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February 5, 2011

Another Winter Impelled Shortcut to Resist: Burning Briquettes Under the Engine Block

Monique Chartier

... to pre-heat the engine oil (even if it is insanely cold out).

Here's one way not to try and start your vehicle in cold weather: Don't place burning charcoal briquettes under the engine.

Workers at the Summit County Landfill found out the hard way Tuesday morning as temperatures were in the minus double digits.

The workers wanted to warm the oil pan of a semi-tractor and put a pan of burning charcoal under the truck. The plan worked too well at heating the engine and caught the truck on fire, said Lake Dillon Fire/Rescue spokesman Steve Lipsher

Firefighters extinguished the blaze, but the truck engine was heavily damaged.

engine_briquettes.jpg

Comments

You can't do that? uh oh, got to go....

Posted by: michael at February 5, 2011 9:03 AM

It sounds like another candidate for a Darwin award.

Posted by: GeorgeH at February 5, 2011 5:32 PM

The names of the geniuses involved aren't mentioned, but something tells me that they could only have been Chafee and Trainor.

Posted by: Bill at February 5, 2011 11:21 PM

For those who don't know, diesels are rarely shut off at that temperature. Ask anyone with a Mercedes diesel who forgot to add the kerosene.

Posted by: Warrington Faust at February 6, 2011 6:02 PM