>>Pointed the fire extinguisher at the back, and pulled the trigger.
>>Nothing! One tiny puff of white powder sort of trickled out.

ALWAYS give a powder-type extinguisher a few good knocks (preferably
holding the extinguisher upsidedown) before use, as the powder tends
to settle & clump at the bottom.

It wouldn't hurt to do this occasionally to stored extinguishers too.
Just don't damage the nozzle or release!

>Got me a larger Halon extinguisher.
>From H3R
>
>http://www.h3r.com/products/home_vehicle.htm

Halon is illegal in the 1st world, due to the "greenhouse gases"
scaremongering. Not that I've sent mine in...

>I didn't like the thought of the damage a chemical extinguisher
>could do to the engine & wiring.

Most of the engine-bay will be OK, but the stuff could do damage
inside an alternator.
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin
New Zealand
Fossil preparator
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut