Q: I need to know where the fuel cut off switch is at

asked by on January 06, 2017

My sister ran her car down to empty only less then half a mile if not less then that. Found out that the fuel switch relay may have engaged. I need to know the place of the switch is at and how to reactivate it. in dire need so I don't have to take it to the dealer.

My car has 71000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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An auto fuel cutoff switch is a safety feature that is only supposed to activate in a collision. If you merely ran out of gas, or ran low on gas, the status of this switch is probably irrelevant. Nevertheless, if your vehicle was equipped by Kia with an auto fuel cut off switch, the switch and its location is described in the owner’s manual for the car. According to Kia technical advice, "The auto fuel cutoff switch is located on the passenger’s side of the engine compartment. In the event of a collision or sudden impact, the auto fuel cutoff device cuts off the fuel supply. If this device is activated, it must be reset by pressing in on the top of the switch before the engine can be restarted."

If your vehicle was equipped with this safety feature, and if once you fill the tank with fuel, pressing the switch does not enable you to start the vehicle, it is possible that running low on the fuel has clogged the fuel pump pick up in the tank with tank debris from the bottom and/or the fuel pump impeller seal has been damaged due to inadequate cooling which occurs when there is little liquid fuel left in the tank. The bottom line is, if you still have a no start condition after filling the tank and pressing the switch, it is recommended that you request a no start diagnostic during which the responding certified mechanic will runs the necessary tests on the fuel system to see if you need fuel system repairs, possibly including fuel pump replacement. If you have additional concerns, please let us know and hope we can help you with any needed repairs.

The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. Please see our terms of service for more details

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