NHTSA Complaint #10676234 — 2006 MINI COOPER S

BLUE BLACK SMOKE FROM FRONT GRILL OF WARM (20 MILES) DRIVEN CAR. CAR WAS OFF AND PARKED IN HIGHWAY 40 MCDONALDS RESTAURANT PARKING LOT NEXT TO A 10,000 GALLON HEATING FUEL TANK. PARKER FUEL COMPANY EMPLOYEES PUT OUT THE FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT JUST BELOW THE ENGINE. NOTE THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE OPENING THE BONNET/HOOD AT WHICH TIME THE SMOKE AND VISIBLE FLAME WAS EXTINGUISHED 5 TIMES VIA 1 SMALL (DEPLETED) AND 3 TIMES ENDING VIA A 2ND LARGER PARKER FUEL COMPANY UNIT. HOWARD COUNTY FIRE AND POLICE VEHICLES ARRIVED AFTER FIRE HAD ENDED. CAR SEEMED NORMAL OVER 20 MILE PORTION OF TRIP ON HIGHWAY 70 + 40 @ 70 + 55 MPH SPEEDS. FLAME COULD BE VIEWED ORIGINATING UNDER ENGINE WHEN LOOKING DOWNWARD IN SPACE BETWEEN ENGINE AND FIREWALL BELOW EXHAUST MANIFOLD. NOT SURE IF FIRE WAS FROM POWER STEERING PUMP DRIVE (ELECTRIC MOTOR), POWER STEERING HOSE(S), PS FAN OR COMPROMISED OIL PUMP VOLUME CONTROL SOLENOID VALVE LEAKING OIL ON VERY HOT SUPERCHARGED ENGINE EXHAUST. I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT THE 4 MINUTES I WAS INSIDE MCDONALDS ,THAT MULTIPLE PARKER FUEL COMPANY EMPLOYEES ARRIVING TO WORK HAD SEEN THE SMOKE AND HAD MULTIPLE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS AND TRAINING TO PUT OUT FIRES. MY CAR WOULD HAVE COMPLETELY BURNED UP IN THE TIME IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN THE FIRE DEPT TO ARRIVE. THE 1ST PARKER FUEL COMPANY EMPLOYEE WAS ALREADY AT MY CAR WITH PLIERS TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY AS HE KNEW IT WAS NOT STEAM FROM A RADIATOR, BUT BLACK SMOKE FROM A ELECTRICAL, GAS, OIL OR RUBBER/PLASTIC SOURCES BEING DIFFICULT TO EXTINGUISH. *TR