# 2000 SPARTAN MOTORHOME — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
> NHTSA complaint `1298510` · 2016-07-15 · Shyft Group
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 0
- **Fire:** Yes
- **Crash:** No
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** SPARTAN
- **Model:** MOTORHOME
- **Year:** 2000
- **Manufacturer:** Shyft Group
- **Component:** ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
- **Miles at failure:** 45,000
- **Speed:** 45 mph
## Narrative
ENGINE FIRE WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. WE RECENTLY HAD A DISASTER IN OUR MOTOR HOME.  A FIRE BROKE OUT IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY (OCT 2015 NEAR ASHEVILLE NC).  WHAT I DISCOVERED WAS A SEAL HAD FAILED ON THE HYDRAULIC MOTOR THAT DRIVES THE FAN. (THIS UNIT HAS A SIDE RADIATOR) WHEN THE SEAL FAILED IT SPRAYED OIL ON THE FAN BLADES THUS SPREADING OIL OVER THE TURBO AND EXHAUST MANIFOLD OF THE ENGINE. HAVE SEEN 3 OTHER COACHES IN FLAMES WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. LOOKED ON THE WEB AT MANY COACHES IN SALVAGE YARDS AND ALMOST ALWAYS THE FIRE STARTS IN THIS SAME LOCATION. THIS IS A POTENTIAL LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. BY THE TIME I HAD THE COACH STOPPED IT HAD COMPLETELY FILLED WITH THICK BLACK SMOKE AND I HAD PROBLEMS GETTING MY WIFE OUT THE DOOR, ALSO A VERY EXPENSIVE PROBLEM.  I THINK A SHIELD AROUND THE MOTOR TO KEEP OIL FROM GETTING ON THE FAN BLADES OR A DOUBLE SEAL ON THE MOTOR SHAFT WITH A DRAIN TUBE BETWEEN SEALS WOULD BE AN EASY FIX AND NOT TOO EXPENSIVE.  THE COACH WE LOST WAS ON A SPARTAN CHASSIS THE LAST ONE I SAW BURN WAS ON A FREIGHT LINER CHASSIS. I THINK ALL THE COACHES WITH SIDE RADIATOR HAVE THIS SAME ISSUE.  I SINCERELY HOPE YOU WILL LOOK AT THIS ISSUE.  *TR
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*