Filed under: iPod Family, Bad Apple
Did an iPod toast a Saab?
Apple always seems to have a lot of fire-related news. Overheating iPhones, power adapters melting down, and now we have word from Sweden that a 2007 Saab burned to a crisp, and the experts there suggest an iPod as the culprit.It as been determined there was no technical problem with the car, but the owner had an iPod, a mobile phone and a digital camera in the car. The iPod was on the front seat, and that is where the fire apparently started. The Saab was not even running when the fire broke out. It's not known if the iPod was charging, or just sitting there by itself.
The investigation is ongoing. We all know Apple makes some hot products, but this one may have been a little too hot.
Here's a link to the Google translation of the original Swedish article. We'll let you know if we hear more.
[via Engadget]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
jaioxung said 5:14PM on 7-10-2009
Good for that iPod, I too would set myself aflame if I was locked in a Saab.
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AdventTech67 said 7:55PM on 7-10-2009
Looks more like an Insurance job. Sure blame APPLE, but what kind of numbnut would leave a device like that in a car? Was it charging over nite in the car? This sounds very suspicious to me.
JKT said 11:34PM on 7-10-2009
Agreed. Why would you leave your iPod sitting on the front seat of your car? I've *never* done this. iPods a) are for listening to, b) need to be charged, and c) need to be synched. None of these can happen if it's in your car. What *can* happen if they're sitting in plain view is they get stolen. Another reaon you'd not do this.
Seems fishy.
oliver hart said 12:44PM on 7-11-2009
must have been listening to billy joel
we didnt start the fire, it was always burning since the worlds been turning
Dan Brown said 5:23PM on 7-10-2009
Saab's are great cars......
From my good knowledge about Saab's, none of them have spontaneously combusted like this one.
Saab 9000s on the other hand didn't have the best wiring.
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Smileypanda said 8:53PM on 7-10-2009
It was a joint project with the Italians, so what do you expect?
Wilhelm Reuch said 5:39PM on 7-10-2009
The original (in swedish) article doesnt say it was on the front seat. Only that it was "in that area where the fire started".
The investigation showed the iPod plastics had internal damage from overheated electronics inside the player. They are now talking to Apple Sweden about it.
One of the comments to the article is from someone who used an ipod-nano 3gen connected to the car radio and with a third party charger in 9-3 2006. One day the iPod got to hot to touch - he sent it in and got a new one.
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OwlBoy said 5:36PM on 7-10-2009
I wonder if leaving batteries inside a locked car in the sun is a good idea for any device. There is a lot of energy in those puppys
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AdventTech67 said 5:26AM on 7-11-2009
It would EXPAND & EXPLODE. That's what would happen.
Gene Cowan said 5:56PM on 7-10-2009
Wow, great publicity for Saab -- evidently they make a car with materials so flammable that a localized event like a burning iPod on a seat can incinerate the entire car. I hope they don't make kids' pajamas, too.
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Ryan M said 6:32PM on 7-10-2009
Gene, I don't know if you've ever seen a car catch fire before, but if that iPod had actually, you know, burst info flames...it's not unreasonable to think the fire spread quickly.
Because my hobbies are computers, macs, and Saabs, I've seen this story pop up on no fewer than 3 blogs which I follow now.
If you think about it though, we've seen other stories of gadgets catching fire. Generally it's a laptop, iPod, or cell phone...and generally there are people around to stop the fire. If the car was unattended when this iPod caught fire...
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alansky said 7:12PM on 7-10-2009
Just another "saab" story if you ask me! ;-)
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Robert Palmer said 7:34PM on 7-10-2009
I visited this thread specifically to make that comment, and you beat me to it. Well done good sir, I salute you!
Derek Aldr said 8:22AM on 7-11-2009
I don't know how the iPod could have been charging. My SAAB 9-3 cuts all power to the receptacles when it's off. I would assume that this SAAB does the same thing, so one would think that it was not charging.
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jonnypjh said 11:07AM on 7-11-2009
It as been determined there was no technical problem with the car, but the owner had an iPod, a mobile phone and a digital camera in the car.
Why wouldn't the owner just have an iPhone instead of all the seperate devices?! LOL :-)
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orntwo said 1:58PM on 7-11-2009
As someone who has had multiple Saabs and multiple iPods, and still has 1 Saab, I can say with great comfort, that I am more likely to believe the Saab toasted the iPod.
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keith said 5:28PM on 7-11-2009
Need a good insurance fire?....
"There's an app for that"
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exNewt said 9:50PM on 7-11-2009
As I said on Engadget...
Yeah, couldn't be the electrical or fuel system; these are just 2002 recalls...
2002 Saab 9-3 Recalls
Recall ID # 07V087000 - FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS - Get Details
Recall Date: MAR 07, 2007
Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
Model Affected: 9-3
Potential Units Affected: 94377
Recall ID # 05V399000 - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE - Get Details
Recall Date: SEP 14, 2005
Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
Model Affected: 9-3
Potential Units Affected: 103202
Recall ID # 04V557000 - FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS - Get Details
Recall Date: NOV 19, 2004
Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
Model Affected: 9-3
Potential Units Affected: 17394
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perk said 11:21PM on 7-11-2009
Hot Tunes
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