| | | quote | Originally posted by psychosurfer:
Mine is mounted behind the passenger seat right in front of the rear window on top of that little "shelf." It is narrower and shorter than the headrest and thanks to tint, you cannot see it. Perfect spot imho. 
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Probably the worst place to mount it in the cabin. 2 reasons.....first, in an accident that little bottle becomes a missle. Yeah, it's in a strap but those straps don't always hold. Second, that little bottle is under pressure and on that shelf you still get the heating effect from sunlight and over time the rubber seals are going to deteriorate and eventually fail. You never mount a fire extinguisher behind glass without proper ventilation. The instruction label gives you a temperature operating range that tops out at 120 degrees.....and your car interior in the sun will exceed that. So, you've got a pressure bottle behind someone's head and a hot sun.....thanks but no thanks. I spent 12 years dealing with fire extinguishers and vehicle installations and that rear shelf inside the car is the worst place for it. If you can get a 2 1/2 lb unit behind the seat that's probably the best place for it, but if you can handle the bulk then on the floor in front of the seat will work, too. There really is no good place to mount a fire extinguisher inside a vehicle but there are places that you should never mount one.
Also, make sure that you do not buy a fire extinguisher with a plastic/nylon valve assembly. You need to have a metal head/handle assembly for durability for one plus the metal headed units last longer. The units that have the plastic/nylon head assembly are notorious for leaking pressure because the plastic/nylon will expand and contract in size much more than metal and with the extreme heat of car interiors it's better to have a quality unit if you are going to buy one. Any good fire extinguisher company will carry them and they are not that expensive ( plus they are warranted ). You can get a 2 1/2 lb unit with a ABC rating ( make sure you have the ABC rating....not just a BC rating ) for under $40 with a pretty red cylinder and a chrome unit for less than $90. Make sure you mount it securely in the vehicle....I do recommend using the strap bracket even if it's behind the seat as it may move around while driving and knock the pin out. That can get really messy.
Mark the former fire extinguisher service guy
[This message has been edited by Firefox (edited 05-09-2010).]
