Where Is the Fuel Shut Off Switch Located?

Q: Where Is the Fuel Shut Off Switch Located?

A: Depending on the platform and the year model, the fuel shut off switch may be under a side panel located next to the driver’s door or the footrest area or it can also be under the carpet. For SUVs, a common location is in the luggage compartment under an access panel.

On vehicles like the Ford Fiesta, the fuel shut off switch can be located inside the car’s glove compartment. To access it, you’ll need to open your glove compartment and pull out the storage bin. You’ll then be able to see a red or yellow button.

The fuel pump shutoff switch automatically stops fuel from flowing out of the fuel tank to the engine in the event of a moderate or severe crash. Not all vehicles have this component, but its location is typically listed in the owner’s manual when the vehicle is equipped with one.

Typically this is a Ford thing, but some Nissans and Toyotas have what Ford calls an “inertia switch.” This component has been around since the early 1980s.

On pickups and SUVs, this switch (when the vehicle has one) will be behind the right kick panel or somewhere on the bulkhead (firewall), but in the passenger compartment rather than under the hood.

On passenger cars that have these switches, it will usually be in the trunk on one side or the other, typically with a round cutout in the trunk liner for access.

The switch has a steel ball sitting on a magnet that jumps up and opens a normally closed switch that must be reset by the driver by pushing a button on the switch.

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Pro Tip: Newer vehicles tend not to have a physical switch. The fuel cutoff function will be built into one of the modules and typically resets itself with the cycling of the ignition.

Tips on How to Access the Fuel Shut Off Switch

The switch is typically located behind a piece of plastic. This can be your glove box storage bin or near the footrest area. Removing these components might require some elbow grease or tools like screws. The fuel shut off switch’s location can also be dark and difficult to reach.