How Tucker totaled his car...

[Takka 13,376]

I was on a little road trip last night with a friend, which is something I often do and my car has never had any troubles.

 

This time was different, I was driving down some two lane road at around midnight in literally the middle of nowhere when all of a sudden my headlights got really bright as if I turned on my high beams. I checked the dash and a battery warning indicator was on, I checked the battery gauge and the charge was all the way maxed out in the red. I immediately come to a stop right in the middle of the road, not deciding to turn off to the side and shut the engine off because I wanted to minimize damage (no one else was on the road for the past half hour anyway). I don't know what I thought I was going to do, but I rolled down the window and I could hear crackling sounds coming from the engine. I pop the hood and go out to see what's going on, hoping it's just that contracting metal sound you hear after you've been on a drive long enough. Before I have a chance to open the hood I notice white hot embers dropping from below where I know the battery is, and some flickering yellow light up inside. At this point I see no reason to open the hood and check it out, I just know we have to get away from the car before something more serious happens. I tell my friend to get out immediately, that the car is on fire, but she's in shock about the whole situation, I had to say it a few times before it sunk in... I jump into the drivers seat, and grab both of our wallets and important stuff only, not knowing how bad the situation was going to end up.

 

We start walking back on the road looking to see if we can find a sign telling us where we are, so we can call a tow truck or something and hopefully eventually get a new battery after it has cooled off. It was a big problem, but I didn't expect it to escalate too much further. We start calling AAA and then I look back, noticing flames are now rising out of the front end of the car. I hang up immediately, and start dialing 911 because the situation just got a lot more serious. Still, we have little idea as to where we are, so I do my best to explain where we last turned off. A cop and fire truck arrive about half an hour later and rush to the car, because I guess they don't know if anyone is in it, and they have to check. We try and rush back towards where they are, and by then they have put the fire out. However it was over 30 minutes that the car had been on fire, and I knew there would be no recovering the vehicle. Though since we were behind it the whole time as we were walking back, I couldn't tell how bad it really was till they began winching it up onto a tow truck and I was able to see the front end. The whole engine block was molten slag, I could see right through where the grill was to what was left of the engine, and look through the now missing windshield to see that all the seats had been burned out, the whole front half of the car is now a warped metal skeleton.

 

It's completely totaled. I was in shock for a while, I couldn't believe it was just gone. I had so many memories in that car, and it was the first I've ever actually owned.

 

RIP =[

 

Edit: The cause of the fire couldn't be determined for obvious reasons, however I did some research and have a pretty good idea as to what happened. It seems as though the voltage regulator in the alternator gave out and overvolted the battery, which caused it to overheat and explode, rather than there being a short of some kind.

[Luke 1,574]

On the parkway the other day, there was a car fire that backed up traffic for at least five miles, right before the exit we needed to get to. When we passed it, the fire was out, but not before it consumed everything but the frame of the car.

[Caesar 470]

I hate overheat in games, i think they should also remove it from real life.

[v3nture 1,209]

Thats some serious shit

[Skeezix the Cat 3,089]

My first car died by fire as well.  Not as severely, but the engine was damaged beyond repair and that was pretty much it

[Pfhunkie 3,544]

I hate overheat in games, i think they should also remove it from real life.

This is payback for him adding it into Phoenix.

Like I said on his status, this is what bitches get, yaknow?

I'm sorry this happened. I love you, Tucker. </3

Also kidding about the overheat in Phoenix. I approved of the idea and still think it's a good feature.

[PerfectDark 292]

"the whole engine block was molten slag" if it wasnt your car, id say that sounds -badass- lol

[reaply 718]

At least you're okay. A car is a car is a car.

[Solaris 3,581]

That really sucks man. At first I was thinking maybe the diode to the alternator blew out. I had that happen with my 95' Avenger, but it only caused the battery to drain.

[Takka 13,376]

I read somewhere that the voltage regulator on the alternator might have gone out, like you said. It evidently could have easily overvolted the battery and boiled it away really quickly. That would explain why the electrical was all supercharged before I turned it off...