My Bronco Died Today, Deep Into a Remote Trail [Fuel Pump Failure]

[Razorbak86]

Obviously… it’s the first time it’s been washed (vs rinsed off) since I bought it.

She is purdy, though.

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[kodiakisland]

Obviously… it’s the first time it’s been washed (vs rinsed off) since I bought it.

She is purdy, though.

Uhhh, yeah. I'm not sure you can park that at my house looking like that. When my wife asked why our Broncos were always so dirty, I told her it took a year for the paint to cure, so no hand washing until then. She's going to have questions.

 

[Razorbak86]

Uhhh, yeah. I'm not sure you can park that at my house looking like that. When my wife asked why our Broncos were always so dirty, I told her it took a year for the paint to cure, so no hand washing until then. She's going to have questions.

Well, we can’t have that! Quick thinking on your part. I’ll remember to ditch it on a trail about a half mile from your house and the just walk the rest of the way. If she asks, I’ll just tell her it’s broken down (again), which will be a perfectly plausible story.

 

[PSUTE]

Obviously… it’s the first time it’s been washed (vs rinsed off) since I bought it.

She is purdy, though.

Doing a ceramic coating on mine, no clay bar, but hoping that once it's complete only a rinse will do. I am skeptical, but we'll see. Very easy vs old school waxes...

 

[kodiakisland]

Well, we can’t have that! Quick thinking on your part. I’ll remember to ditch it on a trail about a half mile from your house and the just walk the rest of the way. If she asks, I’ll just tell her it’s broken down (again), which will be a perfectly plausible story.

That would be funny. She'd probably only say two words.
"F'ing Fords" and just walk off. She's still pissed she bought a Probe in the 90s.

 

[Razorbak86]

There is a cool but long-winded story about how the vehicle pick-up went down, and the fortuitous aftermath of the timing, so I will share more details later when I’ve had time to write it all down.

As promised, here are the details...

Repair Details and Cost

Below is a copy of the technical write-up on the final service invoice, with Diagnostic Test Codes (DTCs) and Pinpoint Tests (PPTs) documented...

All of the fuel system work was covered by the factory warranty, so the final cost of the repairs to me was $175.97, simply for the wheel speed sensor replacement (non-warranty)...

Back-Story

Before the repairs could be completed, the dealership needed my wheel lock key to remove the right front wheel so the Service Technician could replace the wheel speed sensor. (When Roadside Recovery picked up the vehicle, only the fuel delivery was suspect, so I never thought about any wheels needing to be removed, and the wheel lock key was inside my Bronco tool kit, locked away in my cargo bay vault.)

I had to run down to the dealership right before it closed to hand-deliver my key for the cargo bay vault, so the Technician could retrieve the wheel lock key, and he graciously agreed to hang around for a bit to finish the job if I could deliver it quickly.

After I arrived, I handed the key to the Service Advisor and asked him if I could look at the failed fuel pump, but he told me that it had already been sent back to Ford.

Detailed Discussions with the Service Technician

When the Technician came up front for the key, I asked him if I could see the broken wheel speed sensor, and he said, “Sure! Come on back.”

So we walked back to his service bay, and he said, "It's not up on the lift, and the wheel's not off yet [obviously], but I can show you where it is."

Then he leaned down and shone his flashlight behind the right front wheel with his right hand, and pointed in between the two wide spokes near the top of the wheel with his left hand and said, "You can see where the tubing was pinched right there. I don't know what caused it, but I assume a rock or something else got thrown up there during your trail recovery and hit the tubing."

Sure enough, I could see the pinched tube, and the tube and everything around it was still covered in mud, so it looked like it may have been damaged during the trail recovery.

Then he walked me over to his toolbox and showed me the new sensor and how flexible the tubing is, and he said, "The Service Advisor asked me if it could be repaired, and I said the wires could definitely be spliced, but there would be no easy way to seal that tubing back up again like new, and I wouldn't recommend it, because there's no way of knowing how long the repair would last. Besides, it's probably cheaper to replace than repair, because the part is pretty cheap [$32 + $6 E-order via FedEx envelope = $38]."

So I thanked him for the additional information and for agreeing to stay late to finish the repairs, and I returned to the waiting room for a cup of coffee to let him complete his work.

A little while later, when the work was complete, he returned to the waiting room to get me, and we walked out front and ended up chatting outside next to the Bronco for about 25 minutes, discussing the repair, wrenching in general, and off-roading in particular.

Turns out he is a serious gear head:

• 10 years of service experience at two local Ford dealerships and a local body shop, with a ton of technical certifications.
• Does his own welding and fab work.
• Owns two Raptors with beadlocked rims and an F-250.
• Heavily customizes his vehicles (e.g., custom mods, carbon fiber body panels).
• Has a WildTrak on order for his wife (ETA unknown).
• Enjoys desert running, and is currently building a rally support truck.

We discussed possible root causes of the fuel pump failure (e.g., poor design, vehicle pitch, fuel tank size), and he said the Bronco's fuel pump design is very sound. The way he described it, the fuel pump assembly has a lifetime filter (basically a "sock") and a fuel pickup that naturally falls to the lowest point of the tank, so the fuel pump should never have been starved with the level of fuel in the tank (3/4 full). He said the Bronco fuel pump is very similar to that used on many other Ford vehicles, which he finds are generally very reliable, and the control module is the same part used on multiple Ford models, which is probably why they were able to get one so fast.

According to him, the Fuel Pump Control Module is a pretty basic design... just a glorified relay to switch the fuel pump on and off. He added that, in his experience, it's very common when a fuel pump fails that it ultimately burns up the control module, probably because it's constantly trying to start the failed pump. On many of the prior fuel pump failures he has repaired, he often found that the module failed, too.

TL;DR

The vehicle was out of commission for 10 days (1 day for trail recovery + 9 days at the dealership for repairs). Fuel pump and control module were covered under warranty (N/C), and the wheel speed sensor that was pinched cost $176 to replace (my total cost).

The Technician thinks the Bronco's fuel pump is a good design, and this was likely just a random part failure (i.e., infant mortality) that also led to a failure of the control module.

Last but not least, because the Technician and his wife enjoy desert-running, but most of those opportunities are far away in western states, they are interested in exploring some local trails.

I told him about our local group, which organizes day-trips on local trails in Northwest Arkansas, and he immediately expressed an interest in joining.

So we exchanged contact details, and hopefully he will join us on future trails. Obviously, we could always use a good trail mechanic in the group!

In retrospect, I am glad that I unwittingly kept the key to my cargo bay vault when Roadside Assistance picked up the vehicle, because if the Technician had been able to remove the wheel directly, I probably would have never met him.

Addendum

As the location diagram in the TSM shows, the Fuel Pump Control Module is mounted beneath the floor pan, right next to the fuel tank (C4336 is the connector)...

This is what the module looks like (~1.5" inches long), and the retail price is ~$145...

 

[mpeugeot]

Sounds like they treated you well.

 

[LSU Jonno]

Ford won at LeMans with the "new" (at the time) Ford GT, I'm pretty sure?

They did, in 2016. They were running in the LMGTE Pro division though, so they weren't the overall winner, but they won their division with the production 2017 GT. 50th anniversary of the 1966 win.

 

[Razorbak86]

Sounds like they treated you well.

Yes, they treated me well. I would definitely use their service department again in the future.

 

[Razorbak86]

Update - Back in the Saddle Again!

Just a few days after my Bronco returned home, 3 local friends and I conquered the very same trail where the fuel pump failed.

I just posted a ride report from this 10-mile trail run which lasted 5-6 hours. It includes over 30 photos and videos. You can check it out at the following link…

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/bronco-day-trips-in-northwest-arkansas.30974/post-1463772

Teasers:

 

[Beto69Bronco]

Well, looks like our 2022 2-door Black Diamond is now a victim. Our Bronco started to sputter and stall on Sunday 7/17 and the accelerator pedal was unresponsive. Luckily we were able to pull into a residential neighborhood and we weren't out stranded somewhere remote because it "died roadside" and had to be towed the next morning into our local dealership here in New Mexico (Chalmers Ford). A Fuel Sender & Pump Assembly is on order and should be in sometime next week. Curious as to how many Broncos have experienced this issue? I couldn't find much on the web other than this thread. Disappointing for sure and thought I'd let folks know as a "heads up."

 

[Razorbak86]

Well, looks like our 2022 2-door Black Diamond is now a victim. Our Bronco started to sputter and stall on Sunday 7/17 and the accelerator pedal was unresponsive. Luckily we were able to pull into a residential neighborhood and we weren't out stranded somewhere remote because it "died roadside" and had to be towed the next morning into our local dealership here in New Mexico (Chalmers Ford). A Fuel Sender & Pump Assembly is on order and should be in sometime next week. Curious as to how many Broncos have experienced this issue? I couldn't find much on the web other than this thread. Disappointing for sure and thought I'd let folks know as a "heads up."

Sorry to hear about your fuel pump failure, but glad you weren’t running on a remote trail where recovery would have been challenging. I have heard of 4 or 5 similar fuel pump failures, including mine and yours, but there is no single thread that addresses them all. Just individual threads posted by the owners. A few are referenced with links within this thread, and another one just occurred last week.

 

[Beto69Bronco]

Thanks for the reply and feedback! Glad yours made it home "safe and sound" eventually and that you're back on the road. Hopefully this won't become a trend and fingers crossed the replacement pumps aren't faulty as well.

 

[B Wagon]

Welp, I hate for my first post to be on a dead Bronco thread but here we are. This afternoon as I was backing into my garage I got the dreaded sputter and minimally responsive gas pedal. I was able to get it parked, but upon restart it sputters and dies. No check engine lights or alerts. I attached what our code reader threw out. I’ll be calling my dealer 1st thing in the morning obviously. I’m thankful it waited until it was parked safely at home but I’ll be cracking a beer when she gets towed away, no doubt.
I’m at 7777 miles (trying to laugh at this), engine serial EF06A21295120554 and the dreaded AA. (2.7 Auto 4DR)

 

[kodiakisland]

Thanks for the reply and feedback! Glad yours made it home "safe and sound" eventually and that you're back on the road. Hopefully this won't become a trend and fingers crossed the replacement pumps aren't faulty as well.

How many does a trend make? Enough have been reported on here that it's no longer a surprise. Hopefully just a small bad batch and not a systemic problem.

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