Gone in 60 seconds…

Car flameouts are a growing phenomenon in Delhi, but their cause remains unclear

Aditi Bhansali Delhi

Fear and horror struck Delhi-ites after two people were charred to death when a Honda City blazed in an inferno opposite the Oberoi Hotel. Delhi woke up to a new threat on its horizon: car flameouts and the increasing number of deaths caused by them. In February a newly-engaged couple and their friend were similarly burnt to death when their Fiat Palio caught fire following a collision with a truck. More recently in June, a Wagon R went up in flames after it rammed into a tree, taking five more casualties in the process. A Santro on the Mehrauli-Gurgaon road and a Matiz near the Moolchand flyover caught fire last month. Fortunately the fire brigade was summoned at the right time and tragedy was averted for all the occupants.

What caused these flameouts? Pending an investigation, it is difficult to pinpoint the precise cause but the fact is that in all the cases cited above, the central locking system failed, trapping the hapless victims inside. ASI Ramesh Chand of the Delhi police spoke to Hardnews and said, “A case under Section 436 and 304 A of IPC (accidental death due to negligence) has been registered. It is apparent that the central locking system indeed failed.” Sabotage and foul play has been ruled out in the case.

Tragically all these deaths in flameouts cannot be tangibly blamed on any one reason. Leaking fluids, short circuits, defective carburettors and catalytic converters can start most fires in cars. Faulty electrical wiring is the most likely reason for cars going up in flames. An unqualified mechanic can be lethal to a car. The world is no stranger to flameouts. In the US last year, 2,66,000 car fires resulted in 520 deaths. Every year in the UK 73,000 cars flame up which equate to 200 a day and hundred people lose their lives as a result. Some are a result of cover-ups of illegal activities but most are a product of the low maintenance kept by its owners. India witnesses about 80,000 car accidents every year and inadequate safeguarding measures result in frequent car flameouts. The Delhi Fire Service receives at least two calls of car fires every month.

However, service centres such as the Safdarjung Service Station and Shiva Motors claim that they do not get any complaints of short circuits or car fires. Gagan Arora of the Sadarjung Service Station says that the service centres only tend to regular check-up, cleaning and maintenance and have had no reports of car flameouts. Car insurance companies such as Jai Insurance and Brokers Co. deny any problems with cars going up in flames. Two days after the accident and everyone forgot about it.

Avinash Lad, an automobile expert and a Honda dealer, feels that car fires can be the result of “almost any reason”. Concerning gadgets and accessories which strain the Engine Control Unit (ECU) he says, “Consumers should trust the company for all their needs, be it routine car service or accessories” Lad advised that regular check-ups of the wiring, avoidance of non-standard gadgets, service done by trained personnel are the various safety measures one should take to avoid a short circuit, among other things. “Smoke from any part of the car is a serious warning and the car should be subjected to an immediate check-up,” added Lad.

Auto experts also think that tampering with the multi-point fuel injection (MPFI) system can lead to electrical problems. It is a sophisticated system to measure the fuel injection and any tampering with it could cause severe damage including an accident like the recent one. “The local mechanic can mess up the wiring and the Engine Control Unit (ECU) which often requires diligent handling,” says Lad. Apart from the MPFI system itself, the fact that the two occupants in the Honda were locked in the car because the central locking systems betrayed them has led to many suspicions about the system.

In defence of the central locking system TK Malhotra, president of the Automobile Association of Upper India (AAUI), insists that the system is not at fault. “It is a checked, balanced system and a grave need,” He scoffs at the blame given to the system, adding that they can be handled individually as well. “Furthermore, the burden of two failed central locking systems in a million is an unfair blame given to the device. It is very necessary for security reasons.” The cars themselves are balanced products but require close supervision and maintenance. “The AAUI can only advise and ensure people about cars, which are thoroughly checked before given to the consumer. It is only when these systems are dismantled and the original wiring is disturbed that problems such as these occur,” he further adds. However, these things are not acceptable in any industry. As one consumer says, “We cannot have this problem in the aircraft industry, nor these mistakes.” The problem here is not that the device is flawed, but people do not use it properly.

Then what is to be done about the crisis where at least a dozen people have died? Who is to blame? The car, the company, the local mechanic, the gadgets or ironically, the users? Delhi’s population of a 105 million boasts of 4.5 million vehicles. “These cars which cost a fortune have no business of exploding,” says an indignant resident.

Ultimately, Tom Collins, an auto expert from Denver, CA, blames sabotage and faulty assembly to most car flameouts. The Delhi Police are ruling out sabotage in all these cases and hence the fires clearly point to the faulty assembling of the machine by unqualified personnel.

Collins further says that it could be a design flaw as well but that can be ruled out in the recent flameouts because cars in general from many automobile companies are blowing up. The car is not at fault in most cases as it is a thoroughly checked machine when it is processed. At fault is limited awareness about the issue and lax maintenance.