Why carry a fire extinguisher?

[Bleu 72 Super]

Why do many owners of old Beetles recommend you carry a fire extinguisher in your Beetle?

About 50 years ago, I owned a 1969 Beetle and then a 1973 Super Beetle. I drove each of them for about 160,000 miles, and never felt the need to carry a fire extinguisher. I now have a 1972 restored Super Beetle and am wondering, do I really need to carry a fire extinguisher in the car? Of course my 1972 Super Beetle is almost 50 years old, so it’s not the same as when I drove my other two relatively new Beetles. (I bought the 1973 brand new.) Is it simply because now you’re driving a car that might have old wiring or other old electrical parts, possible fuel line problems, etc.? What are the most common causes of fires in old Beetles?

[vwracerdave]

I feel all cars should be required by law to have a fire extinguisher.
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2017 Street Comp Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble, OK
2010 Sportsman ET Champion - Mid-America Dragway - Arkansas City, KS
1997 Sportsman ET Champion - Thunder Valley Raceway Park - Noble ,OK

[PatterBon]

A lot of people don't run the correct sized fuel line. You can stir up a debate on the fuel filter being in the engine bay, but that's neither here nor there. I think a lot of it is to put the fire out quickly so there is more to salvage in the event of a fire. I've driven my beetle cross country but haven't had a fire extinguisher. It's just added insurance.
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PNW Dub Folk & Kitsap dub Folk (KdF)
Austin Aircoolers VW Gang
2020 Ford F-150
1973 Standard Beetle
1969 Cessna 172K Airplane
1959 Karmann Ghia
US Army CH-47 Chinook Helicopter Repairer

[vamram]

[modok]

I recommend a fire extinguisher for buses, because the gas tank is high enough it will gravity feed into the engine bay and that causes a lot of fires to get out of control.

We have seen the same thing happen to bugs if parked on a hill.
Depends how much you trust yourself and there in no shame in being realistic. What you don't think of can hurt you. "Exhaust wrap" or engine bay "insulation" can cause a huge fire it it gets soaked in oil or fuel and lit, it's like a wick.

But as for "why?" simply "roll" the picture gallery of burned up VWs, and that's why.
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/randoms_detail.php?c=fire

[Tim Donahoe]

Years ago, I never carried a fire extinguisher. I’ve owned many ACVW’s throughout those years, and only my last, present one has a fire extinguisher.

I guess I’ve just seen too many VW engine fires, and have finally come around to the belief that it’s better to have a fire extinguisher and not need one, than to need one and have nothing but a half-filled Starbuck’s cup in my hands.

Some of the braided fuel hose available is not rated for our ethanol gas; and unless you buy from a VW vendor, your local flaps doesn’t have the proper size hose, anyway. 1/4 inch is not 5 mm.

Shit happens, and when/if it does, I like to be prepared.

For birthdays, Christmas, Father’s Day, I usually ask for VW-related items. A while back, one item on my list was a Halotron fire extinguisher. I was gifted one that replaced my standard Kidd house-type extinguisher, and if I need it, I’ll have it.

Getting back to being prepared: you carry a spare tire, but when was the last time you had to change a flat tire? For me, I haven’t had a flat while on the road in my Bug in the eight years since I’ve owned it. But, I carry a spare, and I check it for air from time to time.

When I go on a decent trip in the But, I carry some tools and a few items, like a spare accelerator cable, distributor rotor and cap, a quart of oil. Not a lot of stuff, really, but more than I carry in my 2018 Honda.

I also have that extinguisher ready for ... just in case.

Tim
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Let's do the Time Warp again!

Richard O'Brien

[creative native]

My 1974 Super Beetle is my 30-somethingth VW, over 30+ years of driving ACVWs now. I have always been vigilant about replacing fuel lines and related preventative measures when I get a new one. I have carried a fire extinguisher in my VWs after owning my first few, because I feel it is cheap insurance. My best friend didn't feel the same. In 1993, he had our mechanic install dual carbs on his '69 Squareback and he suspected the culprit was the "T" connector, but less than a mile away from the garage, his engine caught fire and without a fire extinguisher, we had to stand on the side of the road and watch his Squareback burn (other than me attempting to gather sand to possibly extinguish it). That was traumatic enough an experience to reinforce my logic to always carry a fire extinguisher. From the most basic versions in spray cans being about $15 to five or 10 pound dry chemical versions being $50-$75, I feel that is a very small price to pay to prevent having to watch an ACVW burn.

[Dan the workingstiff]

The fuel inlet on the carb can become loose in time, and vibrate out. Fuel pump is the same on certain styles.
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'69 Beetle
'66 FG buggy
My other air-cooled's
'76 IH 1200
'75 IH 1200

[offtherailz1]

I can’t imagine any classic car owner not having something close to hand in the event of a fire?
This is a hobby for most of us. When we’re not driving them we, or I certainly do, spend hours reading, looking at parts or just thinking about my hobby. Safety reasons aside, why would you not look after that side of things? Your insurance may pay out and if you’re lucky you have an agreed valuation, so money wise your covered, but for me I carry a fire extinguisher to protect all that goes with my hobby not just for my safety. No financial recompense will make up for the loss, for me anyway so that’s why I carry one. Over winter I have purchased one of these also, https://www.csp-shop.com/en/miscellaneous/blazecut-020-112-911-2-28635a.html?cache=1615111963 but yet to fit.

I know where the OP is coming from, why worry, as I own my dads 1303 which he got new in 73 and covered 377000 miles before he gave it to me, all without a fire extinguisher, perhaps we wasn’t important too him or perhaps I wouldn’t have taken precautions if it wasn’t his and he gave it to me before he died? I can’t answer that though.

That all said and done, It’s worth saying though to anyone reading this who is new to air cooled VW’s and reading this, if you’re mad enough like me to attempt to save your prized possession, do not open the engine lid fully! Open it just enough to get the extinguisher nozzle in and deploy the whole extinguisher, walk away and leave it, do not open that lid, let the fire crew do that when they get there
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“ My worry is, that if I die suddenly, my wife will sell everything VW for what she thinks I paid for it.”

Cuppa tea man, living in a latte world.

1973 1303, one previous owner, my Dad
1975 1303, Fourth owner, mum 1975 to 2014, me from 2017
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=711269&highlight=
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=740901

[lboos]

One does not take up that much space.
And from the pic's above of VW fires if I owned a van I would carry a large one.

[goober]

I'll admit, I've seen many more modern/pump in tank/computerized vehicle fires these days than I've ever seen Bug fires over the years. But still, I carry a fire extinguisher just to have backup for a fire, mine or others.

They're small, easy to carry, don't cost a lot and I've never felt having one onboard slowed me down much.

Why carry a fire extinguisher?

Why not?

[mondshine]

The Blaze Cut installed in my Thing.

Link

[Dal Churchill]

I carry one in my Beetle and also in my modern (if 2007 can be considered modern) vehicle. Why? Same reason as I carry a tow rope and a first aid kit: just in case it can help me out in some way or more likely, someone else.
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1974 Beetle. Bus/Porsche/Rover V8 (Buick 215ci) Baja. (Unfinished project)
1979 Beetle. 1641. Ex-Modern Day Luftwaffe Airfield Radio Car. (Daily driver)

[Cusser]

[[email protected]]

If you are 1000% confident that your fuel pump, fuel line, carb float seat, or ANY electrical wiring will NEVER fail, don’t worry about the fire extinguisher.

Did you restore the 72 Super you have now? If not, do you trust the work of the person that did 1000%?

The biggest issues I’ve seen with fires are from careless repairs, or piss poor maintenance on electrical/fuel related items. Whether they have been done by the previous owner, or current owner. 50 years ago, VW was most likely the previous owner of your 69/73 Beetles. I have a 71 that I personally know of 10 people that have owned it. While the vast majority of the 10 were competent mechanics, how many people know someone with a Beetle they bought that the previous owner didn’t know how to change spark plugs, much less rebuilding the carb/rewiring the dash?

Another thing to consider is, what do you value your 72 Super at? No one 50 years ago thought carrying an extinguisher in their 50 Split, or 23 Window was too much of a concern either. With the way some of the mainstream greedy insurance companies are, if you don’t have an agreed value policy of what you could replace the car for EXACTLY the way it is, you will loose your ass in a total destruction policy claim such as a fire.

[dirtkeeper]

My cheap insurance, $25 fire extinguisher sat idle for 20 years, but when My kid was driving and had some bad back fire because of poor tuning or clogged idle jet, and the carb top was lit up it came In handy . It was a mess and it needs to be cleaned up soon after but I am so glad I had it.

I just got my mostly restored bay window started recently and I had a backfire out of the Kadrons with no filter tops on , scared the crap out of me as I for a second flashed that I was going to burn the thing down along with my barn. It took me a frantic 30 seconds to grab some towels and I smothered it. Then I went and changed my shorts . I immediately grabbed the extinguisher I have in my bug and kept it in the van for my test drives and bought a new one for the van itself. Man that would have sucked If I was on a test drive and the thing lit up. I still have to figure a good place to mount it in the van where it’s available but not I. The way.

Cheap insurance

[sjbartnik]

Shit is 50 plus years old now and the shit that isn't 50 years old is probably new Chinese garbage because VW owners are cheap bastards.

I think most fires come down to owner neglect. Not changing the fuel hoses every couple years for example, or using wrong size stuff (hint, not a damn hose on this car is an SAE/English size, it's all metric).

Another known issue is the fuel inlets popping out of the carb top or fuel pump. Those are just press fit into the carb or pump body. If you're one of those that tries to remove fuel hose by twisting and pulling it off the inlet rather than cutting it off, you are loosening up that inlet every time. One day, it's gonna pop off and spray fuel all over your engine compartment.

Another good one is where that bit of hard fuel line passes through the front engine tin - there should be a grommet there but if the owner has neglected to check this, then the tin could be hacksawing through the fuel line, eventually dumping fuel right on that hot #3 exhaust header.

You can mostly avoid this of course by cutting fuel hose off rather than pulling and by replacing the press-in fittings with threaded and barbed fittings but no doubt the vast majority of VW owners are not doing that.

Even people who are tuned into this stuff and aware of all the issues can make mistakes and forget something. That's what people do, make mistakes.

Finally of course you never know when you might need a fire extinguisher, perhaps not for your own car, but some emergency you might encounter on the road.
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1965 Volkswagen 1500 Variant S
2000 Kawasaki W650

[Glenn]

Why carry a fire extinguisher?

So this isn't YOU.

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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

[MuzzcoVW]

Why...because I used to be a volunteer firefighter and have seen so many random car fires including one of my own (not a VW). Also I run into many of these cars that still have original or years old fuel lines, it amazes me how many! If you have one bad piece a hint would be that they all should be changed!

[GArBa]

I agree. For me at least is not just a beetle thing, I carry a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit, a high visibility jacket, a seat belt cutter and some basic tools in all my cars. You can't be ready for anything but better safe than sorry.
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cars:
'97 type 1 1600i
'14 type AA Seat Mii (sadly dead after 270.000 km)
'22 type C1 T-Cross
'23 type AC3 Hyundai I10 (VW no longer makes small cars!)
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moped:
'82 Benelli Magnum 3v