Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Engine caught fire -- what happened?

Good morning CEG'rs. I'm still shaking over my SE's engine fire yesterday afternoon — so I come to you for your expert opinions/advice. Here's what happened:

I was driving south on I-5 back home to Vancouver, Wash. Without any obvious signs of engine trouble, the temperature gauge spiked quickly to the red bar, indicating, you would think, that the engine was overheating. I quickly pulled over, opened the hood, and was very surprised to feel no heat coming from the engine and that it was cool to the touch. So, I assumed the thermostat was stuck open and that the computer was programmed to spike the temperature gauge to indicate to the driver that there is trouble with the cooling system.

I decided to keep driving because my SE was running just fine up until then (aside from the fact that I couldn't get warm air from the heater/defroster). Minutes later I was traveling uphill, and the engine began to ping horribly. So, I assumed the reason for that was because it wasn't operating at its normal temperature. As I drove down the hill, smoke suddenly billowed out of the engine compartment. The oil pressure light came on, the car stalled and I managed to pull over safely to the shoulder. I opened the hood and discovered that the engine was on fire. I grabbed my coat, wallet and cell phone from the front passenger seat, called 911, and while I was on the phone to the dispatcher several bursts of flames shot out above the height of the hood. Police and a fire engine showed up very quickly and put out the fire. My car and I were towed home — 80 miles. Thank God for AAA Plus.

I can see that a few of the injectors are burned as are some vacuum or fuel lines, but without taking off the intake manifold it's difficult to see what else has been damaged or where the fault lies.

Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Also, please let me know if you think this would be covered under my car insurance. Thanks much, gents.