Evidently my 99 4Runner has experienced an "engine fire" as defined by the insurance adjuster. I was unaware of the issue until the dealer discovered the damage during an oil change! They are telling me there was a fire (no evidence of "flames" under the hood) and the main wiring and light wiring harnesses are fried.... but it still runs with no check engine light! The insurance company has totaled it, and I have the option of taking the settlement and buying it back for salvage value.
Is it worth doing that and getting the harnesses replaced for about 2K with the hope that no further damage was done? Or smearing liquid electrical tape on the exposed wires and going with that until it quits. It is in excellent shape in and out with 130K miles.

 

Is this a completely 100% untouched 4Runner? No modifications or anything? Strange it just decided to "catch fire". Would love to see pics. As far as it being totaled by insurance, I would for sure buy it back. If it requires being fixed I would fix it right and now just "ghetto rig" anything.

 

Yes - 100% bone stock - no mods what so ever. The vehicle is 200miles from here at my son's college, but as much as I can get from the adjuster, there could have been a fire set underneath it - (there is heat damage to the bumper cover and fog light) as opposed to it starting in the engine compartment from a short. Possibly this moved its way up the wiring harness all the way up to the wiper motor. Since there were no flames, per se, to torch the motor, radiator, etc.

I guess it is a good sign that it runs......

 

keep it and fix it.

 

Hard call to make without any real numbers .

I would love to see this in person the fact it runs and I guess the lights all work??

I can`t see the damage being that bad going by the dealer if your harness has 1 or 2 damaged wires it needs to be replaced with new.

you would be paying someone to install a new engine harness and light harness??

This happened when you son had the vehicle now burnt melted wires have a smell one does not forget and this was not noticed??

why file a insurance claim at all just have it fixed.

 

Now that I have the vehicle, there appears to have been a fire on the ground under the right side of the vehicle (not electrical) that was enough to melt the covering off of the lower hanging wires going into the transmission and turn signal light. The cardboard sound proofing on the firewall also caught fire and melted a few wire covers towards the back of the engine. Front skid plate shows scorch marks. RH fender liner, splash guard, and running board also show some heat damage. Lucky the whole thing wasn't a flaming torch. That much fire did not attract attention, as it must have been parked in an apartment lot (college town) - already been vandalized once already. Gonna get the melted wiring covers fixed w/o replacing wiring harness(s) and go with it. Thanks for the advice!

 

So you think someone made/put a fire under your 4runner???

 

yes, as odd as it sounds. I'm lucky it was not turned into a flaming crispy torch.

 

that's messed up.. why would someone do that or do you think it was an accident? Got any pictures of the aftermath?