So I’m driving along in my company car Buick, and smoke starts coming out of the vents. At first I thought it was mist from A/C because it was so humid. Then, 10 seconds later, I’m choking and can’t see. Windows won’t go down. I pull over. Doors won’t unlock. Finally manually found the door lock and got out. Horn starts nonstop. Windshield wipers start going front and rear. Headlights turn on.
Flames start shooting out of the grille.
Fire department got it out. Flatbedded to dealer. They called it an “Unspecified Thermal Event”. :doh:
Now I’m in a rental Ford Escape. Not a bad little SUV actually.
I hope I can say the Buick is RIP and they call it totaled. I want a different company car anyhow.
No, it’s kicking strong, thanks! I almost DID call you though, as I got a call from home that we have a new indoor swimming pool downstairs. Thought it had something to do with the A/C at first, but it ended up being a blown hot water tank.
Inusrance adjuster is coming tomorrow to look at floors/carpet, as it was all under an inch of water when wife got home.
Not the luckiest of weeks, for sure.
Thanks for the kind words, all. Yeah, it is funny now, but was scary then. You don’t realize when the car shorts out that you now have no power windows or door locks. So as the car fills up with smoke… I couldn’t think fast enough on how to get out manually. I was choking pretty bad before I got the door unlocked and rolled out of the car.
Dealer today said every wire from battery back is pretty much melted and fused together. Even everything in the center console inside the car!
So, something serious happened. No paint/body damage. All of the fire came from wires.
My cell phone was plugged in to the cig lighter, and it and the charger cord came out of it unscathed. Weird.
I told dealer to make it unfixable so I can just get a new car. I’m due in December anyhow.
Funny thing, too, is I have no idea what engine is in that thing. It’s a 2005 Rendezvous AWD. And as clean as my Audi is, and as much as I know about my Audi down to the last bolt holding it together, the Buick is the anti of it. I never cleaned it other than a car wash once in a while. And I don’t think I’ve ever opened the hood of it.
