Engine Fire! I need your help :(

RazRokz.! · 07-10-2013, 01:11 PM

About two months ago I had a pretty mild engine fire. When I popped the hood, I noticed a flame coming from the lower part of the intake manifold. I put the flame out as quick as I could but the damage had already been done. The heating element had completely melted and was no longer in sight. The fire also damaged the intake manifold and the crank case vent hose. A BMW dealer in Belgium quoted me 3,000 euro to do the repairs! That is about $4,000 in u.s. dollars. Of course I laughed at the tech and his crazy price and walked away. Since then, I have bought a new 3 stage intake manifold, adjusters, vent hose and heating element to bring my car back to life courtesy of Tisher BMW. However, I have run into a problem. There are two wires that are inserted into a connector, which is inserted into the heating element, which is inserted into the manifold. No where on these wires or on the connector is there anything to say which wire delivers a positive voltage or negative voltage. And to make things more confusing, there isn't anything on the connector to say which "hole" is for the positive wire or negative wire. Does anybody have any idea how to wire this thing? What wire goes where? I also have five screws that came with the 3 stage intake manifold kit I got from Tisher. I'm guessing they are meant to screw the adjusters into the manifold but I haven't the slightest idea where they actually go? Ive posted pictures below to help explain what I am talking about. Any insight would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Picture 1 : Melted manifold and connecting parts

Picture 2 : New manifold and parts (far away shot)

Picture 3 : New manifold and parts (close up shot)

Picture 4 : The screws I was talking about

RazRokz.! · 07-10-2013, 10:18 PM

Ok, let's make things interesting. If someone goes to their car to see how this thing is wired, I will send them an Injen CAI for FREE! Yes, free. I will even pay shipping.

playground · 07-10-2013, 10:20 PM

Pm'd you.

Modded328FTW · 07-10-2013, 10:52 PM

The screws are to install your Disa actuators module onto the manifold (the one that sits on the inside).

Revision2 · 07-10-2013, 11:42 PM

It sounds like you experienced the same type of fire that Desi4Life10 did a little while back (http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=762424). He also had a 3 stage manifold in his car. What was your old 3 stg intake manifold from? Curious if there is anything in common.

andrey_gta · 07-11-2013, 12:26 AM

I might have taken a pic of the plug. will look. no promises

Quote:

Originally Posted by Revision2

It sounds like you experienced the same type of fire that Desi4Life10 did a little while back (http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=762424). He also had a 3 stage manifold in his car. What was your old 3 stg intake manifold from? Curious if there is anything in common.

I think Raj's was near the window @ the back...

RazRokz.! · 07-11-2013, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by playground

Pm'd you.

You have pm. Just send me an adress and it's yours. Thanks for your help.

RazRokz.! · 07-11-2013, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Revision2

It sounds like you experienced the same type of fire that Desi4Life10 did a little while back (http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=762424). He also had a 3 stage manifold in his car. What was your old 3 stg intake manifold from? Curious if there is anything in common.

Actually we had the exact same problem. The heating element in the manifold shorted out and caused a fire. The crazy thing about it is that my wife would tell me she smelled a "melted plastic" smell when she would drive. I have a bad sense of smell so I never noticed it. I looked under the hood a couple of times and there was never anything visibly wrong. Then bam, engine fire...

RazRokz.! · 07-11-2013, 01:35 AM

Based on the messages I have been getting, it looks like this is not an isolated incident. I now know of 4 cars that this has happened too. When I am done with repairs, I will be posting the part numbers for everything needed to fix this problem and pictures and instructions to aid in the repair. Just in case anyone else finds themselves in my current situation...

playground · 07-11-2013, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RazRokz.!

You have pm. Just send me an adress and it's yours. Thanks for your help.

No worries, glad I could help.

Revision2 · 07-12-2013, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RazRokz.!

Actually we had the exact same problem. The heating element in the manifold shorted out and caused a fire. The crazy thing about it is that my wife would tell me she smelled a "melted plastic" smell when she would drive. I have a bad sense of smell so I never noticed it. I looked under the hood a couple of times and there was never anything visibly wrong. Then bam, engine fire...

Quote:

Originally Posted by RazRokz.!

Based on the messages I have been getting, it looks like this is not an isolated incident. I now know of 4 cars that this has happened too. When I am done with repairs, I will be posting the part numbers for everything needed to fix this problem and pictures and instructions to aid in the repair. Just in case anyone else finds themselves in my current situation...

Well at least the situation wasn't any worse (relatively speaking) and that neither you or your wife were ever hurt when it happened. It is a bit concerning though and wonder if there is anything in common between the ones that seem to have this issue? ex. are the intakes all from roughly the same year / model?

andrey_gta · 07-12-2013, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrey_gta

I think Raj's was near the window @ the back...

Oops, it was the same part that failed for him

RazRokz.! · 07-12-2013, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Revision2

Well at least the situation wasn't any worse (relatively speaking) and that neither you or your wife were ever hurt when it happened. It is a bit concerning though and wonder if there is anything in common between the ones that seem to have this issue? ex. are the intakes all from roughly the same year / model?

The cars that I know of are 1 325i and 3 328i's. The problem actually isn't with the manifold. It is with the heating element that is in side it shorting out and causing a fire.

andrey_gta · 07-12-2013, 11:38 AM

Your car is 2007, Desi's car is 2007 i belive( pre LCI)
hmm, we should see if there is a pattern. The part is too cheap not to maintaince replace or at least clean

RazRokz.! · 07-12-2013, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by playground

No worries, glad I could help.

Hey, check your gmail. You've got mail

RazRokz.! · 07-12-2013, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrey_gta

Your car is 2007, Desi's car is 2007 i belive( pre LCI)
hmm, we should see if there is a pattern. The part is too cheap not to maintaince replace or at least clean

That is an amazing idea. This whole thing cost me about $1200 and the inconvenience of being left without a car for now three months. Haha, my daily driver is currently a smurf blue 96 Ford Windstar. And all of this could have been avoided by swapping out a $50 dollar part. Kind of funny when you think about it.

andrey_gta · 07-12-2013, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RazRokz.!

That is an amazing idea. This whole thing cost me about $1200 and the inconvenience of being left without a car for now three months. Haha, my daily driver is currently a smurf blue 96 Ford Windstar. And all of this could have been avoided by swapping out a $50 dollar part. Kind of funny when you think about it.

can you link to the other 328i and 325i?

RazRokz.! · 07-12-2013, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrey_gta

can you link to the other 328i and 325i?

I don't think They don't have any threads about this particular issue posted but I'll ask. The only reason I know about them is because they pm'ed me after reading my thread.

andrey_gta · 07-12-2013, 02:21 PM

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=471819

http://www.aboutautomobile.com/Compl...MW/325i/Engine

perhaps it is safe to say we should replace these every 3 years

RazRokz.! · 07-13-2013, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Modded328FTW

The screws are to install your Disa actuators module onto the manifold (the one that sits on the inside).

Ah, that makes sense. But they are all different sizes? Which one goes where?

RazRokz.! · 07-13-2013, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrey_gta

http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=471819

http://www.aboutautomobile.com/Compl...MW/325i/Engine

perhaps it is safe to say we should replace these every 3 years

BMW should issue a recall on this part. If only we knew how to report something like this?

playground · 07-14-2013, 02:33 PM

I've seen this part go out on two cars. My cousin's 323i and my 325i winter beater.
First time it happens, it blows a fuse on the 30AMP fuse engine fusebox.
It's suppose to pop the fuse so it doesn't catch on fire.

07-10-2013, 01:11 PM	#1
RazRokz.! Captain 18 Rep 551 Posts Drives: 07 BMW 328i Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: California iTrader: (0)	Engine Fire! I need your help :( About two months ago I had a pretty mild engine fire. When I popped the hood, I noticed a flame coming from the lower part of the intake manifold. I put the flame out as quick as I could but the damage had already been done. The heating element had completely melted and was no longer in sight. The fire also damaged the intake manifold and the crank case vent hose. A BMW dealer in Belgium quoted me 3,000 euro to do the repairs! That is about $4,000 in u.s. dollars. Of course I laughed at the tech and his crazy price and walked away. Since then, I have bought a new 3 stage intake manifold, adjusters, vent hose and heating element to bring my car back to life courtesy of Tisher BMW. However, I have run into a problem. There are two wires that are inserted into a connector, which is inserted into the heating element, which is inserted into the manifold. No where on these wires or on the connector is there anything to say which wire delivers a positive voltage or negative voltage. And to make things more confusing, there isn't anything on the connector to say which "hole" is for the positive wire or negative wire. Does anybody have any idea how to wire this thing? What wire goes where? I also have five screws that came with the 3 stage intake manifold kit I got from Tisher. I'm guessing they are meant to screw the adjusters into the manifold but I haven't the slightest idea where they actually go? Ive posted pictures below to help explain what I am talking about. Any insight would be appreciated. Thank you in advance. Picture 1 : Melted manifold and connecting parts Picture 2 : New manifold and parts (far away shot) Picture 3 : New manifold and parts (close up shot) Picture 4 : The screws I was talking about Attached Images
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07-10-2013, 10:18 PM	#2
RazRokz.! Captain 18 Rep 551 Posts Drives: 07 BMW 328i Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: California iTrader: (0)	Ok, let's make things interesting. If someone goes to their car to see how this thing is wired, I will send them an Injen CAI for FREE! Yes, free. I will even pay shipping.
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07-10-2013, 10:20 PM	#3
playground Lieutenant 32 Rep 473 Posts Drives: M3 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: North York iTrader: (0)	Pm'd you. __________________ Become like water my friend.
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07-10-2013, 10:52 PM	#4
Modded328FTW Private First Class 5 Rep 116 Posts Drives: 328 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Canada iTrader: (0)	The screws are to install your Disa actuators module onto the manifold (the one that sits on the inside).
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07-10-2013, 11:42 PM	#5
Revision2 Captain 37 Rep 744 Posts Drives: JB 2011 E90 M3 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Toronto iTrader: (6)	It sounds like you experienced the same type of fire that Desi4Life10 did a little while back (http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=762424). He also had a 3 stage manifold in his car. What was your old 3 stg intake manifold from? Curious if there is anything in common.
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07-11-2013, 01:35 AM	#9
RazRokz.! Captain 18 Rep 551 Posts Drives: 07 BMW 328i Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: California iTrader: (0)	Based on the messages I have been getting, it looks like this is not an isolated incident. I now know of 4 cars that this has happened too. When I am done with repairs, I will be posting the part numbers for everything needed to fix this problem and pictures and instructions to aid in the repair. Just in case anyone else finds themselves in my current situation...
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07-12-2013, 11:38 AM	#14
andrey_gta Brigadier General 300 Rep 4,040 Posts Drives: 130i coupé ;) Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Bimmerpost iTrader: (1) Garage List 2008 BMW 128i [10.00]	Your car is 2007, Desi's car is 2007 i belive( pre LCI) hmm, we should see if there is a pattern. The part is too cheap not to maintaince replace or at least clean __________________ 128i Sport 6MT converted to Euro 130i spec, 3.73 diff, tuned by evolve ~220 whp 207 wtq(ft-lb) SAE In-progress: //M front arm, M3 rack, e36M lip Wishlist: Coils, n55 mnts, headers, LSD, e60 finn diff "The 1-series is the last car that BMW engineered before the Germans, as a car-making culture, fell out of love with driving." - R&T 2013 135is
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07-12-2013, 02:21 PM	#19
andrey_gta Brigadier General 300 Rep 4,040 Posts Drives: 130i coupé ;) Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Bimmerpost iTrader: (1) Garage List 2008 BMW 128i [10.00]	http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=471819 http://www.aboutautomobile.com/Compl...MW/325i/Engine perhaps it is safe to say we should replace these every 3 years __________________ 128i Sport 6MT converted to Euro 130i spec, 3.73 diff, tuned by evolve ~220 whp 207 wtq(ft-lb) SAE In-progress: //M front arm, M3 rack, e36M lip Wishlist: Coils, n55 mnts, headers, LSD, e60 finn diff "The 1-series is the last car that BMW engineered before the Germans, as a car-making culture, fell out of love with driving." - R&T 2013 135is
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07-14-2013, 02:33 PM	#22
playground Lieutenant 32 Rep 473 Posts Drives: M3 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: North York iTrader: (0)	I've seen this part go out on two cars. My cousin's 323i and my 325i winter beater. First time it happens, it blows a fuse on the 30AMP fuse engine fusebox. It's suppose to pop the fuse so it doesn't catch on fire. __________________ Become like water my friend.
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