Flames coming from Engine Bay

[Rhod.L15]

Had my 36k service done just over a week ago at Renault Bridgend and then had my brakes done yesterday at Renault Neath. Driving home earlier noticed a funny smell in the cabin so took it easy just to get it home. Reversed up onto my drive and the smell got much worse, switched off the engine and got my Mrs and nipper out of the car immediately. Then noticed smoke coming from under the bonnet so got it open to see flames coming from this area of the engine bay:

Car starts ok and it seems fine on idle, not making any strange noises and no strange substances coming out of the exhaust.

Never had a single problem with the Trophy in 2 years of ownership, it goes into two Dealers and within days my car almost goes up in f**king flames.

Just rung the stealers and they were about as helpful as a chocolate fireguard tbh.

Any help/advice would be much appreciated.

Rhod.

 

[iimushroomzii]

f**k!!! ! so so lucky to have stopped the car!

 

[mattjk]

Overfilled brake fluid?

I would be very upset myself, if the dealer wont play ball it might be worth emailing Renault UK and attatching some pictures???

 

[Rhod.L15]

f**k!!! ! so so lucky to have stopped the car!

The lucky bit is the fact I wasn't far from home, if I was in the middle of nowhere #399 would be a pile of ash.

 

[Gray]

Brake fluid cap not fastened correctly, dropped off onto hot exhaust manifold?

But it also looks like the reservoir has melted aswell???

Very luck there!

 

[Rhod.L15]

Brake fluid cap not fastened correctly, dropped off onto hot exhaust manifold?

But it also looks like the reservoir has melted aswell???

Very luck there!

Yep the entire reservoir has melted. My old man seemed to think it was the brake fluid.

 

[chewitt]

get the technician who done ur breaks to have a look for himself, seems like it was his fault mate.

 

[iimushroomzii]

Yep it is brake fluid, Im guessing the cap wasnt replaced properly.. I'd be on the phone to renault straight away! Could have ended in disaster!

 

[Rhod.L15]

Thanks for the quick replies gents, trust this place more than the stealers tbh.

 

[Gray]

Brake fluid is rather flammable...

I would get on the phone to Renault first thing Tuesday morning, say you want to speak to the Service manager straight away!

Lay it on them... Your child was in the cat etc. It could of ended with your whole car up in flames if you went on a "long'ish" journey!

 

[mattjk]

Should they not be open tommorow?

 

[Rhod.L15]

Should they not be open tommorow?

Should be, I'll be ringing them in the morning and I've also fired off an email to Renault UK explaining the situation.

Any Renault experts on here care to offer an opinion? Yoz, GDI etc? Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if the stealers deny responsibility.

Cheers,

Rhod.

 

[Fred@BTM]

i'd be f**king down there with a baseball bat, that is beyond shocking!

 

[shadowsun]

Jesus, glad you and your family are ok. Fire is never good!

 

[Beef-Mc]

Bunch of monkeys!

 

[DJRowlando]

i reckon we all should drive down and rev our engines outside and then beat them all up. :rasp: on a more serious note though im glad u ok mate. really lucky there. and it would also be disaster to see a trophy off the road .

 

[BenG]

Brake fluid cap not fastened correctly, dropped off onto hot exhaust manifold?

But it also looks like the reservoir has melted aswell???

Very luck there!

I agree with this but how the hell does the reservoir just melt, where is the heat coming from ! ? :S

That is shocking mate !

 

[DannyR]

My guess is reservoir cap was just undone and placed on top, driving a long hit a bump knocks it out along with the fluid all over the nice hot manifold!

Very lucky mate!

Get down there for 830 in the morning!

 

[DrR]

I would not be happy with that!

The brakes are broke!

 

[pip.]

A good example of why no one uses Reno stealers, apart from the prices of course.
That is quite disgusting and could have been a real disaster.

Looks like the cap was never put back on and fell off. Some fluid dripped onto the manifold causing a fire and then flashed back and set fire to the oil in the reservoir.

I don't care what the stealers say, I'd be on the phone to Reno UK and go ape over this.
Not only do you need a free repair, but they need to review their precedures too so this doesnt happen again.

Things like this make my blood boil as they are so easily preventable eg. last thing on job sheet....ensure cap is replaced after bleeding!!!

 

[SBV116]

Yes, go back, something has been left hanging near the manifold i suspect as already said!!!

More than likely the lid as it is missing!!!

Brake fluid is flammable, but not like that, you can drop it on the hot mani and it wont ignite, so something has been melting etc!!!

Hope you get it sorted mate!

 

[Turkish]

Could have caused a fatal accident. I'd be going ape down the phone at the dealer in question, the tech responsible needs at very least a last chance disciplinary for gross negligence or tbh sacking. I'd lay it on thick saying if the situation isnt resolved to your satisfaction then you'll be speaking to watchdog and trading standards.

 

[Rhod.L15]

Cheers gents, just spoken with the dealership in question and they're sending a vehicle to recover my car. I've also emailed Renault UK describing what's happened.

The chap did say that he doesn't think brake fluid is flammable anymore, so it must have been the reservoir cap left loose which then melted and caused the actual reservoir itself to melt.

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

Lay it on them... Your child was in the cat etc. It could of ended with your whole car up in flames if you went on a "long'ish" journey!

That made me laugh !!


But seriously .. not good. I would be kicking up a fuss !!!!! :dead: At least you're ok !

 

[ash_172]

which renault dealer in bridgend was it mate leyshons?

 

[DrR]

Can drip petrol onto a hot exhaust manifold and it won't go on fire.

So meltage, unless you've been doing some serious braking!

 

[Rhod.L15]

which renault dealer in bridgend was it mate leyshons?

No it was Renault Neath that did my brakes on Thursday. I had my 36k service done at Leyshons two weeks ago and they were great tbh.

Can drip petrol onto a hot exhaust manifold and it won't go on fire.

So meltage, unless you've been doing some serious braking!

I was on my way home from shopping with the Mrs and the nipper, so no serious braking!


Just spoke to the dealer again, and they're giving me a courtesy car and a refund on the labour they charged me for the original job.

 

[Craig.D]

Courtesy car and labour charge my a*se pile it on to them and Renault UK. imagine being on a long drive on the motorway with the Mrs and nipper and this happened it would be more than a couple of new lines and reservoir.

 

[ben_p]

tbh i am amazed they even did that, bunch for c***s

 

[jack_davey]

The thing is, you can only claim for losses incurred. The fact he wasnt far from home was lucky, however the car isnt a pile of ash, so they're only obliged to fix what's broken really.

Although those reservoirs are flimsy as f*ck, that is shocking that a car can leave a main dealer service department like that.

 

[mattjk]

The thing is, you can only claim for losses incurred. The fact he wasnt far from home was lucky, however the car isnt a pile of ash, so they're only obliged to fix what's broken really.

Although those reservoirs are flimsy as f*ck, that is shocking that a car can leave a main dealer service department like that.

Agree with that really, at least its being fixed without too much hassle.

 

[Rhod.L15]

Quick update....

Had the car back from Renault today, and they confirmed that the Brake Fluid Reservoir cap wasn't secured causing the fluid to leak out everytime I touched the brakes. The subsequent heat generated melted the reservoir and caused the flames.

I have to say that even though they c**ked up the original job, they've been great since and have done pretty much everything asked of them. They even changed a driveshaft which they claimed was on it's way out, although I suspect it may have been damaged as a result of their c**k-up. Was great to get back into it after driving a f**king 1.2 Campus around for a week, had a rather heavy right foot for the first few miles!

Oh and I'm having a Janspeed cat-back fitted this week (not at the dealer); so looking forward to that.

Thanks to all who gave me advice.

Rhod.

 

[DannyR]

Good to hear and driveshaft fitted is around £350 so you've done well out of it.

 

[Damo_Sport]

free labour on the job.. plus free driveshift.. bonus lol

 

[Jonny1*2]

how did the reservoir itself melt then? I can understand the cap melting if it was touching the manifold, but why the actual reservoir? There would have been no difference in heat around there. I've had brake fluid seep out round there and it never made any difference. If it's not flamable then it makes no sense.

Glad you got it sorted though mate. You're lucky there wasn't any brake issues when driving home.

 

[DannyR]

Lol it is flammable and it he's braking it'll be sloshing all over the place with no lid! A load straight onto manifold, big flame, will probably catch fluid on lid and set fire to that!

 

[Jonny1*2]

ah right, i've dripped it on the manifold when hot before (accidentally) but never had flames. Will bare in mind.