Yang Haytseer, vice president of the National Automobile Association, said that the main signs of an approaching fire in a car are a homogeneous smell of smoke in the cabin, which can increase over time, as well as flashing of the dashboard. socialbites.ca. At the same time, according to the expert, the driver may not pay any attention to these alarming signs.
“The most important thing to know is that a fire in a car occurred unexpectedly and the signs of approaching are not always obvious. One of them is the persistent smell of smoke. “Many odors get into the car and mix together, but if one is constantly prominent, or even nearly undetectable, that’s a reason to call service for diagnosis,” said Jan Heitzeer.
According to the expert, there are cases when a short circuit occurs under the hood in winter, the wiring of the car begins to melt, but the driver does not fully understand that the car is actually on fire. This is because the smoke is mixed with steam and condensation from melting snow.
Another sign that a car may be on fire is the flashing instrument cluster. The causes of the malfunction may be a violation of the integrity of the wiring, but in this case the driver may think that the vehicle’s battery is dead or that the terminals are dirty. Electrical faults can also be indicated by spark wires and clicks. The specialist noted that you can not drive such a car, so it is better to turn off the engine and wait for the tow truck.
If you open the hood in the evening and carefully examine the wiring, the “glow” can be detected on your own.
If the car catches fire, it will be difficult to extinguish it by yourself with a fire extinguisher. Jan Heitzeer summarized that modern cars burn in 7-10 minutes because they are made of flammable materials.
Earlier, auto expert Haytseer said in an interview with socialbites.ca that engines often break down due to improper maintenance. According to him, modern engines are demanding on the quality of the oil, therefore it is necessary to strictly comply with the regulations for its replacement.