NHTSA Complaint #10197756 — 2005 JEEP LIBERTY

CAR WOULD START AND DIE OFF AFTER 1-2 MINUTES ( AS IN LACK OF FUEL). THERE HAD ALSO BEEN ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL WARNING LIGHT FLASHING OCCASIONALLY. TO RE-START, THE FUEL PRIMER (LOCATED ON FILTER HEAD) HAD TO BE PUMPED. I READ ON WWW.LOSTKJS.COM FORUM IN THE CRD SECTION THAT AIR MIGHT LEAK INTO THE FILTER HEAD, CAUSING THESE SYMPTOMS. I NOTICED THAT THE FUEL HEATER PLUG LOCATED IN THE FILTER HEAD WAS MOIST. I PULLED THE PLUG AND HEARD A AIR-SUCKING SOUND. THE PLUG CONTAINED A MALE PART OF WHAT IS OBVIOUSLY A BURNED-OUT FUEL HEATER, WHICH HAS MADE A HOLE INTO THE FILTER HEAD. A PICTURE CAN BE SEEN AT THE FOLLOWING LINK: HTTP://WWW.PANDKINDUSTRIES.COM/IMAGES/FUELHEATERBUSTED.JPG I WILL BE CONTACTING THE DEALER AND HAVING THE FILTER HEAD REPLACED. THE DESIGN IS OBVIOUSLY FAULTY; ANY AIR COLLECTING IN THE FILTER HEAD LEAVES THIS HEATING ELEMENT OUTSIDE OF THE FUEL ALLOWING IT TO OVER-HEAT. OVER-HEATING THE FUEL HEATING ELEMENT CAN FURTHER WARP/DAMAGE THE ALREADY LEAKY FILTER HEAD. FILTER ELEMENTS OBVIOUSLY WILL BURN OUT OVER TIME. APPARENTLY, THESE FUEL HEATER ELEMENTS ARE CONSTANTLY ACTIVATED. AIR IN THE SYSTEM CAN CAUSE STALLS AT DANGEROUS TIME (WHEN ACCELERATING AND HIGHWAY SPEEDS. WORSE, BURNING-OUT HEATER ELEMENTS AND FUEL LEAKS COULD LEAD TO FIRE! *TR