Inertia Switch question

[Outatime]

While I was looking at the footwell photo, I remember I always wanted to ask the use of the black box with the red "button" on top....



I recall it's the inertia switch... and it's suppose to control the fuel pump (just like an on/off switch)....

But I remember that the car could starts and run in both the "on" or "off" position.... is that some wiring fault!?

[Dan6457]

I can't help with the inertia switch, but that in-line fuse with the brown and green wires, does that go to your brake light switch? Mine does but I couldn't understand why because its supposed to have the brake light fuse in the fuse compartment.

[Chris Hawes]

Hi John,

The enertia switch is there so that if the car was to end up upside down in an accident the little plunger on top would when drop (which is pop up when the car is the right way up) and shut the fuel pump off to help prevent a fire.

If you can lift the plunger with your fingers and see a little red area on the shaft that is then exposed and your engine will still start then it isn't setup right. You should find that the car will crank but as fuel isn't being pumped it won't start (makes a useful budget immobiliser). Simply push it back down to reset it and enable normal running!

[stunned_monkey]

John: The inertia switch is a safety device that, with the aid of a heavy ball bearing insite a conical mount, pings out and trips off the fuel pump in the event of an impact. The car does not need to roll... It also unlocks the doors, assuming the central locking is working correctly. It should not work when up. It's quite likely to have been bypassed as there were faulty units on some cars, and the subject of a recall.

Daniel: That looks like one of John's stereo fuses. and they shoud be the only barrel type fuses in the car. His is a unique right hand drive car so many things are not where you might expect them. If you have one on thur brake light feed, it might be pulling power -off- the switch, not supplying it, but I'm speculating here.

[Outatime]

Thanks for the info guys!

BTW, that pic is just a random pic i found on the web, it's not my RHD.

So it sounds like a must for me to get the inertia switch replaced... is it a DeLorean specific part that I must get from the US?

I have disabled my central locks anyway~ so (touchwood) in the event of the doors being jammed, I will use my window breaker/ fire extinguisher.

[stunned_monkey]

If you can unplug your inertia switch and still start the car, you have to trace where it has been bypassed before putting a new one in will make any difference.

It's not a DeLorean specific part, but cheap enough from any DeLorean vendor.

The central locking will only jam the doors if the lock module has never been rebuilt (had its relays replaced). In the event that the solenoids do get stuck on, they're easy to disconnect from inside the relay compartment

[Daniel Shane]

The switch is a GM part.

Lotus used it one some Esprits and the M100 Elan and are around 15 quid from lotus or vauxhall.

You can open a Delorean with a well aimed thumb

Dan