I am a little concerned there has been a number of threads regarding engine fires in the various forums. Other than the obvious of changing aged fuel, coolant, power steering lines, etc.
I am curious as to how many of you carry extinquishers (I currently do not, however will shortly), and if you have recommendations on types of brands, size of extinquisher you would recommend to put out an engine fire (just in case)......

Thanks,
Charles

'89 S4 GP White/Black
'76 912E Silver/Black sunroof

 

Good thread. I just installed a mount but have little clue what to install.

 

If you can get your hands on a halon extinguisher they are by far the best. Very expensive but worth the extra $$. Next on the list would be halotron. Not as good by a good margin but far better than anything else. CO2 is the only other worth considering and dry chemical will do more damage than the fire sometimes.

Most importantly learn how to use it properly in case of a fire. Improper use can waste the little you have and leave the fire burning. Although halon is really simple and a small blast in the general direction puts a fire out quickly. Be careful it is harmful to your health and robs the air of oxygen.

 

I installed this halon extinguisher a while back.., and it certainly gives peace of mind.

Ken
80 928 S
5 Speed

UK

 

I carry a Halotron extinguisher, looking to upgrade to a SafeCraft Halon: http://safecraft.com

A dry chem extinguisher may be better than having your car burn to the ground... but not by much. Definitely go for Halon.

I have mine mounted where I can reach it from either side, in front of the passenger seat:

 

So, should a 1.25 lb Halon or Halatorn charge extinquisher be sufficient?, or should I consider a 2.5 lb Halon or Halatron extinquisher, or ?? size wise. BTW, thanks for the replies!

'89 S4 GP White/Black
'76 912E Silver/Black sunroof

 

yup, i used a dry chem extinguisher and it did more harm than good. the powder sticks to everything and cant be washed out.

 

hey shark, what did you use for a mount? i see safecraft has one for other porsche models (seat mount) i wonder if that would work on ours?

 

Definitely go 2.5lb. Even so, you might have to use it very carefully to avoid running out, especially if you have fuel spraying on a hot manifold.

I initially had the Stable Energies mount, later modded with a one-off adapter to hold the SafeCraft bracket. Details here. If you have power seats the setup would be a bit different.

 

Thanks Dave and everyone much appreciated!!!

 

I put in a SafeCraft PB-2 (2.5 lb Halon) mounted using a Brey-Krause mount (door prize SITM '09) and SafeCraft quick-release bracket.

The Brey-Krause #R-2016 mount I have bolts down under the seat rails, so it doesn't move with the seat, the mounts that move with the seat are better.

 

I have one, it comes in handy..... On the way back from the steam cleaning place, some loose greasy gunk drizzled down near the cats on the heat sheild, and it lit up like if you were to spill grease on a baking turkey in the oven.. I pulled over, started spraying, and no problemo. It could have gotten out of hand, as I was not close to a gas station. So, that is one day an extinguisher was worth it's price. In the 6+ years it's been in the car, only used once.. I need to replace it.. I also keep two on my boat.... Mandatory, you don't want to have a fire on the water........

Best,

 

Also consider how you will get the Halon (absolutely agree get Halon (pref) or Halotron) into the engine compartment - WITHOUT opening the hood...

Lots of people don't have this solution worked out - but you need to think it through - shooting it into the radiator grill is not the best way....

Alan

 

Well if it's really burning DON'T stand in front of the car and open it up to have a look! Inhaled superheated air = R.I.P. I know that seems obvious, but so do a lot of other things that get people hurt.

The FD trains to rip open a small triangle in the front corner of the hood and shoot foam in thru that, thus keeping the flames at bay.

Instead, maybe pop the hood using a cloth while crouching off to one side, but don't open it too far. Then shoot the extinguisher thru the crack.

All fires are not in in the engine compartment, either. I was driving an unkempt 81 euro S on the freeway at 85mph in heavy traffic when it had a sudden dash "fire". The whole cabin filled up with smoke in literally seconds, I couldn't see out the windshield and was holding my breath from the fumes. The windows didn't work (of course) so I had to open the door to clear it all out! Luckily it self extinguished before I got the car stopped. Scary though.

 

Alan is being coy... he has plumbed up a system where he can spray halon into the engine bay from his driver's seat yet is still able to use the extinguisher inside the cabin or away from the car. It's really a neat setup.