Fuel Injection System danger: Truth or Hoax?

[shibby75]

Its a stretched limo, why put tha fuel tank far behind when there are lots of space nearer the engine? The news says that fire started at the back. Maybe theres another source of fuel, maybe in -car stove?

Plus its a converted limo, could be faulty wiring.

[EssB]

still wrong sir. on older toyota, they have "luft" type or "L" type fuel injection where it uses a vane or flap type airflow meter which has a mechanical switch in the airflow mete that closes if there is airflow that deflects the vane other than fully closed position. before there is sufficient airflow, the ecu, as what toyota called it before, "enables" the circuit open relay for two to three seconds to pre-pressurize the fuel rail. so, on the toyota you mentioned, the fuel pump is enabled two ways, KOEO (key on engine off) runs for 2-3 seconds and the closing of the FC (fuel pump control) terminal of the airflow meter against E1 (earth 1 or engine ground) thereby closing the circuit to the circuit open relay to close the +B to FP (fuel pump positive lead)

Pre-OBD-II Toyotas with MAP fuel metering do not have that pre-pressurization of the fuel rail.

[yapoy86]

still wrong sir. on older toyota, they have "luft" type or "L" type fuel injection where it uses a vane or flap type airflow meter which has a mechanical switch in the airflow mete that closes if there is airflow that deflects the vane other than fully closed position. before there is sufficient airflow, the ecu, as what toyota called it before, "enables" the circuit open relay for two to three seconds to pre-pressurize the fuel rail. so, on the toyota you mentioned, the fuel pump is enabled two ways, KOEO (key on engine off) runs for 2-3 seconds and the closing of the FC (fuel pump control) terminal of the airflow meter against E1 (earth 1 or engine ground) thereby closing the circuit to the circuit open relay to close the +B to FP (fuel pump positive lead)

even nissan vannete with carb engine uses electronic fuel pump... the fuel pump runs 2-3 secs on KOEO then turns off.. on engine start the fuel pump runs continously.. same with our EFI F6A and K10A suzuki engine

[oj88]

Its a stretched limo, why put tha fuel tank far behind when there are lots of space nearer the engine? The news says that fire started at the back. Maybe theres another source of fuel, maybe in -car stove?

Plus its a converted limo, could be faulty wiring.

I think it's due to practical reasons. Factory fuel tanks are molded to fit a specific cavity in the car, usually under/behind the rear passenger seat or generally in the vicinity of the rear axle. There are exceptions of course.

When you convert a car into a stretched limo, it is more economical to just extend the fuel pump wiring and plumbing rather than replacing it and then moving the new tank closer to the front.

Looking at the pictures of the burning limo, the fierce fire is most definitely due to gasoline as the accelerant. I would imagine that when the fire broke out and smoke started to fill the rear cabin, the passengers panicked and moved away from the rear seats (essentially away from the doors to freedom) and got stuck in the forward part of the rear cabin. That would likely explain why all of the survivors squeezed into the canopy opening dividing the front cabin and the rear to get out.

In light of this event, it might not be too far off if the US DOT starts requiring integrated fire escape doors in the forward part of the passenger cabin.

[jick.cejoco]

Pre-OBD-II Toyotas with MAP fuel metering do not have that pre-pressurization of the fuel rail.

yes with the "D" or "druck" type efi system, the circuit open relay is closed by the STA (starter signal) while cranking and taken over by the pcm FC to close another control circuit of the circuit open relay- this is for the 7AFE corolla

[jick.cejoco]

Its a stretched limo, why put tha fuel tank far behind when there are lots of space nearer the engine? The news says that fire started at the back. Maybe theres another source of fuel, maybe in -car stove?

Plus its a converted limo, could be faulty wiring.

by far, the safest place to install a fuel tank is below the floor pan in front of the rear axle. there had been other locations: jeep mb- below the driver;s seat, volkswagen- in front of the front bulkhead behind the front axle, pontiac fiero- below the floor pan between the driver;s seat and the passenger seat, the real hummer H1- similar to the pontiac fiero, mustang 64 1/2- the worst location: in the trunk above the floor separated from the passenger compartment only by the cushion of the rear seat (gotta be ford engineering), jeep wrangler- behind the rear axle in front of the rear bumperette, international harvester pickup trucks- inside the cab between the seatback and the backwall,
the newer cars have composite fuel tanks for corrosion resistance, lightweight and spark resistance in the event of a collision.
whatever happened was a freak accident or failure to do proper maintenance or bad modification of a sedan into a stretch limousine. the fuel tank is supposed to be isolated by a non combustible wall from the occupants. or maybe the fuel pump access opening below the seat had been removed and not reinstalled. had there been a leak in the fuel system, the driver would have been alerted by the MIL (malfunction indicator light) giving a diagnostic trouble code P0440- evaporative emissions control failure and if there was liquid fuel leak, the driver would have smelled it

[shelu]

fire due to faulty fuel pump inside the fuel tank is a remote possibility. it takes 3 elements to start a fire: fuel, heat and oxygen. the first 2 is present inside the tank. however, oxygen is absent inside the tank. i think there may be other sources of heat which caused the fire during that unfortunate incident in the US.