Delayed fun from a fender bender

[smorris]

I got rear ended a few days ago at a traffic light. Just shook my truck and scuffed the bumper, did her front end some real damage when she went under me. We did the insurance thing, etc.

Fast forward to today, LOML and I are heading for Woodcraft to get some miter track and she wants to admire the lathes some more when I hit a bump in the road. Not a big deal except that the truck just dies and we coast to a stop on the side of the road. I chase my tail for a while under the hood (of course it was pouring) then realize there is no gas smell when I crank the engine and I remember the bump it took. Reach down and press the fuel pump cutoff switch and it magically starts and runs.

Stopped on the way home at the dealer and sure enough when they checked the codes that was what happened. They said sometimes the switch doesn't get hit hard enough to trip but all it needs is another bump to finish the job.

[Hellrazor]

I keep the 4" drop hitch on my truck for that reason. It's been painted atleast 4 times in parking lots and once at a stop sign.

[LCHIEN]

really, Is there a fuel pump cutoff switch under my hood somewhere?

Actuated by a force sensor?

How would I ever find it?

[smorris]

Loring,

Your owners manual should tell you where it is. In cars I think they are often in the trunk area, trucks they seem to be in the cab.

[TB Roye]

It is probably behind on of the Kick panel in the cab of the truck, most likely on the Passenger side.

Tom

[jonmulzer]

I keep the 4" drop hitch on my truck for that reason. It's been painted atleast 4 times in parking lots and once at a stop sign.

Me too, but not as many times. Once I had someone threaten to sue because I had my hitch in and they bumped it in a parking lot. I just chuckled and told him to have at it. Never heard a thing about it again.

[JR]

Oh, how cool is that? In this day and age of all-electronic ignitions, and fuel injection, you actually looked under the hood and found the on/off switch!

That has GOT to imress the chicks!

JR

[ironhat]

My first and only experience with this was on an '87 Taurus after a rearend collision. THe switch was hidden in the panel of the cargo compartment. A mechanic finally stopped and got us going.

[Richard in Smithville]

I keep the 4" drop hitch on my truck for that reason.

I was walking through a darkened parking lot one night and when I walked behind buddies truck, I found he had a hitch poking way out. Wouldn't have found it except he had the tail end too far back and I had to walk real close due to other traffic in the lot. I ended up with a bruised shin but loads of satisfaction

[Hellrazor]

really, Is there a fuel pump cutoff switch under my hood somewhere?
Actuated by a force sensor?
How would I ever find it?

Yessir. Check your owners manual. The cutoff on my F250 is under the glovebox on the passenger side of the truck.

[Hellrazor]

I ended up with a bruised shin

Been there enough times. But it still is a great deterent for people tailgating, etc.

[Richard in Smithville]

Been there enough times. But it still is a great deterent for people tailgating, etc.

This is true. Havn't put one on my new suv yet but one will be there before summer. Just need to remind LOML about it being there......every day

[gerti]

Never heard about a fuel cutoff switch, so I had to read up about it. Seems to be mostly a Ford thing. My VW Passat definitely doesn't have one.

[LCHIEN]

Commonly an perhaps descriptively called a fuel cutoff inertia switch
Here's a realtively good explanation from a Mercury (car co.) forum:

http://www.coolcats.net/tech/trouble...g/inertia.html

commonly found in Ford Motor Co. models and some european cars.
My car doesn't have one.

[Uncle Cracker]

I think Ford developed it because of all the fallout from the rear-end collision problems dating back to the Pinto. I think it's more of a liability issue than anything else (although I'm sure they've generated a lot of service revenue as a result of it).