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i am curious what caused it and if i could find out. i need to see where im going to go from here. everything is burnt, wires, hoses, harnesses, the paint on the hood even melted off. my lungs hurt from all the smoke. anyways i dont want to just give up on my baby.
one thing i think it might have been was my ze ecu was never bolted down since i did the 2.5/auto-manual swap last month. sometimes the car would die and i'd have to wiggle the ecu to get it to start again. this time the car died i pulled over figured i'd give it a good wiggle but that didnt do the trick, its like it wasnt getting enough gas it would run then when id give it gas the rpm's would barely go up then it just died. i took a minute break then i tried starting it 3 more times and WHOMPSHHHHHHH white smoke everywhere. Thankfully there was a guy at the gas station who had a fire extinguisher.
So is the engine ok? i have the k8 i can swap over the harnesses, hoses, wires, distibutor (melted), i have an extra DE intake manifold w/ fuel rails, injectors. i'll put some pics up later today or tomorrow.

Leaky fuel filter, leaky fuel lines, leaky fuel tank, leaky injectors.

oNe time i uses alot of wd40 (or sumthign simialr cant remember) on the knock sensor bolt and it got all in the bay.
i started the car and i guess a stray spark from a wire or cap ignited all the wd40..man my wholw bay went up in flames..lucky there was a water hose near by and i got to it in time so no damage took place.

Sooo if you used any kinda spray at all in ur bay be careful...other than that the first response pretty much covers it.

bad wiring, short circuit, this happened to relisys.

did you smell like a distinct electric fire smell or anything else?

This happened to me . EXACT same thing.. basically its most likely caused by a FAULTY FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR... why do i know thats what it was? well i tried using the same fuel pressure regulator and car would start and then sometimes die.. FUEL started leaking from the IM gasker.. dont ask me how... but i turned the car off (this was after the fire damaged was fixed) i simply got another fpr i had and problem never came back. Its not that hard to fix if you are up to it. It took me a week. You have to get all 3 harnesses, mine only needed the two. Harness itself is VERY easy. Im sorry to hear that because i know how it feels to loose your car to a fire

i love cars on fire ..... i love fire ....... maybe thats why im a fire fighter..........but mx3s on fire is a defenite no no........

i just ordered a chrome fire extinguisher for my car, after rewiring the ecu/megasquirt, battery relocation to the trunk, all new stereo wiring and the cutting extending of some engine bay wiring. it seems like a good idea. good luck on fixing you car though.

I always carry a fire extinguisher in the mx-3, but then again I have modded fuel system...

I once heard that getting a fire extinguisher is a very cheap insurance policy for anyone that has done any work to their car (fuel or electrical).

I picked one up at the Barrie Flea Market 2 wknds ago, is an ABC, medium size tank.

I kinda laugh when i see those guys with the little chrome tanks hanging off their windsheild pillar. I cant imagine those teeny bling tanks can put out any more than a match book.

Anyone ever use one?

I have one of the mid-sized tanks too. I just keep it on the floor of the back seat. Better safe than sorry hehe.