The Bronco at -40F COLD WEATHER TEST 🥶

[mikeymcbryan]

you can change the idle time in the vehicle settings. Can you start using the Ford app now that it is out of the sleep mode?

The idle time in the settings resets after the vehicle shuts off so it's almost useless. Ford App comes to life once you manually start the engine.

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[MistaGavin]

So the temp dipped below Minus 40 Degrees (the point where F and C meet) and...

The short answer is the Bronco handles it like a champ.

Long Answer, just like anything at this temperature it's not perfect.

Here is my story.

Location: Yellowknife, NWT, Canada. Buffalo Airways Hangar: AirBus, Bombardier and others use our facility to Cold Weather test their new aircraft.
Date: December 27th, 2021
Air Temperature: -41C on the ramp at CYZF

Ford if you need a cold-weather spot to test hit us up! ([email protected]). Porsche comes up to Yellowknife every year to cold weather test their prototypes

My Ride: White Base, 2.7 Sasquatch. No other options besides Factory Block Heater and Dealer installed Battery Trickle Charger.

This is not a full list of course but just the deep winter items that jumped out.

1st the Bad.

Today it hit -40F (-40C) and my Basesquatch had been sitting for 4 days while I was away for X-mas. This morning I went to remote start it with the Ford Pass app and NO GO. I thought the battery died or it was too cold to start. But after physically using the push-button starter it fired up right away with no issue. The problem I know now was that the Bronco will go into sleep mode at these fridge temps and shut down power to the modem. So at the time you need to start it the most, it doesn't work... but it started and that's the important thing 7/10. A few co-workers were not so lucky.

Another kick in the pants is the 30-minute idle time maximum. Up here 30 mins is just the bare minimum you need to warm a vehicle up. Also having only two start sessions of 15 mins before needing to manually start the Bronco is a pain. Sometimes you can't plug into power during the day and need to start to keep it from freezing. So if anyone knows how to change that on Forscan please let me know! 5/10 for at least getting 30 mins.

Next Power Steering, with the cold temps (anything colder than -20C) it takes about 5-10 mins of driving before it frees up. I bet the 35's don't help. 5/10, No big deal as almost all vehicles do this up here. but my 2011 F-250 was not as bad.

Finally the Wipers. They suck and the almost vertical windshield almost always freezes the wipers as it collects a ton of water. 3/10 the back ones are not so bad.


The Good!

Heat. It warms up quickly! The 2 door Bases small cabin and fabric seats are a plus as they don't need to be warmed up as much as leather or vinyl. 9/10

Driveability. The Bronco is a dream on the ice and snow! I had put on Econo Mode and didn't know it disengaged the 4 wheel drive and I didn't notice it and I was driving on very icing conditions. (My F-250 was almost undrivable in 2WD in the same conditions) The 35's mixed with the short wheelbase of the 2-door is a dream in winter conditions. This was something I was worried about but I was wrong 9.5/10.

Infotainment Screen. Zero Issues so far, fingers crossed. Relatively fast and responsive at -40C 10/10.

So that's really it. A very short list of things that are affected by the deep cold.

Overall the Bronco is one of the best vehicles I have driven in these cold temperatures. I will update if anything else pops up.

Anyone know right off the top of their heads what it uses for steering fluid?
My F-150 would groan and moan at -40 until I changed it with 5606A aircraft hydraulic fluid.

 

[mikeymcbryan]

Anyone know right off the top of their heads what it uses for steering fluid?
My F-150 would groan and moan at -40 until I changed it with 5606A aircraft hydraulic fluid.

That's a good idea with the 5606A!!!

 

[Paul Gagnon]

I have been having the same issue with the steering. I don’t think it is normal since it is electric, not hydraulic. It feels to me like it is the mechanism that locks the steering column. I never had any problems with the electric power steering in my 2012 F150, even at -45C.

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/possible-power-steering-issue.31057/

 

[acbaldwi`]

saw these temps and worse when visiting the oil sands up there years back. We were instructed to NEVER turn our car off, when working for an oil company the gas up there was "free" of course... literally you never turned them off lol.... still cold thinking about it stay warm!

 

[DEC]

Just did a street view of that city and saw someone jogging in shorts

 

[KaneNorth]

I’m down in northern BC. We’ve been having similar temps. I agree the wipers suck at these temps. It seems like the way the defrost vents are pointed they don’t heat up the bottom of the windshield where the wipers rest very well at all. The back wiper seems to need more regular cleaning than the one on my Jeep Wrangler due to its wider shape collecting ice. My biggest complaint is the position of the stock block heater plug under the hood. I’m going to look at extending it down to the bumper somewhere and installing a sealed plug like you’d find on a boat or RV. But it’s been a dream to drive on the icy roads.

 

[North7]

Hi Mikey @mikeymcbryan, welcome to the forum, thank you for the great report. I've watched every episode of your "Ice Pilots" TV show and wish there were more episodes. I loved seeing the old DC-3's and C-46's flying, I see you added two more Electra's to the fleet. Looking forward to more updates on your Bronco adventures.

 

[mikeymcbryan]

I have been having the same issue with the steering. I don’t think it is normal since it is electric, not hydraulic. It feels to me like it is the mechanism that locks the steering column. I never had any problems with the electric power steering in my 2012 F150, even at -45C.

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/possible-power-steering-issue.31057/

Just watched your YouTube video. Mine is very similar just not as bad. I truly thought it was just cold Hydraulic fluid as it feels so similar. I didn't know it was electric lol.

 

[phocion]

Any issues with the frameless windows at -40F?

[Incidentally my Mustang has frameless windows and on the rare occasions they have been too iced up to move, it still hasn't been a real issue.]

 

[Paul Gagnon]

Just watched your YouTube video. Mine is very similar just not as bad. I truly thought it was just cold Hydraulic fluid as it feels so similar. I didn't know it was electric lol.

Next time you try it, listen and you will hear a snap coming from the steering column when the wheel first releases.

 

[Hopeless Diamond]

How about the axles? How long till they started freeing up? Our Wrangler's needed a little bit of gingerly driving before they felt like they would spin easily at those temps.

 

[mikeymcbryan]

How about the axles? How long till they started freeing up? Our Wrangler's needed a little bit of gingerly driving before they felt like they would spin easily at those temps.

Wheels move freely no issue so far. The tires are frozen "square" though. Need about 50 feet to round out.

 

[mikeymcbryan]

Next time you try it, listen and you will hear a snap coming from the steering column when the wheel first releases.

I think a heard a weird faint "snap" on startup a couple of times. I'll keep an ear out. Are you thinking malfunction or that's just how it is at these temps?

 

[M&M Beer]

So the temp dipped below Minus 40 Degrees (the point where F and C meet) and...

The short answer is the Bronco handles it like a champ.

Long Answer, just like anything at this temperature it's not perfect.

Here is my story.

Location: Yellowknife, NWT, Canada. Buffalo Airways Hangar: AirBus, Bombardier and others use our facility to Cold Weather test their new aircraft.
Date: December 27th, 2021
Air Temperature: -41C on the ramp at CYZF

Ford if you need a cold-weather spot to test hit us up! ([email protected]). Porsche comes up to Yellowknife every year to cold weather test their prototypes

My Ride: White Base, 2.7 Sasquatch. No other options besides Factory Block Heater and Dealer installed Battery Trickle Charger.

This is not a full list of course but just the deep winter items that jumped out.

1st the Bad.

Today it hit -40F (-40C) and my Basesquatch had been sitting for 4 days while I was away for X-mas. This morning I went to remote start it with the Ford Pass app and NO GO. I thought the battery died or it was too cold to start. But after physically using the push-button starter it fired up right away with no issue. The problem I know now was that the Bronco will go into sleep mode at these fridge temps and shut down power to the modem. So at the time you need to start it the most, it doesn't work... but it started and that's the important thing 7/10. A few co-workers were not so lucky.

Another kick in the pants is the 30-minute idle time maximum. Up here 30 mins is just the bare minimum you need to warm a vehicle up. Also having only two start sessions of 15 mins before needing to manually start the Bronco is a pain. Sometimes you can't plug into power during the day and need to start to keep it from freezing. So if anyone knows how to change that on Forscan please let me know! 5/10 for at least getting 30 mins.

Next Power Steering, with the cold temps (anything colder than -20C) it takes about 5-10 mins of driving before it frees up. I bet the 35's don't help. 5/10, No big deal as almost all vehicles do this up here. but my 2011 F-250 was not as bad.

Finally the Wipers. They suck and the almost vertical windshield almost always freezes the wipers as it collects a ton of water. 3/10 the back ones are not so bad.


The Good!

Heat. It warms up quickly! The 2 door Bases small cabin and fabric seats are a plus as they don't need to be warmed up as much as leather or vinyl. 9/10

Driveability. The Bronco is a dream on the ice and snow! I had put on Econo Mode and didn't know it disengaged the 4 wheel drive and I didn't notice it and I was driving on very icing conditions. (My F-250 was almost undrivable in 2WD in the same conditions) The 35's mixed with the short wheelbase of the 2-door is a dream in winter conditions. This was something I was worried about but I was wrong 9.5/10.

Infotainment Screen. Zero Issues so far, fingers crossed. Relatively fast and responsive at -40C 10/10.

So that's really it. A very short list of things that are affected by the deep cold.

Overall the Bronco is one of the best vehicles I have driven in these cold temperatures. I will update if anything else pops up.

Leave the key fob in the vehicle and it will run till it runs out go gas.

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