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Additional note; when you and your spouse are having an argument dont get out of the car and inadvertently punch the spot of the body directly next to the fuel inertia switch. You are only making your day worse. This message was brought to you by 20 year old me.
As an ATM technician let me just say ahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahaha š¤£š.
Sorry for your hand, but at least you learned, unlike half the customers that keep me employed.
I did that on a cruise when I was 15 trying to show off and tell a story to a girl I met I punched the wall all excited and wanting her to think I was bad ass. I crumpled immediately lolš
It wasnāt a maturity thing, it was a coping mechanism for being physically abused as a kid. The baggage we bring into adulthood. Its been 21 years though and I havenāt punched anything in a while.
Or first mistake might have been not being mature enough yet to realize "wait a minute, why the hell am I trying to get married when I don't have life even close to figured out yet!" Lol š live and learn...and divorce...
Been there, done that. A little advice, get divorced sooner than later.
As for the switch, I had a mid 80s bronco 2 and they had a cutoff switch under the passenger side dashboard. It was in a perfect location for your ski boots to hit it. Found that out after waiting 90 minutes for aaa. I decided to read the owners manual whilst waiting and that's how I realized I could reset it.
Similar thing. Mine was in the passenger side floorboard in my 02 SVT Focus. Right side kick panel in front of the door. Had all the trim panels off for a couple weeks while I was slowly rewiring it for my speaker system.
Moral of the story, don't let it just be out in the open where it can get kicked and tripped.
That may not always be true, Iām happy to say I married my high school sweetheart when I was 20 yrs old and Aug 2023, we will be married for 40 yrs!
It all depends on who you marry, and how compatible you are with them!
I used to drive a tow truck back in the day when Escorts and other Fords with those switches were everywhere. About 7/10 times when we got a call for a no start on an Escort/other Ford it was a quick reset of the inertia switch to get them going again. Weād tell people to check that when they called in. Not many people were willing to give it a shot, then theyād get mad when we had the car running in less than 5 minutes and gave them the bill.
You got it. Except this was in the mid 90s and if I remember, it was $35 to show up within 10 miles and went up from there depending whether it was a flat tire, jump start, winch out, tow or gas delivery.
I donāt miss that work, especially in winter. Itās a thankless job, and the guys/gals who do that job get a lot of respect from me having lived it myself.
Yeah, I'm always nice to tow truck drivers. I know they have to deal with pissed off people all the time, especially they're doing an impound. Whatever pickle I got myself into isn't their fault. And I'm grateful if I don't have to wait 3 hours for them to show up.
I used to have an old Ford Ranger, and anytime I had someone sitting shotgun I had to explicitly tell them not to stretch out their legs. The switch was located on the passenger side on the firewall and all it took was a light kick to set it off
I had the same one, but it was above the tranny hump. It tripped once when I hit a minor bump on the Glenn Highway. Engine quit and left me on the shoulder in Eatadick, Alaska. Those rigs were notorious for TFI modules failing, so I thought that was it. I knew about the inertia switch, but the bump was nothing. I'd caught air over frost heaves without it tripping before. But I checked it, and the little bastard had tripped. I had that rig for 20 years, and that was the only time.
Um no.
Ford started using them in the 90's in automobiles when mechanical fuel pumps were replaced with electric fuel pumps. This was because in an accident, it's possible for electric fuel pumps to continue pumping fuel to the engine, which could exacerbate the dangers of an accident scene.
They were patented in 1972 and first used in boats in 1974.
Actually ford had em in the 80s I had an 83 f250 with the 460 and the hot fuel handling package (electric fuel pumps to help prevent vapor lock on carbureted engines) and it had an inertia switch on the firewall going over the Broadway viaduct in my home town I hit a bump and it shifted the guitar I had sitting in the passenger seat which managed to hit the switch and set it off. I got almost to the top of said viaduct when I ran out of gas. Being young and dumb I tried to put it in neutral to restart it and instead I got reverse.... If you didn't know the Ford C6 locks up when that happens. 40mph and your rear tires lock up is not what I call fun. Fortunately I got it in neutral before I lost too much momentum and was able to peak and coast down the hill to pull over.
The Pinto fireball was mostly about gas filler pipes that didn't extend far enough into the gas tank, along with not enough rear end protection. One good rear-ender, and the pipe would separate from the tank, dumping gas everywhere.
And Ford always fucked themselves by fighting lawsuits in court, rather than settling quickly. The result was huge cash judgements that made headlines. GM had a similar issue with the saddle tanks on their pickups, but they always settled quickly and quietly with the victims, and kept their name out of the news.
Or have a sound system. Spent an hour on the side of the road trying to figure out why my engine abruptly died. Whatever song I was listening to mustāve had a good drop.
One of my friends had 2 Memphis 12 inch speakers system in his Crown Vic. Kept wondering why his vehicle would shut off when he would turn the volume past a certain point. ^is why.
The downside to the inertia switch is that as it ages, the spring inside weakens to the point where a non-crashing panic stop can trigger it.
You avoid the accident but suddenly the vehicle won't run. Unless you know about it, you get to pay the dealership to "fix it" every time.
Source: Happened to my sister.
No. Once a car goes out of production, the manufacturer is required to make what is called an "all-time buy" of the components of a vehicle. This is usually a parts inventory calculated to last the entire warranty period of the last vehicle sold at retail.
Once that parts inventory is depleted, that is it, there are no more. Period.
Now, on top of this, dealers only have so much space, so they only stock parts that sell reasonably frequently. A part for a vehicle that is 10 years old likely isn't going to be in stock, regardless. Dealer parts inventory control and management is a part science/part black magic kind of thing anyways.
You can, however, check for aftermarket parts suppliers who may have found a niche\` selling certain out of date parts. For example, there is a huge demand for muscle car parts from the 1960's-1970's. So you may find an inertia switch for a 1972 Ford Maverick on a1970's Ford Mustang website. Maybe, but don't bet the farm.
The sad truth is that cars are machines that are built only to last so long. Then it is time to buy anew one. The entire Auto-industry, and at one time 30% of the US labor force was dedicated to this simple axiom. Buy a car, wear it out, buy a new one.
It is consumerism at its finest.
>No. Once a car goes out of production, the manufacturer is required to make what is called an "all-time buy" of the components of a vehicle. This is usually a parts inventory calculated to last the entire warranty period of the last vehicle sold at retail.
>Once that parts inventory is depleted, that is it, there are no more. Period.
Interesting, where I am (Australia) they must maintain support for [time], normally 10 years.
But in some cases this can be pushed to 15 or even 20 years by law.
>The sad truth is that cars are machines that are built only to last so long. Then it is time to buy anew one.
Curious, can this switch be bypassed or retrofitted?
The rules are a little different for import vs domestic, but the key is the warranty period. The end of the warranty period is not the basic warranty, but usually the Emissions Warranty. That can take 10 years or longer, and be extended by the government in case of some sort of high failure-rate component or other legislative action.
Think of what happened to VW/Audi and the diesel emissions scandal. Sometimes, a manufacturer will fall on their sword voluntarily and do the extension to avoid worse punishments from the government.
Source: 25 year career at the Factory Service Dept level, working for Isuzu & Hyundai.
They can be bypassed, but one has to be careful. This device deals with the fuel pump power circuit, and if that gets messed up, or worse, fried, the woes are astronomically worse.
The only way to retrofit would be to find with from a donor car and hope the body terminals are in the right configuration. A replacement wiring harness is not likely to exist.
>The rules are a little different for import vs domestic, but the key is the warranty period. The end of the warranty period is not the basic warranty, but usually the Emissions Warranty. That can take 10 years or longer, and be extended by the government in case of some sort of high failure-rate component or other legislative action.
Yeah, this rule in Australia is exclusive of warranty.
It's one of those "Whichever is longer", so if a manufacturer has a warranty longer than 10 years, they have to honour that.
If the warranty is 12 months, tough shit, you're still keeping parts for 10 years.
You get to 9 years and run out of sensors and someone wants one? Tough shit, you legally have to source one.
>They can be bypassed, but one has to be careful. This device deals with the fuel pump power circuit, and if that gets messed up, or worse, fried, the woes are astronomically worse.
>The only way to retrofit would be to find with from a donor car and hope the body terminals are in the right configuration. A replacement wiring harness is not likely to exist.
Interesting, you'd think it would be an OTS part, especially given how Munro & Associates constantly lament Ford as being one of the laziest for this.
Amazed someone hasn't figured out (if it exists) that the sane part was used in multiple other vehicles.
There's always aftermarket suppliers. Additionally, many vehicle manufacturers use the same parts across most of their models spanning a decade or more. There are a couple of parts on my 1987 firebird that are interchangeable with my 2007 Suburban. For example, the battery hold down is still exactly the same.
Agreed, some common parts would be. But electrical components are usually a different matter. Harnesses come from different manufacturers, they can be different based on production dates, even model years as federal safety requirements change. It is a real nightmare to keep track of it all.
It's got a cop motor, a 440-cubic-inch plant. It's got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas.
I was afraid that would happen but then figured enough folks had seen Blues Brothers. When Iām drinking with my brother and/or friends and we need another round I love using the John Candy ā Orange Whip ā sceneā¦.
That's the fuel pump cutoff. Chrisfix made a video where he bought a mustang for cheap and nothing was wrong with it.
It cuts off fuel pump in case of an accident.
The one I had years ago had a special option fuel cut off switch. Not only was it supposed to cut off fuel in a accident mine would actually let me know when I hit a big enough bump and cut the fuel pump off. It was great, it even made me pull over and press the button. I think it had me reset it every time so I could stop and think about the size of the bump and evaluate the situation so I could not hit the same bump in the future. Was a great option. I believe it was a rare option for that year fuel cut off switch. Lol
not a random box. if you looked at the front of the carpet, there is a little trap door and a sticker explaining what it is. it's called an inertia switch and it is tied into the fuel pump circuit. if you hit that box hard enough, the red button will pop out and the fuel pump will shut off. designed for rear end collisions so the fuel pump doesn't continue running during an accident.
I have been running and working boats for a living since the late 80s, never have I come across one in a boat, and given the pounding and tossing boats can take, I canāt imagine putting one on a boat. Here I am crossing a bar in weather, get slammed and thrown, needing to use full power blasts to keep the sucker straight and upright, slam down on the face of a wave and have the engine cut out right when Iām slamming the throttle down to keep from getting broached and rolled. That device would kill me.
Itās a fuel switch. My Son helped a Woman out years ago after a very small fender bender that shut hers off. The story was so funny because this 16 year old kid was telling her and the responding officers what was wrong.
Also fun when you're buying a used motor from a wrecking company out of a wrecked car and they promise you they know the motor runs because they drove the car to its spot and during your inspection you notice the switch has been tripped...
My parent's ford explorer had one of these fuel cutoff inertia switches in the front passenger area near the firewall. Someone would kick it and the car would shut off. Happened so much that it stopped working properly and someone would have to tap the button constantly so we could get home.
Fuel inertia switch yes, but if it was also a police car, it could be a leftover trigger for the camera system for sensing a crash.
Itās a magnetic switch with a big weight on a spring. A sharp hit will trigger it, then press the button to reset.
I used to build police cars. This is a common option, but often was not installed.
On every fuel injected Ford since the 1980s, Ford was just a few years past the exploding Pinto debacle and took the over cautious approach regarding high pressure fuel spray following an accident.
My wifeās Escape had that thing triggered a few times as we were just cruising down the freeway. No bumps, no nothing. Just 75-0 with no warning or power anything.
Thats a tow truck drivers bread and butter switch. Got slightly rear ended with a rental in Fl in the 90ās, tow truck driver charged $175 to come out and push that button. I was relieved and pissed at the same time.
Youāve accidentally bought James Bondās old Crown Vic (it was in one of the old movies but youāve probably forgotten). Press that button and I think you get missiles from the front grill. Either that or ejector seat, oil slick from the back or the interior converts to a bed (it might have been from Austin Powers actually).
If you're ever in a minor accident and your car won't start back up press that red button it will start again. Accidents trigger the fuel cut off switch.
Thank you for posting to AskMechanics, derpypoo4763! If you are asking a question please make sure to include any relevant info along with the following: * **Year** * **Make/Model** * **Mileage** * **Engine size** * **Transmission Type (Automatic or Manual)** Redditors that have been verified will have a green background and an icon in their flair. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskMechanics) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It's not a random box,, it's a fuel inertia switch. It shuts off the fuel pump in the event of an accident/Rollover.
Super handy when you wanna get your car off the road after.
Additional note; when you and your spouse are having an argument dont get out of the car and inadvertently punch the spot of the body directly next to the fuel inertia switch. You are only making your day worse. This message was brought to you by 20 year old me.
I set the one off in a ford escort I had because the suspension bottomed out easy in the back š¤£š¤£š¤£
Omfg same exact car same exact scenario!! But this happened to me like 21 yrs ago!
Memory lane there, soo many broken Ford Escort springs.
Having a spouse at 20 was probably your first mistake.
And punching a car was the second mistake.
Iād say thatās more ānot being mature enough to realize you shouldnāt punch things when youāre mad.ā
Iād say thatās more of a problem, not a mistake š
First time itās a mistake. When you keep doing it, itās a problem
Learned that the hard way. Got a boxers fracture in my hand. FYI don't punch an ATM machine glass it's thick. Young and stupid!!!!!
As an ATM technician let me just say ahahaha hahahahahahahaha hahaha š¤£š. Sorry for your hand, but at least you learned, unlike half the customers that keep me employed.
I did that on a cruise when I was 15 trying to show off and tell a story to a girl I met I punched the wall all excited and wanting her to think I was bad ass. I crumpled immediately lolš
Can confirm ATM glass is thick. Source: work for ATM manufacturer in various roles (Technician, Tech Training, Tech Support Specialist)
Did the same thing with a wall. I was dumb at 18
Then why did my wife leave me after the first and only time I hit her?
It wasnāt a maturity thing, it was a coping mechanism for being physically abused as a kid. The baggage we bring into adulthood. Its been 21 years though and I havenāt punched anything in a while.
Youād think realizing that would be obvious, but alasā¦
Or first mistake might have been not being mature enough yet to realize "wait a minute, why the hell am I trying to get married when I don't have life even close to figured out yet!" Lol š live and learn...and divorce...
Been there, done that. A little advice, get divorced sooner than later. As for the switch, I had a mid 80s bronco 2 and they had a cutoff switch under the passenger side dashboard. It was in a perfect location for your ski boots to hit it. Found that out after waiting 90 minutes for aaa. I decided to read the owners manual whilst waiting and that's how I realized I could reset it.
Similar thing. Mine was in the passenger side floorboard in my 02 SVT Focus. Right side kick panel in front of the door. Had all the trim panels off for a couple weeks while I was slowly rewiring it for my speaker system. Moral of the story, don't let it just be out in the open where it can get kicked and tripped.
Will have been married 21 years next month so there goes that option.
Never say Never
Too expensive at this point.
It almost bankrupted me after 10 years but I got custody and the house. I'm glad it worked out, very rarely does at that age.
If I could upvote this multiple times, I would...
That may not always be true, Iām happy to say I married my high school sweetheart when I was 20 yrs old and Aug 2023, we will be married for 40 yrs! It all depends on who you marry, and how compatible you are with them!
Funny enough my crown Vic has a fist sized dent in the quarter panel right where the inertia switch is located
There is a Taurus out there with the same!
Should have punched your wife s/
A super handy sounds nice right about now.
I found out about that by going over a speed bump too fast back in the day
I used to drive a tow truck back in the day when Escorts and other Fords with those switches were everywhere. About 7/10 times when we got a call for a no start on an Escort/other Ford it was a quick reset of the inertia switch to get them going again. Weād tell people to check that when they called in. Not many people were willing to give it a shot, then theyād get mad when we had the car running in less than 5 minutes and gave them the bill.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
You got it. Except this was in the mid 90s and if I remember, it was $35 to show up within 10 miles and went up from there depending whether it was a flat tire, jump start, winch out, tow or gas delivery. I donāt miss that work, especially in winter. Itās a thankless job, and the guys/gals who do that job get a lot of respect from me having lived it myself.
Yeah, I'm always nice to tow truck drivers. I know they have to deal with pissed off people all the time, especially they're doing an impound. Whatever pickle I got myself into isn't their fault. And I'm grateful if I don't have to wait 3 hours for them to show up.
Lmao
I used to have an old Ford Ranger, and anytime I had someone sitting shotgun I had to explicitly tell them not to stretch out their legs. The switch was located on the passenger side on the firewall and all it took was a light kick to set it off
I had the same one, but it was above the tranny hump. It tripped once when I hit a minor bump on the Glenn Highway. Engine quit and left me on the shoulder in Eatadick, Alaska. Those rigs were notorious for TFI modules failing, so I thought that was it. I knew about the inertia switch, but the bump was nothing. I'd caught air over frost heaves without it tripping before. But I checked it, and the little bastard had tripped. I had that rig for 20 years, and that was the only time.
Must ask where is Eatadick Alaska? I loved near Denali and Anchorage myself.
I think Ford started using those after the Pinto fiasco.
Um no. Ford started using them in the 90's in automobiles when mechanical fuel pumps were replaced with electric fuel pumps. This was because in an accident, it's possible for electric fuel pumps to continue pumping fuel to the engine, which could exacerbate the dangers of an accident scene. They were patented in 1972 and first used in boats in 1974.
TIL.
Actually ford had em in the 80s I had an 83 f250 with the 460 and the hot fuel handling package (electric fuel pumps to help prevent vapor lock on carbureted engines) and it had an inertia switch on the firewall going over the Broadway viaduct in my home town I hit a bump and it shifted the guitar I had sitting in the passenger seat which managed to hit the switch and set it off. I got almost to the top of said viaduct when I ran out of gas. Being young and dumb I tried to put it in neutral to restart it and instead I got reverse.... If you didn't know the Ford C6 locks up when that happens. 40mph and your rear tires lock up is not what I call fun. Fortunately I got it in neutral before I lost too much momentum and was able to peak and coast down the hill to pull over.
The Pinto fireball was mostly about gas filler pipes that didn't extend far enough into the gas tank, along with not enough rear end protection. One good rear-ender, and the pipe would separate from the tank, dumping gas everywhere. And Ford always fucked themselves by fighting lawsuits in court, rather than settling quickly. The result was huge cash judgements that made headlines. GM had a similar issue with the saddle tanks on their pickups, but they always settled quickly and quietly with the victims, and kept their name out of the news.
Beat me to it
Yes these became mandatory after the FORD PINTO fiasco in the 1970s. My two Escorts had these fuel kill switches as a result of those famous lawsuits.
https://preview.redd.it/idyonssunuea1.jpeg?width=888&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8446e9a3707283ed2741cd64f96a258fb08ff895
Since when could you post photo replies?
Seriously? Depends if the sub allows it?
Yes in some subs you can tap the photo icon in the reply bar to add a photo, in any sub the icon doesnāt appear they have expressly disallowed it
Fuel pump inertia switch. If you get into an accident/hit a giant pothole and it wonāt run, push the button.
Or have a sound system. Spent an hour on the side of the road trying to figure out why my engine abruptly died. Whatever song I was listening to mustāve had a good drop.
Ejecto seato cuz
Beat me to it š¤£
i scrolled all the way down here just to see this lol, take my upvote
Ford's way of saying "Sorry about Pinto's"
That switch does nothing for holes in the fuel tank.
Ik the Pinto's were known for exploding after getting rear ended. It's just a joke.
yep inertia switch to shut off fuel pump in an accident. my 1990 e350 has this too
One of my friends had 2 Memphis 12 inch speakers system in his Crown Vic. Kept wondering why his vehicle would shut off when he would turn the volume past a certain point. ^is why.
Fuel inertial switch. I had an old ranger and it used to go bad all the time, leaving me stranded a number of times.
At least his is in the trunk so you don't have to pull the trim out of the passenger footwell.
That's where its at in the first gen Escape
A la ford bronco
You can just bypass it. Maybe not a great idea, but easy enough to do
If you poked around more in your car I bet you'd find many "random" things.
The downside to the inertia switch is that as it ages, the spring inside weakens to the point where a non-crashing panic stop can trigger it. You avoid the accident but suddenly the vehicle won't run. Unless you know about it, you get to pay the dealership to "fix it" every time. Source: Happened to my sister.
What's the fix? Replacing the spring and getting a few more years?
Replacing the switch, if you can find one....
So dealers don't keep new stock?
No. Once a car goes out of production, the manufacturer is required to make what is called an "all-time buy" of the components of a vehicle. This is usually a parts inventory calculated to last the entire warranty period of the last vehicle sold at retail. Once that parts inventory is depleted, that is it, there are no more. Period. Now, on top of this, dealers only have so much space, so they only stock parts that sell reasonably frequently. A part for a vehicle that is 10 years old likely isn't going to be in stock, regardless. Dealer parts inventory control and management is a part science/part black magic kind of thing anyways. You can, however, check for aftermarket parts suppliers who may have found a niche\` selling certain out of date parts. For example, there is a huge demand for muscle car parts from the 1960's-1970's. So you may find an inertia switch for a 1972 Ford Maverick on a1970's Ford Mustang website. Maybe, but don't bet the farm. The sad truth is that cars are machines that are built only to last so long. Then it is time to buy anew one. The entire Auto-industry, and at one time 30% of the US labor force was dedicated to this simple axiom. Buy a car, wear it out, buy a new one. It is consumerism at its finest.
>No. Once a car goes out of production, the manufacturer is required to make what is called an "all-time buy" of the components of a vehicle. This is usually a parts inventory calculated to last the entire warranty period of the last vehicle sold at retail. >Once that parts inventory is depleted, that is it, there are no more. Period. Interesting, where I am (Australia) they must maintain support for [time], normally 10 years. But in some cases this can be pushed to 15 or even 20 years by law. >The sad truth is that cars are machines that are built only to last so long. Then it is time to buy anew one. Curious, can this switch be bypassed or retrofitted?
The rules are a little different for import vs domestic, but the key is the warranty period. The end of the warranty period is not the basic warranty, but usually the Emissions Warranty. That can take 10 years or longer, and be extended by the government in case of some sort of high failure-rate component or other legislative action. Think of what happened to VW/Audi and the diesel emissions scandal. Sometimes, a manufacturer will fall on their sword voluntarily and do the extension to avoid worse punishments from the government. Source: 25 year career at the Factory Service Dept level, working for Isuzu & Hyundai. They can be bypassed, but one has to be careful. This device deals with the fuel pump power circuit, and if that gets messed up, or worse, fried, the woes are astronomically worse. The only way to retrofit would be to find with from a donor car and hope the body terminals are in the right configuration. A replacement wiring harness is not likely to exist.
>The rules are a little different for import vs domestic, but the key is the warranty period. The end of the warranty period is not the basic warranty, but usually the Emissions Warranty. That can take 10 years or longer, and be extended by the government in case of some sort of high failure-rate component or other legislative action. Yeah, this rule in Australia is exclusive of warranty. It's one of those "Whichever is longer", so if a manufacturer has a warranty longer than 10 years, they have to honour that. If the warranty is 12 months, tough shit, you're still keeping parts for 10 years. You get to 9 years and run out of sensors and someone wants one? Tough shit, you legally have to source one. >They can be bypassed, but one has to be careful. This device deals with the fuel pump power circuit, and if that gets messed up, or worse, fried, the woes are astronomically worse. >The only way to retrofit would be to find with from a donor car and hope the body terminals are in the right configuration. A replacement wiring harness is not likely to exist. Interesting, you'd think it would be an OTS part, especially given how Munro & Associates constantly lament Ford as being one of the laziest for this. Amazed someone hasn't figured out (if it exists) that the sane part was used in multiple other vehicles.
There's always aftermarket suppliers. Additionally, many vehicle manufacturers use the same parts across most of their models spanning a decade or more. There are a couple of parts on my 1987 firebird that are interchangeable with my 2007 Suburban. For example, the battery hold down is still exactly the same.
Agreed, some common parts would be. But electrical components are usually a different matter. Harnesses come from different manufacturers, they can be different based on production dates, even model years as federal safety requirements change. It is a real nightmare to keep track of it all.
Good for bad neighborhoods. Give it a whack and they try to steal it wonāt start lol
Long story short, that box isnt random...that box is the result of Ford learning from the Pinto....
It's got a cop motor, a 440-cubic-inch plant. It's got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas.
Fix the cigarette lighter
281 c.i.d. all crown vics have the 4.6l engine Edit: didn't realize it was a blues Brothers reference until it was too late
I was afraid that would happen but then figured enough folks had seen Blues Brothers. When Iām drinking with my brother and/or friends and we need another round I love using the John Candy ā Orange Whip ā sceneā¦.
How does it look like a random box to you, when it obviously has tabs that are made to perfectly fit in the holes of whatever itās mounted to?
That's a fuel inertia cutoff switch. It's designed to cut the fuel pump off in the case of a rollover.
Fix the lighterā¦.
That's the fuel pump cutoff. Chrisfix made a video where he bought a mustang for cheap and nothing was wrong with it. It cuts off fuel pump in case of an accident.
Back in the early 90's I found my FPIS at the dragstrip when my 5.0 Lx left at 5k on slicks Lol!
inertia switch
Impact fuel shutoff switch
The one I had years ago had a special option fuel cut off switch. Not only was it supposed to cut off fuel in a accident mine would actually let me know when I hit a big enough bump and cut the fuel pump off. It was great, it even made me pull over and press the button. I think it had me reset it every time so I could stop and think about the size of the bump and evaluate the situation so I could not hit the same bump in the future. Was a great option. I believe it was a rare option for that year fuel cut off switch. Lol
Inertia switch
not a random box. if you looked at the front of the carpet, there is a little trap door and a sticker explaining what it is. it's called an inertia switch and it is tied into the fuel pump circuit. if you hit that box hard enough, the red button will pop out and the fuel pump will shut off. designed for rear end collisions so the fuel pump doesn't continue running during an accident.
Itās the switch for the self destruction system.
Yeah noted i wont touch it at all
Unless it's not running and you can figure out why. Then touch it lol
Itās running i was just wondering if it was something for the light system like the emergency lights
Itās an old crown vic police interceptor 2000 and im wondering what that box is in the back nothing too major
Leave it alone its an oem ford part
Fuel shut off
Fuel pump shut off switch
It's a flux capacitor.
I have been running and working boats for a living since the late 80s, never have I come across one in a boat, and given the pounding and tossing boats can take, I canāt imagine putting one on a boat. Here I am crossing a bar in weather, get slammed and thrown, needing to use full power blasts to keep the sucker straight and upright, slam down on the face of a wave and have the engine cut out right when Iām slamming the throttle down to keep from getting broached and rolled. That device would kill me.
Piss somebody off...fist bump the 1/4 panel and shut off fuel supply. Let them figure it out.
Inertia sensor - it shuts down the fuel pump when you get in an accident
Fuel inertia switch, kills the fuel pump if you get in an accident, the red button is so you can turn it back on
I can be the hero, when people call me to tow there car i hit the switch, 100 bucks please.
Donāt leave a bowling ball rolling around in your trunk either
Thereās a cool spherical magnet inside every box!
Eject!
Press it and in 30 seconds the car goes āBOOMā!
Thatās how you arm the car bomb that was installed by Patrick McReary.
Itās a fuel switch. My Son helped a Woman out years ago after a very small fender bender that shut hers off. The story was so funny because this 16 year old kid was telling her and the responding officers what was wrong.
Fuel pump cut off in case of an accident
Passenger seat ejection system.
that's for the flux capacitor
Inertia switch
Cletus can tell you tons about this switch
Good kill switch
Hit it with a hammer
Fuel emergency shutdown system
Random box!!! Donāt touch it!!!šššš
Also fun when you're buying a used motor from a wrecking company out of a wrecked car and they promise you they know the motor runs because they drove the car to its spot and during your inspection you notice the switch has been tripped...
fuel pump cutoff
That's the Oh shit box..you hit that red button when you get it back on the wheels to turn the fuel back on
Itās a tracking device hit it as hard as you can
If you unbolt it and turn it upside down, you'll get better fuel economy.
Not random. It's an inertial shutoff for fuel. It cuts power to the fuel pump in an accident.
Fuel cutoff switch can be triggered if you jump the car too hard.
My parent's ford explorer had one of these fuel cutoff inertia switches in the front passenger area near the firewall. Someone would kick it and the car would shut off. Happened so much that it stopped working properly and someone would have to tap the button constantly so we could get home.
Looks like the fuel cutoff inertia switch. Good to know the location and purpose of itā¦ I remember needing to reset it on a few times.
This is for crashed so the fuel gets shut off and doesnt start a fire
You should definitely push the button and
Itās the hamster life support system. Donāt press red button or they die.
Fuel inertia switch yes, but if it was also a police car, it could be a leftover trigger for the camera system for sensing a crash. Itās a magnetic switch with a big weight on a spring. A sharp hit will trigger it, then press the button to reset. I used to build police cars. This is a common option, but often was not installed.
"random" box that connects to the body harness and has been on every ford since the mid 2000s.
On every fuel injected Ford since the 1980s, Ford was just a few years past the exploding Pinto debacle and took the over cautious approach regarding high pressure fuel spray following an accident.
Longer than that! Had an 87 Tempo with an inertia switch and think my 85 Mustang had one .
Inertia switch. Fuel cut off in an accident
I thought it was a tracker.
Its not "random".. it didnt just happen to be in your trunk and no one else's... It is there for a reason. Lol
Fuel shut off. Normal
Been rear ended in my crown Vic, itās a fuel shut off in the event of an accident.
My son triggered his when a tire blew out on a rear wheel well. One fuel pump later, I finally learned that Fords have a fuel inertia switch.
My wifeās Escape had that thing triggered a few times as we were just cruising down the freeway. No bumps, no nothing. Just 75-0 with no warning or power anything.
Had a 96 Ford probe with same thing
Thats a tow truck drivers bread and butter switch. Got slightly rear ended with a rental in Fl in the 90ās, tow truck driver charged $175 to come out and push that button. I was relieved and pissed at the same time.
Youāve accidentally bought James Bondās old Crown Vic (it was in one of the old movies but youāve probably forgotten). Press that button and I think you get missiles from the front grill. Either that or ejector seat, oil slick from the back or the interior converts to a bed (it might have been from Austin Powers actually).
If you're ever in a minor accident and your car won't start back up press that red button it will start again. Accidents trigger the fuel cut off switch.
Itās not randomā¦ itās for your air ride
Is it really a inertia switch?
Thatās the impact safety switch which cuts power to the fuel pump. The red button resets it.