| Author | Message | ||
     Joseph John Fulay (Alphaclass92) New Member Username: Alphaclass92 Post Number: 3 Registered: 08-2003 |
Hello everyone, I just wanted to share this odd little thing that happened when I hit a rather large pothole in New York City. We were going pretty fast and hit the pothole on the right side of my 1999 Disco I. The minute that happened my radio which was playing a CD shut off but started right up again, the hazzard lights came on and would not turn off & my automatic door locks unlocked all the doors. I pulled off to the side and looked under the hood to see if anything was loose or missing after hitting the pothole but nothing was wrong. I then realized I should shut down the engine and let everything hopefully reset. To my suprise after waiting 2 minutes the hazzard lights were once again under my control, the radio was find and the doors were locking again. My question is does anyone out there know if there would be any permanent damage to any part of my Disco? Once I got home I checked all wires and fuses both in the engine and under the dashboard and nothing was wrong. If anyone has had this happen to them please let me know if anything else happened or if anyone knows how this happend. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advanced for all your info. Sincerely, Joseph John Fulay | ||
| Steven Ratajczyk (Stevenr) New Member Username: Stevenr Post Number: 33 Registered: 05-2003 |
I'm not sure, but I think it is safety/accident kinda deal. Your truck may have thought it was in an accident. I have a 99 Disco 1 as well and I rear ended someone and the same thing happened to me; hazzards came on and doors unlocked. It coulda been coincedence, or there's a weird bug in 99 disco 1s Just my thoughts. | ||
| Joe M. (Little_joe) Member Username: Little_joe Post Number: 195 Registered: 11-2002 |
The concussion could have set off that inertia switch on the passenger side of the firewall in the engine bay. That is designed behavior when the ECU thinks there's been an accident. You did the right thing by turning it off and waiting (I forget the exact interval to wait for a reset). Alternatively, you could open the hood, depress the switch, and be on your way. So, no harm. The only thing I would be concerned about is the possibility of bending a wheel, destroying a tire, or steering component damage. I've hit a few like that in my other truck and snapped swaybar endlinks, bent a wheel, etc. If yours drives the same afterwards as before the pothole, you are likely fine. joe | ||
| Jesse Lessard (Jlessard) Member Username: Jlessard Post Number: 61 Registered: 10-2002 |
Its the inertia sensore, it trips when you hit hard bumps or crash... or when I was in colorado this last summer when driving over washbords it kept turning on. I must have turned the stupid thing off a dozen times that week. To turn the hazzards off take the keys out and start back up. | ||
| Brian O'Connor (Hooky) New Member Username: Hooky Post Number: 22 Registered: 09-2003 |
I'm well aquanted with the feature...unfortunatly. Your Disco thought you were crashing. pop the hood and when you are facing the motor just above the left valve cover on the firewall you'll find a little box. On the top is a plastic disc/button. Press it firmly and that should reset it. Better destructions are in your owners book. I've tripped mine several times... it will shut off your fuel pump too so be careful not to run the motor out of fuel. Did that once pointing uphill. Thankfully it fired just as the starter wasn't turning the motor over so well... | ||
| Alyssa Brown (Alyssa) Senior Member Username: Alyssa Post Number: 269 Registered: 01-2003 |
Actually, you do not need to open the hood. Just shutting down and restarting will reset it. The inertia switch has two stages. Stage one, (pothole or other such big bump) hazards & door locks. Stage two, (major hit/accident) hazards, door locks, fuel pump, car shut down. Only if stage 2 engages do you need to reset the switch under the hood. The idea is, if you hit something hard enough to set off the switch, you should pull over, shut the car off, see if you broke anything, and then get back in & restart. | ||
| Joseph John Fulay (Alphaclass92) New Member Username: Alphaclass92 Post Number: 5 Registered: 08-2003 |
Thanks a million to everyone for putting my mind at ease. For a minute I thought I broke my poor Disco I. Glad to hear that the inertia switch does something like this...God forbid something seriously happens. Again many thanks to everyone that responded. Joe |
