cab daily for 3yr now and have never come across this" thank god" mabey we need to get mulder and scully to have a look...?

now the central locking is playing up!! Key wont lock drivers side door. I can here the solenoids activating but nothings happing. could it be the smoke and smell of burning solenoids?

I am clutching at straws now

Have you removed the thermal cut-out switch for the electric windows??

remove the door card and look towards the door lock mine had a melted plug of sort here ...?

Does the central locking function properly on all the doors?

I came across something like this once and it turned-out to be a short in the door causing the central locking actuator in the drivers door to melt!

thats what i was badly trying to say spadge,mine was partialy melted when i bought the car but all still funtiond well and still does.

I've read that door lock heaters can get stuck in the on position, and start fires.

sounds about right,must only be in cabs then??

Its the Alan wood car, anythings possible!

This happened to mine only worse. All of my central locking motors melted cos the box in the footwell was sitting in water!

I Had this on mine. The central locking unit down in the drivers side footwell was full of water.

sihooker wrote:Have you removed the thermal cut-out switch for the electric windows??

there are no electric windows installed

tomski wrote:I Had this on mine. The central locking unit down in the drivers side footwell was full of water.

i haven't had the speaker panel off yet. but will tomorrow to dark to see anything out there now ;/

bss325i wrote:Its the Alan wood car, anythings possible!

stuff u moron. I'm after help if u ain't got any shove it

corkie wrote:remove the door card and look towards the door lock mine had a melted plug of sort here ...?

I've had the door card off everything looks ok