NHTSA Complaint #10313723 — 1979 CHEVROLET G20

TL*THE CONTACT OWNED A 1979 CHEVROLET G-20. WHILE HIS VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN HIS DRIVEWAY WITH THE IGNITION ON, HE NOTICED BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. HE ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE HOOD BUT IT WAS EXTREMELY HOT AND FLAMES BEGAN COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND A REPORT WAS FILED. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, THE FIRE MARSHALL ADVISED THAT THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE WAS DUE TO ETHANOL FUEL DISSOLVING THE FUEL FILTER, WHICH CAUSED FUEL TO LEAK ONTO THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 500,000. UPDATED 4/19/10 THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS IN IDLE. AS HE PROCEEDED TO BACK OUT OF HIS DRIVEWAY, HE HEARD THE ENGINE STOP AFTER A BACKFIRE THROUGH THE CARBURETOR. HE IMMEDIATELY OBSERVED BLACK SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE WAS INITIATED WHEN THE PLASTIC INLINE FUEL FILTER FAILED, DUE TO ETHANOL DISSOLVING THE FUEL IN THE FLOAT BOWLS. THE FIRE SPREAD TO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT PRIOR TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARRIVAL. THE SAFETY ISSUE WAS NOT WITH THE VEHICLE, BUT WITH THE MANDATORY ETHANOL FUEL WHICH HAS CAUSED NUMEROUS FIRES . ACCORDING TO THE FIRE REPORT, THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY A FUEL LEAK WHICH IN TURN LEAKED ONTO THE MANIFOLD. UPDATED 07/07/10*JB