Postgresql.conf getting corrupted

I am having a problem with postgreql.conf becoming corrupted. We are using
version 8.2.9 in embedded systems running Fedora Core 7. Basically, the
postgres server holds the data that our embedded systems need to run. They
are all using industrial solid state disk drives on the ext3 file system.
The systems are cold booted occasionally by the operators if something
becomes unresponsive. I am not having a problem with the actual database,
but it seems as though the postgresql.conf file becomes corrupted on
occasion. What happens is a random character in the file, such as an =
will be replaced with another character, such as a 5. Then the server
refuses to start because of a syntax error in the file.

This is confusing to me, as I would expect the configuration file to only be
read and startup, and never to be written too. Thus far we have not had any
software or data systems become corrupted, but the configuration file has
become corrupted on 3 separate systems thus far. Does anyone have any idea
how/why this is happening? Or what I may do to prevent it? I understand
that cold booting is bad for the systems, but that's a reality of types of
systems we are installing, so I have to deal with it.

Thanks,

Jason