Car destruct sequence?

If the idea is to actually destroy whatever is in the passenger compartment or trunk, then no, it won't work. You'll just end up with a car with a thrashed engine.

nate

I can tell you that the self destruction of an engine in this manner is usually well contained in the block. Now if you were talking about a turbine engine, all bets are off. For document destruction you would be better off with a mechanism attached to the document container. Better yet, carry the documents in digital form and they could easily be destroyed by light or magnetism. I suspect you are watching movies from the 60's, not that there's anything wrong with it.

you can check Iraq. I think they have methods there that work unfortunately, not like your saying of course.

The documents are what needs to be destroyed, and stopping the car or destroying the engine won't do that. A scuttling charge to destroy vehicle, package and driver might be a bit drastic. Some sort of document destruction system within the container would have the best chances of working.

Well that flash-paper and water-soluble paper you hear about in the spy movies aren't totally fiction, you know.

I bet you could make paper out of gun cotton...

-D

Several possibilities exist:

4) All of the above

Your idea will damage the engine, but that's it. The rest of the car should be fine.

-------------- Alex

Well, is there any way to cause an engine to explode in such as way as to destroy the cab, other than slapping a hi-ex pack on the gas tank?

This is getting weirder and weirder...you better take this elsewhere....

No. There is real life and there is fantasy. Exploding engines are fantasy.

Possibly not even that. Many modern cars have rev limiters built into their computerized engine control firmware.

Don

Why yes. There are many ways. You can ask your friendly neighbourhood Palestinian terrorist for advice.

Then the self destruct system would be rigged up to bypass that (ie. it would control the engine directly). You're not driving the car, you're just trying to blow it up so that the sensitive documents it's carrying are destroyed.

Fuel injectors and igniters mounted in strategic locations inside and outsie the vehicle. No security code, Like an elephant fart that car will go WOOOF!! I call it the "Automotive Incinerator".. I have entirely too much time..

No. Huge amounts of engineering for decades have gone into making it very difficult for engines to explode.

The whole _purpose_ of the engine block is to contain an explosion, after all. It's been very well-designed to do that.

--scott

I think something like this is available in South Africa as a third-party retrofit. So it's been done already.

--scott

Well, I might quibble a little. I have seen race car engines explode with internal parts going into stands. Also on drag strips. Clutches also explode. But in most cases the danger is to spectators, not driver or car itself (oh, a few small holes in hood, maybe). Amazingly little flame, though, usually just a brief flash unless it cuts a fuel or oil line.

Overheard- "Damn! Did you see that! Through the traps, pukin' molly super-rods all over the place!"

-D

Agreed. I've had both happen to me. Parts break, pieces fly off. They usually don't vaporize the vehicle and it's contents in the process = though. :)