Earlier in the week, photos began emerging on the internet showing a C8 Corvette Z06 burned to a crisp, and the early sentiment was, “What the heck happened, and is this some type of defect I should be concerned about?!?” Well, thankfully, the Z06’s owner stepped onto Facebook to share the details of the fireball that left his dream in a pile of ashes. [Author’s Note: This article is FREE and not behind a paywall. Yes, FREE! If/when any pop-ups appear, please click to dismiss them and continue enjoying the article. One may require two steps–first, the arrow on the left, then the x on the top right.]
The Z06’s owner, Shawn C., is one of the 47,000+ members of Facebook’s Corvette C8 Z06, ZR1 & E-Ray group, and opened his post by lamenting, “Gonna miss her!” He then went on to ask, “Anybody have any experience, or ever heard of anything like this before? Car exploded while pumping gas…” The most interesting comment was how he ended his opening post, when he remarked, “I have an idea, but would love to hear what everyone else thinks.”
What was his idea? What did the Corvette community think? CorvSport dove in, combed the 180+ posts, and has some answers.
Before Fuel & Physics Took Over
The Aftermath
Captured On Video
Shawn was able to get the surveillance video from the gas station and screenshotted the moments for the community. Facebook’s Corvette C8 Z06, ZR1 & E-Ray is a public group, and you can watch the full video (and see all the comments) at this link (A Facebook profile is required). We also have a YouTube video of the explosion just below.
Just moments before…
Then boom!
From a Masterpiece to a Mess of Ashes & Shattered Dreams in Seconds
Some Highlights From Shawn’s Post–Rut Roh We May Have a Problem
- Shawn’s Z06 was not running.
- “Seems the 2nd or 3rd I’ve seen like this.” Brain C.
- “Yes there was a post 2 weeks ago someone with a white Z06 caught on fire but was put out luckily.” Nam N
- “Three in the last 30 days. None were running at the time of fill-up.” Daniel F.
- “There is a blue one that the same thing happened.” Justin D.
Another victim comments in Shawn’s post.
The Community Speculations
- The oil cooler fan behind the radiator remains running after the engine is cut off, and is sucking gas fumes into the hot engine compartment. In another post, Randy C. notes that the fan can run up to 10 minutes after the vehicle is shut off.
- The fuel ignition is from overfilling the gas tank.
What Was Shawn’s Idea?
- Shawn C. speculated that an actual spark from the cooling fan could have caused the explosion, but Gary V. notes the fan is brushless and cannot spark.
The Takeaway
The common denominator appears to be the large air inlet below the gas filler. CorvSport implores you, please be careful when fueling up. From the comments, it seems that keeping your hand on the nozzle instead of using the automatic cut-off could help. Heck, if I were a C8 Z06 owner, I would strongly think about a “quick fix,” like stuffing a towel in the large air inlet under the gas filler.
It was also implied that waiting for the fans to stop running could help mitigate fumes being sucked into the hot engine compartment. Most importantly, while social media helps with issues like this, please do not take any of these speculations as science. If you feel like your safety is compromised and that there is a defect with your C8 Z06, stop driving your vehicle and make a service appointment.
CorvSport will be waiting for GM to officially research and address the issue, and when/if they do, we will promptly report the findings.
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