THE VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING A KNOCKING NOISE WHILE DRIVING UP THE MOUNTAIN TO BIG BEAR. NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. TWO DAYS LATER WHILE DESCENDING THE MOUNTAIN, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED MAKING THE NOISE. NO LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. THEN, WHILE STILL ON THE MOUNTAIN, THERE WAS A LOUD "POP", SMOKE COULD BE SEEN IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR, AND THE ENGINE DIED; I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR BEHIND ME PULLED OVER AND THE DRIVER YELLED THAT MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. FLAMES COULD BE SEEN UNDER THE CAR. THE FIRE SPREAD AND ULTIMATELY THE CAR EXPLODED, SETTING THE HILLSIDE ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND THE CAR WAS TOWED AWAY.