Downloaded today from Washington University site: Motor Vehicle Fire Investigation course where they said about the engine cooling:

Cooling occurs within minutes of shutdown

Tests have shown hot surfaces can cool down as much as 400 degrees F within 3 minutes of the vehicle being brought to a stop and the engine being shut off [13]. The hotter the surface, the faster the expected rate of cool down. The majority of data available to the authors have shown that exhaust manifold and pipe temperatures fall immediately upon shut down, and drop below fluid autoignition temperatures within 3 minutes [14].

Catalytic converter temperatures may rise after the engine is shut down due to continued chemical activity in the substrate material or heat transfer from hotter internal components.



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Georges T. Kawkabany
Sworn Fire Investigator & Fire Fighting Expert at the Lebanese Courts
Fire Protection Consultant
Beirut-Lebanon