Well, the little GLC is no more after an exploding engine and subsequent fire while travelling the Upper Levels freeway in North Vancouver. It had been running like a champ all along then just before the Lonsdale Ave. exit, a knocking noise from the engine and then a really loud knock and then a Kaboom! noise. Big cloud of smoke and could see the driver behind me swerving around the mess of parts spewing behind me.

I had enough momentum to coast up the exit ramp, and the cars on the busy Lonsdale Ave. happened to be waiting for the red light, and was able to make the right turn south going downhill. Coasted down the block, smoke coming out everywhere and there’s a gas station to the right and a man in a wheelchair at the curb crossing the first street west for my other option.

The wheelchair person noticed something wrong, not hard to miss really lol, and I made the right onto the side street and just a short block down was an empty parking spot. Usually it is impossible to find a parking spot anywhere near Lonsdale and there was one waiting for me, the last one in a row on a side of the street without 2 hour or resident only parking restrictions. Was able to stop the car, right behind a new pickup truck. The owner came running out of his house and jumped in and got it out of the way before I lifted the hood to see flames leaping out. Closed the hood. Got my wallet out of the glove box, dialed 911 then opened the hatchback and pulled out the golf clubs and equipment and set them down further up the block. Still major smoke and flames coming out of the hood, some guy driving by yells, “Run, the gas tank is going to blow!” and by this time I’m also down the block and already talking to the 911 people.

Only took a couple minutes for the fire truck to show up, and closing the hood helped the flames but still lots of smoke. They got the hood opened again and got things put out, unhooked the battery etc.. When all had cooled off some and the smoke had died out, was able to look inside the engine well to see chunks of metal everywhere, a catastrophic engine failure for sure, looked like a main or connecting rod bearing failed or similar. One very dead engine, melted electrical system along with anything else that would burn near the engine area like the drive train joints, suspension rubber etc. The firewall did its job and the whole car didn’t go up in flames, but from there forward it’s more than just toasted.

Counting up my lucky breaks during a bad break though, and came out all right with no one hurt from the shrapnel, traffic cooperating on Lonsdale, the wheelchair guy didn’t get run over and a place to stop without creating havoc on a busy major thoroughfare. And one more piece of luck, I knew Margaret was on the ferry behind me so phoned her and she dropped by on the way to the office and we put everything from the car into hers and she dropped it off at the van in the evening. I caught the bus back to the ferry, and had quite the tale to tell upon getting back to the island!

A sad day for me, had that car a long time and thought I would have it for a long time yet. A fellow from the island with a tow truck is salvaging it for me this afternoon, he’ll get it to the wrecking yard, bring the license plates and that sort of thing back to the island for me. Quite the adventure eh?