Investigation Into Engine Fire with ...


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

http://ktul.com/news/stories/1202/65254.html

Washington (AP) - The government has upgraded an investigation into more than 2 million General Motors Corp. cars with 3.8-liter engines after 44 owners complained that the engines caught fire.

The investigation involves 1996 through 2000 models of the Buick Le Sabre, Park Avenue, Regal and Riviera; Oldsmobile 88, 98 and Cutlass; Pontiac Bonneville and Grand Prix; and the Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

Investigators from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration say the engine can backfire during startup and fracture the plastic intake minifold, which can cause a fire.

In addition to the 44 reports of fire made to NHTSA, 565 people have complained to GM about the problem. It's unclear how many of the complaints involved a fire, but two people told the company they were injured.

GM recalled 275,811 cars with the same engine after similar complaints surfaced in 1996.

GM spokesman Jim Schell said the company is cooperating with NHTSA on the investigation. The agency's report says the automaker maintains the condition is not an unreasonable safety problem.

NHTSA opens investigations with a preliminary inquiry where the agency and the manufacturer exchange paperwork. The investigation can be upgraded so that government engineers can examine vehicle parts for a possible defect.

The investigation into the GM vehicles has been taken up to the second level.

The agency's investigations can lead to a recall, but many are dropped.

The GM investigation was detailed in a report of October actions taken by NHTSA investigators that was released on Wednesday. The agency also opened investigations into two other vehicles based on reports of engine fires.

Thirty-five people have reported fires in 1997-2002 Toyota Camry cars, 28 of which started when the vehicle was on the road. Eight of the owners said they were traveling at more than 55 mph. Two crashes and one injury were reported.

And three owners of the 2002 Nissan Altima with a 2.5-liter engine said the engine caught fire without warning while they were driving. All three vehicles were totaled and one person was injured while escaping the car.

it requires the replacement now of the fuel pressure regulator.

I guess thats why the L26 went to an aluminum plenium.

I've heard of this problem before as well. But, you need to consider negligence on the owner's part as well. Fuel pressure regulators are a very common failure on 3.8's, and they always cause some kind of running or starting problem even in the slight beginning stages of them starting to fail. If a regulator has failed to the point where it could actually cause and engine fire, that pretty much means that it has been bad for quite awhile, and that any running problem or starting problem has just been ignored, which is usually the story. Cars don't fix themselves, and usually if something is ignored it develops into something worse and more expensive, and then when the inevitable happens, the blame is put to someone else.

And also, the recall notices have just started to surface around here.