Wife filled gas tank and drove a few feet to another part of lot stopped the car. Car will turn over but seems like fuel is not going through. Read manual about inertia switch, can't find the location. Any help is appreciated.

I'm not sure where the inertia switch is located on Sable wagons, just on sedans. Logic tells me it may be located behind the right-rear panel. The odds of that being the problem are not high, however, unless the car was bumped. More likely, the steps below will help you identify the problem. Remember, greater than 90% of all crank but won't start situations are electrical-related, not fuel.

A summary of the tests that should be followed, if you are experiencing a "crank but won't start situation," are:

1. Battery Test. Remove and fully charge the battery. Most auto parts stores will test and charge batteries for free.

2. Fuse Test. Check all under hood and under dash fuses with a test light or multimeter:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-t...tml#post252145

Using a test light or multimeter is faster, more accurate, and eliminates the possibility of replacing a fuse in the wrong slot. This is easy to do in the dark and cramped location of most under dash fuse boxes.

3. Check Engine Light (CEL) Test. Turning the ignition switch to ON, does the CEL come on and then go off after 2 seconds? If not, the PCM may be failing or the main PCM ground may need cleaning.

4. Fuel Test. During the 2 second interval that the CEL is on, do you hear the fuel pump in the gas tank run? If not check the fuel pump fuse and fuel pump relay, in the under hood fuse/relay box. Remove and clean the contacts to the fuse and fuel pump relay. Consult your Owner's Manual for their locations. If you hear the fuel pump in the gas tank run, the Inertia Switch and fuel pump are likely fine.

5. Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) Test. Attach a code reader to the under dash data link connector, turn ignition switch to ON, and record any codes that were thrown.

6. Spark Test. Perform the standard spark test; i.e. remove a spark plug wire and attach it to a properly gapped spark plug, touch the plug to a convenient ground, and observe the spark, while someone cranks the engine. Look for a good, solid spark. If none of the plugs spark, replace the coil pack if you have the Vulcan engine.

SUMMARY

If the CEL comes on and goes off normally, all fuses are good, there are no codes, you have spark, the fuel pump runs, but the engine does not start, the Crankshaft Position Sensor (CKP) may be bad and should be replaced. Because of their proximity to the crankshaft, and exposure to the elements (water, salt, grease, dirt, and stones), they commonly fail.

Almost the same problem as you have that the Engine Check light is lit up the day before yesterday 6/25/10 Friday, and within 2 days till today 6/27/10 I fixed it.
I am a school bus driver. 6/25/10 I was back home late because my summer campus route practice from midtown to downtown Manhattan. My car 2003 mercury sable premium LS parked in the sun from 12:00pm to 6:30pm. I drove home by 6:55pm and got my car fueled at a gas station near by my home. I tightened the gas cap. However, when I drove back into my gauge, I backed too much almost hit the back wall, so I immediately shifted to forward. I never did this before that shifted the back and forward too fast and too hard, then gave me a shock, the ENGINE CHECK light lit up and won't go away. But my car mileage is only 39,119! How could it be? I came to this website and read some info as "Get in the car, fasten your seat belt, lower the driver's window, and turn the ignition switch to ON. You should hear the fuel pump run (humm) for two seconds."

My car 2003 mercury sable LS 39,119 miles, backed off too hard and then too fast shifted forward to park into my gauge, then ENGINE CHECK light lit up. I got in the car, fasten your seat belt, lower the driver's window, and turn the ignition switch to ON. I heard the fuel pump run (very light "humm") for one second, (but the sound is very very light, if my ear is not sharp I could not even hear it), and then I heard a big sound (Humm!! )under the hood which is the front fan pump. This is enough for me to know my fuel pump is good. Now I came to figure it out why the Engine Check is lit up. I went to Radioshak and got a multimeter with two testing pens, one red, one black which is 26 dollars plus tax total 29 dollars. Why? Because the lighting tester won't work in the right way! I took off all the fuses from the black colored Fuses Compartment box under the hood close to the battery by opening the cover of the box. I carefully put them down one by one and wrote down their numbers in order, I did not see #16 but only #10, #15, #20, #30, #40, #50, it's funny, when put #20 up set down, it became into #02, but I just followed the way two of the #20 had been as they were up set down as #02. I cleaned the fuses, then I used my multimeter red pen as positive touched one end of a fuse and used the black pen as negative to touch the other end of this fuse, while the multimeter control arrow pointed to" R x 1" of OHMS range, then the indicator pointed to 10 of OHMS, which meant that this fuse is in good of resistance condition and was not blown up. I tested all the fuses one by one, and then I put them back to the box one by one in order accurately. None of the fuses is in problem that is the answer from the test. When I was testing the fuses, a neighbor of mine walked by and gave me a "Humm!" meaning my car is in a problem, but I don't care what she laughed at, I just focused on my job. I covered back up the cover of the Fuses Compartment box and then close the hood. I redo again , got in the car, fasten my seat belt, lower the driver's window, and turn the ignition switch to ON. I heard in the back the fuel pump run (very light "humm") for one second, and then a very loud sound "humm!!!" from the front under the hood which is the front Fan pump. I did twice of this, I saw the ENGING CHECK light be there the same, still won't go away. Then I turn the key to start the car engine after ON. When the engine is on, I saw the ENGING CHECK light just stayed for 3 seconds, and then gone. I fixed it!

The reason of my car ENGING CHECK light lit up is because the lean level of the fuel in my car tank when I backed up very fast and then I forward up very fast which made the level of the fuel in lean which caused the oxygen senser give car computer a signal that the fuel supply system is short of fuel to support the engine , meaning misfire in the engine. Therefore, this problem is faulse problem, can be fixed by move away all the fuses from the fuse box and then put them back up as they were. In addition, today I replaced the fuel filter too. My car changed the fuel filter when it was in 15000 miles, by30,000 miles I was supposed to do it again but I didn't. Today is 39,119 miles which is 9119 miles over the schedule.