Long story....last week I did notice that a bag of birdseed that was stored in our garage had been ripped open probably by mice, as we live on an acreage out of town.
I hadn't driven the SC in about 3 weeks and so, before storing it away for winter, I did the usual...oil and filter change and gave it a good wash. Sunday was a beautiful November day here in southern Alberta so it was fitting to take it for it's final drive. Well, about 10 minutes in to the drive I smell something burning...not the typical oil smell or burnt plastic but, man, it smells like weed!.....like a grass fire that we usually experience in spring! I immediately pull over, turn off the engine, and grab the fire extinguisher! Smoke is now billowing from under the left rear wheel well and from under the engine lid! I get down on my knees to peak under the car and I see flames coming from the corner of the left heat exchanger! I grab my coat and reach under to try and snuff out the fire. Luckily I was able to snuff it out with just my coat. With the engine off and cooling down, the smoke gradually dissipates after about 10 minutes.
Although I'm only about 15 Km from home I decide to play it safe. I call AMA for a flatbed tow truck:
I get the SC safely home and later that afternoon I load it onto my lift. As I'm hoisting the car up I notice a pile of burnt seeds on the ground.....faken mice! They must have climbed up to the heater duct which is open most of the time:
..deposited their seeds inside where they piled up in the back corner of the left heat exchanger!
Fak me!
Anybody else ever experience something like this?
