i bought a kiddie fire extingusher for garage and kitchen use. its a 5b/c rated one it says it works for gas and flamable liquids. will this dry chemical extinguisher actually put out the flames or would it be better to run before the car explodes.

 

I was talking to my resident OG the other day about this. He's a retired firefighter. From what I gather, it'll put the fire out, but the powder witll make an absolute mess of your car. He was saying that he used to use CO2 extinguishers in his personal cars. Apparently they don't work as quickly as chemical extinguishers, but they don't trash your car with powder.

 

Yep, on CO2 fire extinguishers the only thing that comes out in solid form is dry ice, which would eventually just sublime into the gaseous form. In dry chemical extinguishers, the ammonium compounds and others are a real pain in the butt to get out of anything. However, I did find out if you take one of those to the face, you're down for the count. May be an option if there is someone trying to attack you in your car.

 

If you really worried about a fire in your car I would say put in a haylon fire system in your car. While they are expensive (anywhere from $350 to $750) you won't have to watch you car burn up in flames. They also do not leave any mess. I am sure that anyone who has ever tried to clean up a dry chemical fire extinguisher know that the mess is pretty much for ever. CO2 is a great choice for people that can't afford a haylon one.