1983 Ford F250 fuel problems

For those of you have have ever had fuel problems with a newer model (1980's or later) vehicle, check this out. Underneath the dashboard on the passenger side, there is a device called an inertia switch, which cuts the power to the fuel pump when your vehicle is involved in an accident. I have never heard of this device until I read about it online in a Ford truck forum.

I was having fuel problems with my truck, and I thought the fuel pump was bad. Before I invested in a fuel pump, I decided to eee if anyone online had the same problems. I read about the inertia switch and learned that it is a mechanical switch designed to break the circuit to the electric fuel pump when a sizable impact occurs. This prevents the gas tank from igniting from a possible electrical spark in case of an accident. I assume that most cars are now equipped with this device. There is a little reset button on the top of it, so it can be easily reset after an accident.

I checked my switch and it appeared to be functioning correctly (it reset when I pushed the button), but when I tried to start my truck, still no gas. I disconnected the switch and ran a jumper wire over the two cables, and after a few minutes of cranking, she fired up. I did several tests on the switch and found that it didn't work all the time, like there was something loose inside.

I haven't checked a price for a new one yet, but its a good thing to know about, because a mechanic could charge you a fortune for a "new" fuel pump to replace you "junky old one," when all he had to do was reset the switch. The one in my truck is about a 2" by 2" square box with a white push button on top. It is labelled "inertia switch" and is easily located under the dash near the floor board on the passenger side. It might be in a different place on other cars and trucks. I don't know when they started putting these in cars, but I had never heard of it. I took 2 years of auto shop in 1988 and 1989, and it was never mentioned in class.