I ran over a rock and it hit near my gas tank. The car shut off and wont start. I was wondering if the 2000 Dodge Stratus has an emergency shut off mechanism in the fuel system that shuts down when the car is given such a jolt. If so is there a switch that I can reset? If so where is it located? The car is not leaking any gas, nothing seems to be damaged and there is fuel in the gas tank. The car is trying to start but wont.
Dodgevanman
12-27-2004, 11:35 PM
You should really get the car onto a lift so you can get a good look underneath and see if there's some real physical damage before going after an electrical problem unless the rock damaged the wiring and/or fuel pump connector.
rkfsm
12-30-2004, 09:51 AM
I agree with Nate. Most cars with a high-pressure fuel rail have an impact sensor that shuts down the fuel system with a bad enough jolt. The thing is..... The jolt needed to trigger the system is usually more than bad enough to cause damage. You need to have the system checked out before resetting and then checked again for leaks afterward.
The impact sensor's location varies greatly by year, make and model, but they are usually around the fuel tank or in the trunk. They usually have two buttons that must be pushed in simultaneously to reset. Some can't be reset and have to be replaced.
The fuel pump in the 2g Stratus (I'm assumming you have a Stratus or a Cirrus since you posted here) is inside the tank, so it is unlikely a rock would cause damage in such a way to only knock out the fuel pump and not cause other damage.
