When things go wrong with a nitrous car the end result is a very showy display of fire and noise that will frighten small children. Not to say that other power adder failures are any less destructive, but nitrous failures usually provide a spectacular display of fire.
During a dyno day at True Street Motorsports, a blue Chevy Luv was delighting the crowd as the nitrous fed engine screamed during the first measurement. The truck survived the first pull, but things went awry on the second pull.
In the video, it’s possible to see the force of the engine during the second pull and the packed dyno room seems enthralled with the sound. However, things go from amazing to crazy at 4:05, as a fireball erupts from underneath the hood sending the crowd fleeing for their own safety.
Although the potential for injury is always around, it seems as though the nitrous failure played on the spectators fear of fire, death, and or dismemberment. In reality everyone was safe, but it did a take a few seconds for the fire extinguisher to arrive on the scene to suffocate the flames.
Once the flames were extinguished, a few employees and spectators went to investigate the aftermath of backfire that led to the display of flames. At this point the once packed shop was only occupied by the a few curious individuals. One thing is for certain: when things go wrong with nitrous oxide, loud noises and flames are almost a certainty and make for a spectacular display.