NHTSA Complaint #750515 — 2000 FORD CONTOUR

THIS VEHICLE IS A DUEL FUEL SYSTEM; NATURAL GAS AND GASOLINE. THIS VEHICLE HAS TWO MODES OF OPERATION CONTROLLED VIA A TOGGLE SWITCH: (1) SWITCH IN THE NG POSITION, WHICH OPERATES THE VEHICLE ON NG AND THEN AUTOMATICALLY SWITCHES TO GASOLINE AND (2)SWITCH IS IN THE GASOLINE POSITION, WHICH COMPLETELY BYPASSES THE NG FUEL ALTOGETHER. ON FRIDAY 8/10/01, A 95 DEGREE DAY, THE CAR WAS SET AT THE NG POSTION. AT AN INTERSECTION I WAS WAITING AT A STOP SIGN WITH THE INTENT ON MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN ACROSS TWO LANES OF A FOUR LANE ROAD. AS I PROCEEDED TO ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY STALLED. THANKFULLY I HAD NOT ACTUALLY ENGAGED THE INTERSECTION. IF I HAD AN ONCOMING DUMP TRUCK WOULD HAVE HIT ME ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. I NOTED THAT THE NG FUEL LEVEL WAS AT ZERO (OR CLOSE TO IT) AND THE ENIGINE SHOULD HAVE SEAMLESSLY KICKED INTO GASOLINE FUEL RESERVE, WHICH WAS FULL. APPARENTLY THIS DID NOT HAPPEN AND RESULTED IN THE STALL. LATER IN THE DAY THIS OCCURRED AGAIN WHILE IN A PARKING LOT. I AM THANKFUL THAT I WAS NOT INJURED AS A RESULT OF THIS PROBLEM.*AK