Car gone up in smoke

Morpork

Was driving on the Malahide road outside Clarehall today, when a taxi to my left started slowing down, bouncing the suspension and throwing a lot of smoke from somewhere. It stopped, so I did too and the guy jumped out of the car and ran to the side of the road. The car was making a low revving sound and the smoke got darker and thicker.

After 30 seconds the car disappeared in the smoke and I couldn't even see out my own window properly so I decided to move on. I didn't see any fire coming from the car either.

Any idea what could have caused it to happen?

Interslice

Morpork wrote: »

Was driving on the Malahide road outside Clarehall today, when a taxi to my left started slowing down, bouncing the suspension and throwing a lot of smoke from somewhere. It stopped, so I did too and the guy jumped out of the car and ran to the side of the road. The car was making a low revving sound and the smoke got darker and thicker.

After 30 seconds the car disappeared in the smoke and I couldn't even see out my own window properly so I decided to move on. I didn't see any fire coming from the car either.

Any idea what could have caused it to happen?

Diesel runaway by the sound of it. Turbo seal goes and feeds oil into the engine. Videos of it on you tube

ba_barabus

Morpork wrote: »

Any idea what could have caused it to happen?

I'd say the turbo started running on the engine oil. It's probably fecked now if it was. What car was it?

debabyjesus

Runaway possibly. Was it an insignia they're fond of going up in smoke

Zcott

Runaway diesel?

http://youtu.be/5zx3qKX_Pno

Morpork

Yep, that pretty much looks like what happened! Thanks guys.

I didn't get to see what car it was by the way, sorry.

fletch

Would putting it into a high gear and dumping the clutch not cause the engine to conk out the stop this happening?

visual

fletch wrote: »

Would putting it into a high gear and dumping the clutch not cause the engine to conk out the stop this happening?

Thats what many Renault owners had to do and it does stop the engine.

fullstop

fletch wrote: »

Would putting it into a high gear and dumping the clutch not cause the engine to conk out the stop this happening?

Yep, had to do it myself before.

Bio Mech

fletch wrote: »

Would putting it into a high gear and dumping the clutch not cause the engine to conk out the stop this happening?

That would stop it alright. if you have an auto the only option is to spray a CO2 fire extinguisher into the air intake apparently.

Maximus Alexander

Bio Mech wrote: »

That would stop it alright. if you have an auto the only option is to spray a CO2 fire extinguisher into the air intake apparently.

Or tear off your jumper and stuff it in the hole?

lomb

Or put something over the exhaust?