2008 DODGE SPRINTER 2500 Electrical System Problems

DODGE SPRINTER 2500 CONVERTED TO RECREATIONAL VEHICLE BY WINNEBAGO (2010 WINNEBAGO ERA). ON MAY 11, 2018 AFTER DRIVING FOR ~4 HOURS, PARKED IN CAMPSITE. IMMEDIATELY CAUGHT FIRE UNDER DRIVER'S SIDE FLOOR IN BATTERY COMPARTMENT. FIRE SPREAD UNDER DASH, UNABLE TO EXTINGUISH WITH ONBOARD FIRE EXTINGUISHER. FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED BLAZE AFTER ENTIRE DASH MELTED.

VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN HOSPITAL PARKING LOT FOR ABOUT 6 HOURS. LEFT HOSPITAL AND WHILE TRYING TO START VEHICLE THE DASHBOARD INFORMATION CENTER INDICATED A NO START CONDITION. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO CRANK. THINKING MY KEY WAS FAULTY, I TRIED MY WIFE'S KEY. SAME RESULT. NO CRANK. DASHBOARD DISPLAYED "START ERROR". AN ATTACHED DEVICE BY GARMIN THAT READS THE COMPUTER BUS AND COMMUNICATES TO THE GARMIN GPS HAD NO ILLUMINATION OF IT'S COMMUNICATIONS ESTABLISHED CONFIDENCE LIGHT.. SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS COLD I ACTIVATED THE AUXILLARY HEATER FOR WARRANTY. MY WIFE AND I SAT THERE FOR 15 MINUTES MAKING PHONE CALLS AND TRYING TO GET HELP. THE CABIN HAD WARMED UP SOME AND I TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE AGAIN. I WAS SUCCESSFUL. IN TRYING TO RESEARCH THIS PROBLEM ON THE SPRINTER USER FORUMS, I FOUND REFERENCE TO A SCREEM MODULE HAVING TO DO WITH VEHICLE SECURITY. OTHER USERS...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE SPRINTER 2500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER ACTIVATED, THE CONTACT NOTICED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE AIR VENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE. SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE ENGULFED INTO MASSIVE FLAMES. A POLICE AND FIRE REPORT WERE FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS DECLARED DESTROYED AND WAS TOWED. AN INVESTIGATION HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.