My first Car Fire - Well, sort of... and other troubles.

[mafioso]

No smart-ass comments please My car is a Renault Laguna - troublefree and virgin until today.

Got in the car this afternoon, switched on the climate control and proceeded with a quick trip to Wynberg. A street block away from home, I smelled burning plastic and stopped immediately in a layby.

I opened the bonnet and had a good look around and saw nothing amiss. At this time, I was still in two minds whether to return home or go on to Wynberg.

Started the car and a minute later, I saw wisps of smoke exiting from the ventilation vents

So, I made a quick decision to head for home. As I had to go round the block and negotiate 2 sets of traffic lights while the car filled with smoke, I switched on the headlights and emergency flashers and 'carefully' ran two red traffic lights by going round waiting cars at both robots. Fortunately the waiting motorists realised I had a problem.

So I got to my driveway, opened the bonnet and grabbed an 8 spanner to disconnect one of the battery terminals.

At this time, as I wasn't sure if the smoldering wires would ignite, I called a car workshop owner nearby and asked him to bring a fire extinguisher - mine went with another car I sold recently.

It looks like I am going to have an interesting 2011

Last Wednesday, we had another house robbery at 4.10pm. A foreign african hid on the back stoep behind the back door. I was busy cleaning my workshop and had some stuff I wanted to put in the rubbish bin.

As I opened the door, the devil gave me a terrific shove so that I fell backwards into my garage entrance between the laundry room and the kitchen.

My wife heard the commotion and I then jumped up and pressed the armed response button. The robber saw my wife, got her by the neck and ripped-off her earrings and watch, all while the siren was on. Since the robber was still in my house when Chubb turned up less than a week previously, he turned and ran. I'm not even sure how and where he got over my walls and razor wire but we found tracks in a few places.

Chubb turned up quickly, just after the sector SAPS arrived. Within minutes the house was swarming with captains and colonels, videographers and fingerprint blokes and they finally left after 9pm.

I'm convinced it is the same person which entered here 4 other, recent times. MO is the same. Screwdrivers to force window frames and each time, he left caps and screwdrivers, Gastron tablets!, folded silver paper and even his bag behind.

Additional measures have been taken but where it will all end, no-one knows...money, money, money  (Until now, I have added extra locks on the side gates and one additional security light outside. Next up will be cutting down of shrubs severely for more measures outside.

Take care out there.

mafioso
 

[alternativeroute]

Sheesh!!! Glad you guys are alright. Sounds like you have a one man crime-wave happening!

[frikkie]

Sheesh!!! Glad you guys are alright. Sounds like you have a one man crime-wave happening!

Indeed! Sorry to hear...

And the Lagoooooona? What be wrong?

[mafioso]

Indeed! Sorry to hear...

And the Lagoooooona? What be wrong?

Hi Frikkie

I had a quick lookaround by taking off some covers under the dashboard. It was clear no-one had ever worked there as all the original labels and fasteners were intact. Under the covers, are numerous ducts, hoses and looms all virgin - never been opened or worked-on. The space in the footwell is limited (can't dare to re-connect the car battery to move the front passenger seat) and inspected all the looms I could see and found no burned wires.

The mechanic chappie surmised it could be a faulty relay somewhere deep inside, causing wires to overheat and start smoldering.

Either way, more $$$$$$$

mafioso

[frikkie]

Hi Frikkie

I had a quick lookaround by taking off some covers under the dashboard. It was clear no-one had ever worked there as all the original labels and fasteners were intact. Under the covers, are numerous ducts, hoses and looms all virgin - never been opened or worked-on. The space in the footwell is limited (can't dare to re-connect the car battery to move the front passenger seat) and inspected all the looms I could see and found no burned wires.

The mechanic chappie surmised it could be a faulty relay somewhere deep inside, causing wires to overheat and start smoldering.

Either way, more $$$$$$$

mafioso

Eish. Daai's 'n bietjie kaaaak....

[Atjan]

Nee o dammit! Too much is too much.  Is it not time to hang out the Vierkleur?
Glad to hear you're ok. However, this is happening too often now, so please do take care. I know you are already.

Then the Renault. Well. A good friend, was a maintenance manager at a mine not so long ago, has got 2 Renaults. I guess its cause he's not concerned if machinary breaks down....
Me on the other hand don't like it to happen, ever. Yours is not the first Renault to 'spontaniously combust'. I saw a brand new Megane sedan on test drive go up in flames next to the highway, less than 1km from the dealership.....

[Andrew]

Yoh...  Dude, you're lucky you're alive! Most house robberies end very badly! The bugger must be gaining access somewhere?!

[Rodney_gold]

All my cars have battery cut off switches , in line with the bat earth. Intalled cos sometimes they sit for 2 weeks without being driven , but they also make for emergency switches.
Andre , seems you have been targetted re crime... It really doesnt sound good at all....I would stick up outside beams and maybe get a more viscious dog...

[Crafty]

I've got a Renault Megan Sedan (2.0 privilege) of which the wiring is also giving me trouble from time to time. not as bad as smoking, but still. Try to drive in a coudbreak and then suddelnly the wipers stop for no reason. If you are in or close to PTA:
Call Stephen Blaauw on 079 704 0004
1.) he will sort out the problem very quickly
2.) He will not rip you off.

[mafioso]

Yoh...  Dude, you're lucky you're alive! Most house robberies end very badly! The bugger must be gaining access somewhere?!

The biggest problem here are two panhandle access roads - one on each side of my property. Facing my house on the right, there's a wrought iron automated gate which can be used as a 'stepladder' to climb over my wall. Some weeks ago, I found a robber on my back stoep. When he saw me, he ran, climbed over my ivy-covered wall and over my neighbour's gate and away into the road.

The lefthand side is much worse. Another panhandle access road to a large house diagonally behind mine. Here, the gate is wood, higher with razor wire over the top. I have a 1.1m steel fence around my front garden. Here, someone can climb on top of my front fence and bypass having to climb over my neighbour's wooden gate.

The wood gate is permanently locked as this road is never used. Once into the lefthand access road, perps are completely hidden from view and can then climb over my lefthand side wall undetected.

We plan a major garden shrub and tree trimming which will provide space for an electric fence and beams.

Car fire:

My Laguna was collected early this morning and I'm now awaiting diagnosis. Thanks for the Pta contact. Cape Town is a bit too far from there

Regards all

mafioso

[Timber_MG]

Instead of trimming the brushes, perhaps install some barbed hooks that might catch or at least dissuade the bugger from entering. That or a good old fashioned nailboard for the spots where he is likely to land.

[mafioso]

Instead of trimming the brushes, perhaps install some barbed hooks that might catch or at least dissuade the bugger from entering. That or a good old fashioned nailboard for the spots where he is likely to land.

Hi Timber

There are 3 places where he's likely to climb over and I have thought about this myself. I have a stock of 8mm steel roundbar and can easily make sharpened spikes. The only problem is my dachshund. She's forever going after squirrels in my garden.

I was thinking digging 3 pits and concreting sharpened steel spikes in them. I would then cover the pits with plastic painter's dropsheets and a thin layer of soil and leaves over that.

One gets light, locking wire things from nurseries. I suppose I can put some of these up to prevent my dog from becoming impaled on the spikes.

mafioso

[Rodney_gold]

Ouitside beams work real well, we have 2 alarm systems , outside beams monitored by Phantom with seperate control box and Radio link and perimeter / inside monitored by ADT. The outside system is rigged to a 50w Siren ,blows your ears off.
It has the occasional false alarm , like if a big hadidah or goose crosses it but it really works well , ignores wind blown shrubbery etc.
Your personal safety is worth way more than your stuff and you been lucky so far , don't chance it . Call Mr Parker from Phantom , they in your area , they been doing my shop etc for 20 years +
they even call me if they see they havent got a closing signal by 6pm.. Response on an alarm is within 30 secs.

[Atjan]

AS much as one would like to take these perps apart, I don't think your aim should be to maim them in your yard, but rather to stop them from coming in in the first place. If they still come in, well....
You get shrubs with serious thorns. Think about getting a hedge of those going. They do take quite long to grow though. I've got a huge bunch of hedge roses at my front fence. Wouldn't like getting caught in that.

Your problem however is serious and immediate. I suggest getting outside PIR's installed that are attached to your house. You don't have to wait for the garden to be sorted out and can be set to 'pet friendly' which means they 'normally' ignore animals under a set weight. Beams are much easier to by-pass as you only need know where they are from one visit and next time you jump over or crawl under.

Its takes 1 day to install and can be connected to your alarm. In the meanwhile your fence can be improved in whatever way to keep them out in the first place.
It is expensive and annoying that you have to live in Fort Knox because of these criminals. However, you are being targetted and if you don't act decisively you have yourself to blame for not taking the appropriate steps to eliminate the threat.

[mafioso]

Thanks for all the recommendations and contacts, especially from Rodney.

Car fire: Sweet relief (well, almost). The garage bloke has just been here with the culprit in his hands - a massive Behr ventilation/aircon fan started burning for some reason or other. The air intake ducts are all clear and the fan looks like new so no idea why one of 3 armature coils started burning.

I took pics of the damage but can't upload here for now.

We are going to see if a replacement can be found from a breaker's and if that fails, I have rewound a few armatures...

Fortunately, there is no loom damage at all.

mafioso