How to set your BMW on fire

[vbaron]

BMW driver spins his wheels on an icy road so much he sets his tires and subsequently his car on fire. A TV crew reporting on the weather catches part of it. At about 3:00 mins into the video, the reporter starts to talk and explains what happened:

http://statter911.com/2011/01/10/raw-video-car-catches-fire-on-live-tv-snow-coverage-heats-up-in-georgia/

[gt350mike]

I saw that footage last night. The fire looks like it started inside the engine compartment versus from the tires......regardless, its still a toasted Beammer.

[widgeon13]

I don't understand why someone would do that.

[tcar]

Originally Posted by gt350mike

I saw that footage last night. The fire looks like it started inside the engine compartment versus from the tires......regardless, its still a toasted Beammer.

Beemer... is the car.

Bimmer... is the bike.

Beammer is... ???


Agree, it's in front. If it's from spinning the tires, why is the fire in the front?

Is it AWD?

And, thought they all had traction control anyway.

[widgeon13]

Could have been the clutch.

[tcar]

Originally Posted by widgeon13

Could have been the clutch.

Manuals are getting rarer and rarer... slushbox fire? Something is dripping and burning under the engine.

[Aurel]

Typical idiot driver. Loses traction and keeps the foot to the metal until the tires catch fire? WTF. Some people are clueless...

[Flieger]

Originally Posted by tcar

Beemer... is the car.

Bimmer... is the bike.

Beammer is... ???


Agree, it's in front. If it's from spinning the tires, why is the fire in the front?

Is it AWD?

And, thought they all had traction control anyway.

Beemer is the bike. Bimmer is the car.

Bimmer Magazine

[red-beard]

How would tires catch fire on ice?

[WolfeMacleod]

Originally Posted by red-beard

How would tires catch fire on ice?

I remember spinning tires on ice/snow a year or two ago just for fun. i also remember them getting really warm, believe it or not.

[onlycafe]

there were no fire extinguishers in the gas station?

[boba]

Looks like wheels were spinning and the dumba$$ just kept his foot in it until he achieved positive case ventilation. Resulting oil fire.

[Laneco]

Originally Posted by red-beard

How would tires catch fire on ice?

We have big rigs catch on fire pretty regularly from spinning their tires on the ice. It starts out just getting hot enough to steam, and they keep their foot in it, rubber starts heating up, falling apart, even liquifying, then it appears that the metal cords of the tire spark it. I don't have any scientific evidence of this, it is just what I've seen and the part about the spark is just a guess but it definately goes.

For the BMW, I'm liking over heating the catalytic converter(s) and igniting transmission fluid lines, under-coat, or even a fuel line. When the foot is buried in the throttle, the cats get very hot and with no air movement because the vehicle is stationary, they get glowing hot. Again - another guess, no hard evidence.

angela (making guess while drinking rum and coke)

[gt350mike]

Originally Posted by tcar

Beemer... is the car.

Bimmer... is the bike.

Beammer is... ???


Agree, it's in front. If it's from spinning the tires, why is the fire in the front?

Is it AWD?

And, thought they all had traction control anyway.

What can I say....I'm the product of the Alabama education system!

[Tobra]

Even likkered up on rum, young Angela has more on the ball than that idiot reporter.

Obviously the tires did not catch fire, or they would be burning. I like the cat catching stuff on fire for an explanation, if the tires are spinning, the clutch is not going to get too hot. Only thing that is going to get screaming hot is the catalytic converter,

[HardDrive]

The reporting was talking straight out of his back side.

[aigel]

LOL. Most local news reporters are morons that like to hear themselves talk.

G

[slodave]

Quote de red-beard

How would tires catch fire on ice?

I remember spinning tires on ice/snow a year or two ago just for fun. i also remember them getting really warm, believe it or not.

That would be friction.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by slodave

That would be friction.

For the tires to be hot enough to burn, they would exceed the melting point and the boiling point of water. As soon as the water starts to form, the friction of WET rubber on ice is next to zero. Unless they melt down to the ground/pavement, there won't be enough friction to do this.

[Taz's Master]

red-beard, you are correct. Often the tires burn through the ice to the road surface, but the car still won't move due to the ice in front of and behind the tire, so it sits and ruins the tire and the asphalt with the heat of friction of tire against road while still spinning on(in?) the ice.