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Inertia switch problem

Today, my 88 Topaz refused to start. After checking around a bit, I tried resetting the inertia switch. It started up, no problem. After a 2 1/2 mile drive to the shopping centre, I returned to the car to find the switch tripped again! A few hundred feet down the road, and it tripped again. I coasted into a gas station, and reset it once more. After that it was OK for the rest of the trip home. The temperature for the last two days has peaked at over 100 F. I see no reason why heat should trip an inertia switch. Has anyone else experienced this problem? Another question, where is the fuse box in this model?

Thanks in advance Steve R.

Reply to
Steve R.
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"Steve R." wrote

Ever notice how "superconductor" magnets like to be supercold? The inside of the inertia switch is basically a small funnel, with a steel ball sitting in it, and a magnet at the bottom. Put a 20-year old magnet and some egg-frying heat together, and the switch gets a lot easier to trip, either by a bumpy road, or a slammed trunk (if you parked on a hill, like I did), or someone bumping your car in the parking lot (any new scuffs?). And make sure the switch is vertical, and bolted in the proper place, not lying on the carpet. Fuse box should be above your left foot when driving.

Reply to
MasterBlaster

"MasterBlaster"

Reply to
Steve R.

...

The I-switch in my '94 TBird has failed a time or 2. Like to got me killed once (long story).

If 100% practical, I'd bypass the damned thang and leave it that way. If so, I'd appreciate notes on how to do it (I've been meaning to for years). :-)

Cheers, Puddin'

"Mit der Dummheit kaempfen Goetter selbst vergebens!" -Friedrich Schiller

Reply to
Puddin' Man

Reply to
Steve R.

"Steve R." wrote

Small flat wrench. Long pants. Stretchy socks. Wrecking yard. (Shhh, don't tell anyone!)

Reply to
MasterBlaster

"MasterBlaster"

The ones in the wreckers are probably just as bad. The climate here is very wet in the winter, and the one from my car looks like it got wet sometime in the past.

Steve R.

Reply to
Steve R.

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