Engine stopped dead deep on a trail (Fuel Pump Failure)

[Revserved7.14.20_1000]

My engine stopped running about 5-6 miles down a trail. I crawled down a hill, turned at the bottom and I felt it sputtering, so I shut my ac off to remove that load and it shut off. Tried restarting and it won’t start. Turns over but never actually starts. I don’t really know what to do now. I did all of the basic troubleshooting, fuses, let it cool down, and still get the same result. It has a full tank, nothing physically happened to it, it literally just sputtered and died.

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[Landin536]

My engine stopped running about 5-6 miles down a trail. I crawled down a hill, turned at the bottom and I felt it sputtering, so I shut my ac off to remove that load and it shut off. Tried restarting and it won’t start. Turns over but never actually starts. I don’t really know what to do now. I did all of the basic troubleshooting, fuses, let it cool down, and still get the same result. It has a full tank, nothing physically happened to it, it literally just sputtered and died.

2.7 Liter? I know there was a batch with bad valve heads from their vendor or something dropping in the engines.

 

[Lucchese]

2.7 ?

sounds like fuel pump

 

[Bronco-ocnorB]

That sucks! Might want to check out this thread, sounds similar...good luck!

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/thre...-trail-update-back-in-the-saddle-again.45800/

 

[Revserved7.14.20_1000]

Yes, 2.7.

 

[kodiakisland]

@Razorbak86
déjà vu

Seems a hill is always involved.

 

[ColoradoKid26]

Oooff!
As the old guys say: it's either spark or fuel.

Can you hear the fuel pump energize at accessory? (key on engine off)

 

[Revserved7.14.20_1000]

Yeah, honestly it sounds like the same issue. Descending a hill, sputtering, then shutting off. It’s abandoned up there, and I have no idea how it’s getting out because it’s around a bend right after a hill you have to crawl down.

 

[kodiakisland]

Yeah, honestly it sounds like the same issue. Descending a hill, sputtering, then shutting off. It’s abandoned up there, and I have no idea how it’s getting out because it’s around a bend right after a hill you have to crawl down.

Yeah, that was our issue. Took two Broncos hooked together to get the dead Bronco up the hill.

 

[Revserved7.14.20_1000]

Engine trying to start

 

[kodiakisland]

Yeah, it's a fuel pump. Get some friends to tow you out and have the dealer arrange to pickup on a flatbed at the trailhead.

 

[ROKBRNC]

Here ya go…

https://mattsoffroadrecovery.com

 

[Razorbak86]

It definitely sounds like a dead fuel pump, which is not an easy trail-side repair, because the fuel pump is in the gas tank, and the gas tank has to be dropped to remove/replace the failed part. And your Fuel Pump Control Module may be fried, too. (How much fuel do you have right now?)

Your first priority should be to get the vehicle recovered to a paved road, so it can be picked up by Ford’s Roadside Assistance. Either call some trail buddies with recovery gear or contact a trail recovery group — volunteers in the off-road community that specialize in situations like this. And when you are able to contact Roadside Assistance, use the app to schedule the pickup. Don’t bother trying to talk to a live human being, because you will be left waiting on the phone indefinitely if no one is immediately available. I wasted time trying to talk to a human, but I finally bailed and just used the app, and the recovery process started shortly thereafter.

On your video, I noticed grass to the side of your vehicle, so presumably you have room to get the vehicle turned around? You and your recovery buddies will have to determine whether it’s easier to recover going further down the trail or going back to your original entry point on the trail. If you have to go back, you’ll obviously have to pull the vehicle around, which could be challenging if there’s not much room to maneuver.

Word of advice… don’t waste your battery charge trying to re-start if the engine is clearly not getting any fuel. Turn off your lights on the dash, and continue to do so each time you try to start again, if it switches back to Auto. Also, turn off any unneeded accessories. You can still steer and brake during the recovery without power assistance, but I don’t know what you’ll be able to do, if anything, if the battery dies completely.

Also, since you appear to be within cell phone coverage, any Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) may have already been uploaded to your Vehicle History Report. @flip may be able to use your VIN to run a VHR tomorrow morning to see if anything shows up that will further clarify the problem or help ID the root cause. (My vehicle was completely off the grid when the fuel pump died, so the last entry that uploaded to my VHR was from a few hours before the fuel pump failed.)

 

[Revserved7.14.20_1000]

It definitely sounds like a dead fuel pump, which is not an easy trail-side repair, because the fuel pump is in the gas tank, and the gas tank has to be dropped to remove/replace the failed part. And your Fuel Pump Control Module may be fried, too. (How much fuel do you have right now?)

Your first priority should be to get the vehicle recovered to a paved road, so it can be picked up by Ford’s Roadside Assistance. Either call some trail buddies with recovery gear or contact a trail recovery group — volunteers in the off-road community that specialize in situations like this. And when you are able to contact Roadside Assistance, use the app to schedule the pickup. Don’t bother trying to talk to a live human being, because you will be left waiting on the phone indefinitely if no one is immediately available. I wasted time trying to talk to a human, but I finally bailed and just used the app, and the recovery process started shortly thereafter.

On your video, I noticed grass to the side of your vehicle, so presumably you have room to get the vehicle turned around? You and your recovery buddies will have to determine whether it’s easier to recover going further down the trail or going back to your original entry point on the trail. If you have to go back, you’ll obviously have to pull the vehicle around, which could be challenging if there’s not much room to maneuver.

Word of advice… don’t waste your battery charge trying to re-start if the engine is clearly not getting any fuel. Turn off your lights on the dash, and continue to do so each time you try to start again, if it switches back to Auto. Also, turn off any unneeded accessories. You can still steer and brake during the recovery without power assistance, but I don’t know what you’ll be able to do, if anything, if the battery dies completely.

Also, since you appear to be within cell phone coverage, any Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) may have already been uploaded to your Vehicle History Report. @flip may be able to use your VIN to run a VHR tomorrow morning to see if anything shows up that will further clarify the problem or help ID the root cause. (My vehicle was completely off the grid when the fuel pump died, so the last entry that uploaded to my VHR was from a few hours before the fuel pump failed.)

Yeah I was lucky and had service so I was able to pin the location. I reached out to a recovery group and will keep posting updates

 

[Revserved7.14.20_1000]

We abandoned the bronco in the mountains for the night. I had 7/8 of a tank of fuel, and the vehicle is bone dry. We checked all of the fuses and the air filter during multiple attempts to start it. I disengaged all accessories that I could (ac/radio), turned off auto stop and the sensors. None of this got the vehicle to start. The trail I was on is a little rough but nothing crazy, as I’m still getting my feet wet. I haven’t had a single scrape yet, and I checked all exposed wires/lines.

The only thing I didn’t have was time. Kids were hungry (had a cooler with water and snacks), and we were about 5/6 miles up a trailhead, and it was getting dark. We were in the wasatch mountains at somewhere near 10k elevation. Moose were my primary concern, with a mountain lion/bears being second. The trailhead is about an hour drive from pavement up 7-8 miles of dirt roads.

The Good: There were campers nearby, who were able to drive us to a more accessible location. From there we hiked about a mile, to where a relative was able to pick us up (surprisingly)(Chevy equinox).
We got home safe at 2330.

Participants in the fun were Myself (30 YO army vet), my fiancé (34 YO USMC vet), our 6 year old daughter and 4 year old son, and my 55 YO father in-law who had two knee replacements this past year.

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