1993 Ford Probe, "Fuel Cutout" warning indicator is on, and car won't start

andrei1492@yahoo.com · 05-03-2009, 01:25 AM

I Have A 1993 Ford Probe GT. Got It From An Impounded Lot, Where It Has Been Sitting For A While. I Had A Key Made And Changed The Battery. There Is An Warning Indicator Lit On The Dash That Says "Fuel Cutout". The Car Makes The Sound Like It's Going To Start, But It Does Not Start. From The Research I Did I Found That It Might Be Related To A Switch That Is Located In The Lower Left Part Of The Trunk. The Switch That Resets Something? Anyway... My Question Is How Do You Properly Operate(or Activate Or Reset) That Switch. And Should That Allow The Car To Start? Also... What Does The "fuel Cutout" Indicator Being On Mean? Is The Fuel Pump Closed(turned Off)? Is There No Fuel Getting To The Engine? Also.. Does This Type Of Car Have A Microchip Or Anything In The Key, That Might Be The Reason Why It Won't Start With A Key That I Got From A Locksmith?

Thank You!

ferratilis · 05-03-2009, 09:17 AM

Yes, the "Fuel cutout" indicator tells you that the inertia fuel shut-off switch needs to be reset. The inertia switch opens on impact, as in an accident, and cuts power to the fuel pump to minimize the chance of fuel getting pumped out through damaged fuel lines. It has a button at the top that needs to be pressed down, and you should be good to go.

angelradness · 09-02-2009, 12:11 PM

I have a 1993 Ford Probe as well, having the same problems. I replaced the wires going to the inertia switch, tried pushing the button down and nothing happened. It feels like there's no pressure on the switch at all, just a loose button.
Anyone have an idea where I can get this part?

I'm fairly confident that that'll fix the problem. I've been without my car for over a year and a half because of that stupid thing.....

robfer03 · 09-02-2009, 01:23 PM

There is no microchip on the key, you should be fine. Hit the switch and you should be set to drive it. With it sitting for a while, I would suggest a good tune up, including the alternator. 93 and 94 models have a bad rep for the alternators going out. Seafoam the engine through the PCV valve to clean up lost of carbon, run some seafoam in the oil and gas. When running it through the oil, let it idle and clean things and then do an oil change. These small things will allow you to see if there are any real problems with the vehicle. If you have a CEL on, do the minor stuff first for it has set for a while and has not cycled through the complete system, once you have the car running and stable, drive it for a while, pull the neg battery terminal and clear the codes, drive it again to allow the computer to cycle through the complete system and see what codes if any appear. From there we could assist you with any new problems you may have.

ziggy09 · 11-04-2009, 07:44 AM

hello again ive got a ford probe 1997 or 98 and the color is green and ive done a few body parts but cannot get the color anywhere ive tried lodes of greens but its not that the color of the car is same as my profile pic get bak to me thanks matty.

jeffatkin86 · 11-09-2009, 06:11 PM

I have a 95 ford probe 4 cylndr and today on the way to work the engine just completely shut off as I was driving down the road! The check engine light came on and the rpm's dropped to zero, I didnt hear a thing out of the engine when it happened and my lights were still on along with everything in the car, radio, dash everything! the battery isn't dead and the starter works, alternator is fine because i still have power but for some reason the thing will not start! the car will turn over but will not crank up,it is a stick. my friend said it might be the computer that went out but i have no idea, the belts are fine and everything looks good as far as the engine goes, some body please help I have no clue what is going on!

93probe_2.0 · 11-13-2009, 05:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeffatkin86

I have a 95 ford probe 4 cylndr and today on the way to work the engine just completely shut off as I was driving down the road! The check engine light came on and the rpm's dropped to zero, I didnt hear a thing out of the engine when it happened and my lights were still on along with everything in the car, radio, dash everything! the battery isn't dead and the starter works, alternator is fine because i still have power but for some reason the thing will not start! the car will turn over but will not crank up,it is a stick. my friend said it might be the computer that went out but i have no idea, the belts are fine and everything looks good as far as the engine goes, some body please help I have no clue what is going on!

It sounds like your ignition module took a dump on you. does your car have the TFI distributor or does it have a coil pack? If it is the one with the distributor it is common for the ignition module to go out on you. If you have the EDIS coil pack system you may have lost a coil. I have had this happen before on my crown victoria when I was about 150 miles from home in portland OR. on my way back to Seattle. Fortunately the V8 has 2 coil packs, so it just ran like shit. the first thing to do is check for spark, take the boot off at the coil, hold the boot close to the coil/distributor connection and crank the motor. no spark, act accordingly with the igntion. if there is spark you have a fuel injection/computer/sensor problem. before you replace anything, test it. otherwise you'll be paying for shiny plastic.

robfer03 · 11-14-2009, 06:33 AM

In my original post I said 93 and 94's are known for bad alternators. Sorry I really meant distributors. Something you will have a problem with unless you add an external coil. PRD Online sells a modded cap with an external and others have modified a cap their-selves which they call the HEI mod.

71torino · 11-15-2009, 08:37 AM

Can you say thread Hijacking