2014 E350 Inertia/fuel switch location?

LastBlackE350 · 06-04-2017, 10:45 AM

Hey guys,

My passenger foot well compartment doesn't appear to have a "push to reset" inertia / fuel cutoff switch even though the plastic cover says fuel reset at the top. All my searching on every forum I can find shows this as the location.

Owners manual says to turn ignition on/off, on/off to re-enable. This makes me think it's ecu controlled on my van?

I'm working on anti-theft measures and cutting fuel pump power with a hidden switch seems like the best solution. Given that, I figured the inertia switch would be a good place to splice in.

Here's a picture of the passenger foot well plug array and 4-wire plug to the fuel pump at top of tank.

Lyall

boywonder · 06-04-2017, 06:13 PM

Look behind those connectors....the switch has a red button on it......

LastBlackE350 · 06-05-2017, 09:39 AM

Thanks Boywonder, I'll root around some more to see if I missed it. For self rescue reasons alone I must find it...

I also read about burnt brake bulbs preventing startup. I haven't pulled a bulb yet to test but I can also start my van without applying the brakes. Is applying brakes to start common on the E350?

My owners manual doesn't mention a reset button. Here's what it says:

Fuel Shutoff

In the event of a moderate to severe collision, this vehicle includes a fuel
pump shut-off feature that stops the flow of fuel to the engine. Not every
impact will cause a shut-off.

Should your vehicle shut off after a collision, you may restart your
vehicle by doing the following:

1. Switch off the ignition.
2. Switch on the ignition.
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to re-enable fuel pump.

Note: When you try to restart your vehicle after a fuel shutoff, the
vehicle makes sure that various systems are safe to restart. Once your
vehicle determines that the systems are safe, then the vehicle will allow
you to restart.

Note: In the event that your vehicle does not restart after your third
attempt, contact an authorized dealer.

yvrr · 06-05-2017, 10:57 AM

Yes, a broken brake can prevent taking the van out of Park. The work around is starting the vehicle in Neutral.

LastBlackE350 · 06-06-2017, 09:22 AM

I've pulled everything out of the passenger foot well area and there is no inertia switch / fuel shutoff switch with reset button.

I also removed and unplugged the passenger tail light assembly and it started right up in park. With the tail light assembly connected and brake bulb removed it fired up as well. Shouldn't both of these tests prevent startup?

Van is a February 2014 build so maybe they were already running out of parts?

Pictures below...

JackTuppVan · 06-06-2017, 10:21 AM

After looking at your gallery it appears you have a FLEX FUEL van.

From what I've read , late model flex fuel vans do not have an inertia switch.

"You do not have a inertia switch. The fuel shut off is in the restraint control module.

The event notification signal is a signal provided by the Restraints Control Module (RCM) to the FP control module. Signal communication between the RCM and the FP control module allows the PCM to shut-off the FP.
Should the vehicle shut off after a collision due to this feature, the vehicle may be restarted by first turning the ignition switch to the OFF position and then turn the ignition switch to the ON position. In some instances the vehicle may not start the first time and may take one additional key cycle."

link to the information .... 2009 Ford: flex-fuel..van..an intermittent loss of power to fuel pump

LastBlackE350 · 06-06-2017, 01:17 PM

Thanks Jack.

Seems several of the Ford experts were unaware of this as well after reading your informative (and entertaining) link.

Time to learn about the fuel pump control module to see if that's an option. My brake light circuit testing shows that's not an option either.

Back to the drawing board...

yvrr · 06-07-2017, 07:52 AM

Both of those issues were addressed during the 2007 Sportsmobile Rally in Park City, UT. Participants were divided into teams (members of the winning team received 5 BFG tires) and the teams had a number of challenges during the 3-day event. Some where just fun (like a Scavenger Hunt) while others were designed to let owners learn more about their vans and what they could do. Sportsmobile brought a number of vans for the challenges.

For example a Sportsmobile employee would explain to team members standing next to a van that the previous night, you descended a long, steep grade and while maneuvering your van to get into the campsite, you backed into a tree. But no visible damage. "Now, go start your van and drive it 3 feet forward." One of team members jumped in the van, started it easily, but couldn't get it out of Park. In another one, the employee explained that you have been driving over a very rough road with a lot of drops, etc. "Now, go start your van." Of course, it won't start and seemed to be out of gas. Great learning experiences!

BrianW · 06-07-2017, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yvrr

For example a Sportsmobile employee would explain to team members standing next to a van that the previous night, you descended a long, steep grade and while maneuvering your van to get into the campsite, you backed into a tree. But no visible damage. "Now, go start your van and drive it 3 feet forward." One of team members jumped in the van, started it easily, but couldn't get it out of Park.

Ok, maybe I missed it in the preceding posts, but what would cause this?

LastBlackE350 · 06-08-2017, 08:32 AM

yvrr, I read about some of those self rescue tests at the SMB ralley, added motivation to locate mine. What's the solution to get out of Park? ( I missed that one).

BrianW, the inertia switch / fuel shutoff is a G-force event trigger. My guess is that it's 3+ G's to trigger and disable the fuel pump.