Are there checks or maintenance to keep the Fieros from catching fire. I don't want to have trouble like "You know who".

Jim, most of the "Fiero Fire" was hype.

On the 84's and the early 85's there were some issues with some bad piston rods and organization under the hood where a coolant leak (Antifreeze is 1/2 alcohol!) and or (if the piston rod failed and went through the side of the block) oil spilled onto the very hot catalytic converter there could be a fire. The Recalls installed baffle plates and shields to prevent this.

Of course a burning car (especially a plastic one that keeps burning!) is sensational and got the public eye.

Have your dealer check the recalls. Should have stickers on the car, but some didn't get "done". I don't think there is a limit on time ... although there may be some resistance to 'old work'.

Another cause as the vehicles get older, the gas lines are deteriorating. They exit the gas tank directly in front of the Cat converter, so when they spring a leak the consequences are bad. The rubber hoses should be updated and the condition of the metal lines should checked.

Dave

Poor engine maintainance, dirty and grease covered engine, oil leaks and or jury rigged electrical or fuel lines.
As mentioned mostly affected were 84 & 85 4 cylinder engines. To find out what causes a V-6 to burn, contact GT Dude for info! !

Thanks all...

This puts my mind a little more at ease. I don't want to loose this car to a fire if something simple could have been done to prevent it.

"You know who" (GT Dude) lost 2 to a blaze so I wondered if there was something to the Fiero fire rumor. After all... they must have named it "Fiero" for a reason.

Thanks again

Jim

I think 2 is a conservative count:P

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Dwayne Mohr
84 SC Red
87 GT 5sp Silver
(Formerly FieroSoul, member since 2001)

As one that had an 84 that became a big torch I can say that the cause of the fires where mainly the release of a bad product by Pontiac. If you all remember, the 80's was the time where American Auto Makers release a new model without complete testing and they used the general public to do the last year of testing on the road, then they would make changes on the next models. (Allot of people talk trash about Japanese cars but they do the testing before release) Once the little sporty car started catching on fire, Pontiac blamed the car user for poor maintenance and negligence when they knew all along that the problem was in the design. They fought the recall but eventually they didn’t have much of a choice, mind you, all of the years that the little sporty car was manufactured it made a profit even with the fears of fire. You can start flaming me if you like but the fact is that our great cars didn't start that great and was a victim of the poor quality automakers of the 80's. Today most if not all Fiero's have been fixed and the problem would be poor maintenance and negligence, but that was not really the case in the 80's. The only American car that I can say was tested and problems fixed as soon as they came up was the Saturn, they did a recall on all their models due to using the wrong coolant on their cars that would cause premature corrosion, they recalled all the cars and replaced them with new ones. You might still find pictures of the parking lots of Saturn cars that where recalled and never used even for parts. Now that is how you handle a screw up. The Fiero is a great little sporty car with a lot of potential, I have had 4 since ’89 and now have my 87 GT 5 speed, I think I will always have one, some called me nuts for getting a second after the first went up in flames.

quote Originally posted by Indiana_resto_guy: Poor engine maintainance, dirty and grease covered engine, oil leaks and or jury rigged electrical or fuel lines. As mentioned mostly affected were 84 & 85 4 cylinder engines. To find out what causes a V-6 to burn, contact GT Dude for info! !

Also parking in dead grass and leaves poses a risk as with all cars.

As has been mentioned, at this point in time Fiero engine fires are maintenance related. This is true for any old car. If it was going to turn into a car-b-que due to a design flaw, it most likely would have done so by now.

All you need for a fire is fuel, air, and spark, all of which are present in an engine bay. The biggest problem seems to be things coming in contact with hot exhaust parts, especially the catalytic converter. Keep leaves, pine needles, and other crap out of the engine.

Watch for leaks (oil, tranny fluid, coolant, fuel), and correct any problems right away (you DON'T want things leaking onto your exhaust, and besides, a big greasy mess looks like crap). Check the condition of your wiring, and if you do any electrical repairs, make sure your work isn't sloppy. Check the condition of the rubber hoses, as they begin to dry out and crack with age.

I jack the car up and get underneath it at least once a month to check for problems, and I give the engine compartment a going over at every gas fill-up. Fieros are old, and like any old car, they demand a lot of care. But they make up for it when you get behind the wheel .

Of course as above, keep engine compartment clean. Oil leaking is major problem, But also make sure that any thing you place in the engine compartment is non flamable or high temp tested. Some people have added those nice colored pvc plastic wire covers, had them melt and catch fire. Old insulation that's to close to exhaust, or anything for that matter. It's easy for spark plugwires to tought manifolds.
Make sure your engine's coolant system is working and you do scheduled oil changes, as mentioned above a rod threw the block puts a lot of oil all over that nice hot exhaust piples.

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Rick D

86GT
84COUP

http://fierodriver.zymdragon.com

"Power steering is for girls."

my 87 se burned do to a eltric short on the wiring harness on the firewall pass thru, caused by chafe and heat plus age

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Question wonder and be wierd
are you kind?