NSFW: Hoping none of you ever need this....
- Thread starter Carol M
- Start date
About twelve years ago, a near neighbour asked me if I wanted to sell a Ford P100 pick-up that had stood unused in my field for about a year. It was in quite good condition, but to my shame, I hadn't bothered to keep it in running order. He offered me a resonable sum for it, on the condition that he could start it, and I agreed. The following weekend, he arrived with a can of petrol and a can of EasyStart.
We topped up the tank and he suggested that I get in and try to start it while he gave the carbs a squirt of EasyStart. After a couple of turns of the key the engine started and he asked me to keep revving until it warmed up a bit. The bonnet was still up, but I could see him through the gap at the bottom and despite the fact that the vehicle was now running fine, I saw him squirt more EasyStart. Immediately there was a flash and all I could see was flames - at which point he slammed the bonnet shut and ran down my garden. I had two industrial fire extinguishers in my garage so, jumped from the car and ran to get them, but becuase he'd shut the bonnet, I was unable to use them on the engine. Within minutes the whole truck was blazing and after dialling 999, I ran to and fro with buckets of water to try to prevent my (wooden) garage from catching fire. To their credit the fire brigade arrived very quickly, but the P100 was completely destroyed.
When the fire crew had left, I went to see the neighbour, who had made himself scarce on the pretext that his wife was pregnant and he didn't want her worried! He claimed that the fire had been caused by a fuel leak and and denied that he had used EasyStart after the vehicle was running, however I could see him doing it and could hear the spray. Needless to say, I never got a penny from him and it cost me to get the wreck cleared.
So, be careful is your using this stuff!
Scorp,
We topped up the tank and he suggested that I get in and try to start it while he gave the carbs a squirt of EasyStart. After a couple of turns of the key the engine started and he asked me to keep revving until it warmed up a bit. The bonnet was still up, but I could see him through the gap at the bottom and despite the fact that the vehicle was now running fine, I saw him squirt more EasyStart. Immediately there was a flash and all I could see was flames - at which point he slammed the bonnet shut and ran down my garden. I had two industrial fire extinguishers in my garage so, jumped from the car and ran to get them, but becuase he'd shut the bonnet, I was unable to use them on the engine. Within minutes the whole truck was blazing and after dialling 999, I ran to and fro with buckets of water to try to prevent my (wooden) garage from catching fire. To their credit the fire brigade arrived very quickly, but the P100 was completely destroyed.
When the fire crew had left, I went to see the neighbour, who had made himself scarce on the pretext that his wife was pregnant and he didn't want her worried! He claimed that the fire had been caused by a fuel leak and and denied that he had used EasyStart after the vehicle was running, however I could see him doing it and could hear the spray. Needless to say, I never got a penny from him and it cost me to get the wreck cleared.
So, be careful is your using this stuff!
Scorp,
Wow, scary stuff.
Strangely I had a customer come into work this morning telling me he had just set fire to his engine bay on his boat after using Easystart to get his generator running.
Strangely I had a customer come into work this morning telling me he had just set fire to his engine bay on his boat after using Easystart to get his generator running.
:lol:
Usa
Do they both come in a handy boot size :wink: