With Malaysians now adjusting to the new normal, offices are reopening and so are our usual hangout spots, we are back on the roads making use of our cars that were dormant for more than a month.

This exposes us to the risks of car fires. Here’s a list of the most common causes of car fires and how you can prevent them.  

1. Car Crash

We’ve seen it in movies. Two cars crash into each other and then…

While explosions are rare, car fires are not. Vehicle crumple zones are generally well designed with the sheet metal to absorb the force of any hits, protecting internal danger zones like the engine and petrol tank. But a hard enough hit could cause leakage of flammable liquids. All that is needed is a spark or high temperature and...KABOOM!

2. Poor Maintenance 

If you don’t keep up with your car’s maintenance, your car is generally at a higher risk not just for fires but more prone to danger in general. If you let broken parts, leaky seals, and faulty wiring go without repairs, you increase the risk of your car catching fire dramatically! 

Although it would be best to leave the inner workings of your car to the professionals, however, there are regular checks that you can do to ensure that your car is generally in an okay condition. 

- Regularly check your engine oil. It keeps internal parts lubricated and cool, avoiding moving parts from grinding against each other causing wear and damage.

- Tyre Pressure & Thread should be checked weekly. Ensuring your tires are set at the right pressure ensures that your fuel is being consumed efficiently. Whereas making sure that the threads are not too worn out improves handling and grip especially when driving on wet roads. 

- Does your car have enough coolant? Coolant prevents your engine from heating.

Need to service your car? Book an appointment with TYREPLUS Malaysia.

3. Faulty Wiring

This is worth mentioning again. There is approximately a cumulative length of 4km in modern cars and if any 2 touch and cause a shortage, that’s the beginning of a fire. All it takes is a spark. Simple modifications that you do to your car (new speakers, adding a dashcam, changing your radio, etc) can potentially cause a shortage.  

4. Engine Overheating

We’ve all seen a car parked at the side of the road with its hood popped up, and steam rising from the engine bay.

In short, an engine overheats simply because heat cannot escape from the engine bay. This could be caused by many complications, but the most common ones are because of faulty radiator fan, cooling system leak, broken water pump or clogged coolant hose. 

While the engine overheating is unlikely to cause your car to burst into flames, what can happen is an overheating engine can cause internal fluids to rise to dangerous temperatures and spill out of their designated areas - resulting in hot fluids coming into contact with wires.

Hot water + live electrical wires = Spark = Fire

What to do if your car is on fire?

A car fire can happen at any time, anywhere. Best to be prepared for it. It's always better to be safe than sorry. Visit our Online Store now to get a 1kg Fire Fighter Fire Extingusher (Puspakom, Bomba & Sirim approved) for your car for only RM48!