Fire Extinguisher & holder

[uncle bulgaria]

Hi everyone, I have just bought the new holder for the fire extinguisher so that I can mount it under the seat. However on reading the instructions (a very poor photocopy & translation) it states that it should not be sold to the “end user” as it must be dealer fitted because the seat has to be removed.

Is this the case or can I remove the seat trims around the front & side of the seat with a bit of "limbo" dancing & back ach? I have spent a fair bit of time upside down in cars fitting my stereo system in the past!

I know it sounds cheap, but I don’t want to remove the seat unless it’s essential not only for cost, but it is also far too easy to damage other bits of interior trim!

Also the instructions are all worded to fit it under the LH front seat, would I be right to assume that in the case of UK cars it should be under the RH seat? Don’t want to loose the cubby under the passenger seat if I can help it, also it wouldn’t be as readily accessible on that side

Cheers All

[steviec]

I keep mine in the Drivers Door Pocket fits perfectly, and can still get my bottle of water at the front. Use one of those windows leather sponge things to wedge it in at the rear though. But more importantly it's easy to hand, just in case.

[Toneboy]

I must be honest I keep mine in the back of my estate located in Medical panel and have fixed the escape hammer/seat belt cutter thing on the front of the driver's seat, fits nicely.

[steviec]

Originally Posted by Toneboy

I must be honest I keep mine in the back of my estate located in Medical panel and have fixed the escape hammer/seat belt cutter thing on the front of the driver's seat, fits nicely.

Thanks for that been wondering where to put mine, had it in the centre box until now.

[uncle bulgaria]

Thanks for the ideas, however having been in a recent accident where the car rolled, I don't fancy the idea of a heavy metal can flying around in the interior. You would be surprised at just what can come loose and fly about! As a result I have even bought the luggage netting system to help restrain my disk lock when it's not in use. I don't fancy getting hit on the head by it !

I can feel most of the mounting points on the underside of the seat, but was worried about removing the seat/trims. There are no real instructions for this either. I don't fancy getting halfway through a job & then admitting deafeat (as well as facing a big bill) !

[London Les]

Could you tell me, does the standard fit holder and extinguisher block access to the drawer under the passenger seat?

[uncle bulgaria]

No, it fits under the drivers seat. Bit of a pig to fit as you probably need to undo the seat mounts and tip it back to make fitting easier. You end up removing the front of the drivers seat base trim & that is where it fits.

However once done it is secure and easy to get to! Well worth the efort in my view.

If I get chance I will try and take a photo and post it.

[London Les]

My dealer has quoted £35 for the extinguisher and £65 to fit it. Good value? Borderline I would say. Quite tempted to get an extinguisher and stick it in the boot compartment. Les.

[devonutopia]

My little extinguisher is in the spare wheel well. Along with loads of other junk too. (All useful of course)

[uncle bulgaria]

Originally Posted by London Les

My dealer has quoted £35 for the extinguisher and £65 to fit it. Good value? Borderline I would say. Quite tempted to get an extinguisher and stick it in the boot compartment. Les.

You can do the job yourself, it's not an hours worth of work! Honest mate, as I said in previous posts, i was in a major accident about a year ago, the octy I was driving was on a dual carriage way doing 70, when a lorry pulled out and hit me. I was forced off the road and rolled over several times before coming to a halt, upside down in a roadside ditch. Everything that was loose in the boot went flying around in the car, had some thing the size & weight of an extinguisher been loose & hit me; well.......... I now make sure everything is held down with luggage tidies & the fire extinguisher is properly mounted, where it is easy to get to if needed!

[Ziggur]

This is a genuine question, and in no way critical of other members' methods for securing a fire extinguisher in the car. I cannot understand why I would want one inside the car; my priority would be to get out as fast as possible in the event of a fire in the passenger compartment.

I might perhaps be tempted to get an extinguisher from the boot in some circumstances, but I don't know if I would be brave enough to fumble under the seat in an emergency.

Have I missed an important fact somewhere in my "logic"?

[uncle bulgaria]

I think there is just as much likelyhood of a fire under the bonnet! However the idea as I understand it, of the extingusher being in the drivers side of the vehicle is that in the event of a fire, as you exit the vehicle you do so with the extinguisher in your hands ready to use. No point in carrying a safety device if you can't get at it!

I have a mate who carries a safety hammer (the one designed for cutting seat belts and smashing windows in the event of being trapped in a car) & he keeps that in the boot, as he says it "rattles in the door pockets"!!

Any way, I would think if you have to go digging around in the boot, you waste valuable time, and that is critical if you are even going to attempt to tackle a fire.

Also as I understand it the size of the extingusher would only cope with a fire in the early stages. Having been in my brother-in-laws old 3 Series when it went up, the one extinguisher we had only slowed the process down, didn't stop it. It might have been a different issue if we had found it quicker!!

I'm sure that someone will tell us that there are some regulations that should be followed when fitting an extinguisher, but I guess that it will always be personal preference!

[London Les]

I'm going to get it fitted properly. I agree with some posters that it won't stop a proper car fire (you see firemen sticking proper hoses under the bonnet for some time to put engine fires out), but it will be useful for camping, etc.