gstuartw
Member
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2022
- Messages
- 50
- Reaction score
- 23
- Points
- 8
- Location
- DFW TX area
- Vehicle Year
- TBD
- Make / Model
- Bronco II
Maybe someone here can offer advice and where to proceed. I apologize, this is a long read but I figure any details I can provide up front might reduce a back and forth of questions.
Here is the history of this issue.
Before driving this vehicle on a 400 mile trip I noticed a small amount of gasoline on the ground. I took it to a mechanic (Mechanic A) and he discovered the gas tank was rusting at the top of the tank where the fuel pump is located. He replaced the tank and reported that the pump was in good shape.
There were no issues on the drive.
The Bronco was parked inside for a couple of weeks and the next time I drove it was on a sunny day that reached about 87 degrees. I drove to to a shopping center and it sat out in the sun for 3 hours while my wife and I shopped and ate lunch. We got back in the car and drove for about 3 miles at speeds of 45-50 mph and suddenly the Bronco started to hesitate and buck until it died.
I pulled over and tried to restart it and it acted as if it was out of gas. The gauge showed Full and I’m confident that it was accurate as I had filled the tank before I parked it. I called a nearby mechanic (Mechanic B) and he sent one of his guys and he showed up quickly and he popped the hood and took a look. We noticed that there was an amount of some fluid sprayed in the front, driver side of the engine compartment. There was some of it puddled in the cap of the power steering fluid fill.
The mechanic didn’t address this but continued to try and diagnose the fuel issue. He took the cap off the Schrader valve on the fuel rail and released pressure and opened the cap on the fuel filler neck. He then crawled under the car and banged on what I assume was the tank and the frame mounted fuel pump. When the vehicle still would not start he concluded that the tank was empty and that the fuel gauge or sending unit was bad. As second mechanic showed up with a couple gallons of gas and when that was added the Bronco started. I noticed that before he turned the key to the start position he turned it to the on position, presumably to engage the fuel pump.
I drove the vehicle 2 miles to a gas station to fill it up, I could only get about a gallon and a half in. I started it up and it died on me, in the same fashion as earlier, as soon as I drove out of the station. I coasted to a safe parking spot and let it sit for about an hour. Then like the mechanic had done earlier I opened the gas cap, and released the pressure via the Schrader. I was able to start the vehicle and drive it to a mechanic (Mechanic C) close by who was just closing but agreed to take it into their lot and look at it the next morning.
I arrived the next morning when they opened and it started right up. Because prior to this issue I had intended on having Mechanic B do some AC work I decided to drive the Bronco to their shop rather than keep it at the shop (Mechanic C) it spent the night at. (Mechanic C does not work on AC by the way).
I had to leave town for a couple of weeks and while I was gone I stayed in touch with the owner of the garage and he reported it had some issues that I’m sure have nothing to do with my original issue. He assured me they were looking into the fuel issue but I allowed them to replace a dying battery as well as what was reported as a soon to fail starter. He let me know when it was done and even delivered it to me on a Saturday. I immediately took it on a quick drive around town which lasted about 25 minutes in sunny and 82 degree temps in stop and start driving. I put it in the garage for the rest of the day.
The next day I drove the Bronco around town on two different trips with stop and start city drivng in similar weather conditions, sunny and mid 80’s. Prior to that I contacted Mechanic B to ask just what they did related to the fuel issue. He reported they checked the components, and found some debris in the system. He said that while they had the vehicle they took it on a couple of test drives trying to replicate the bread-down in both city and highway drivng.
My wife and I met friends at a restaurant at the end of the second trip of the day and after the Bronco sat for about 20 minutes I tried to start it and it died. (We had issues with our reservations and lost our table so we decided to go to another restaurant.) We left the vehicle in the lot and went to lunch. Prior to leaving I tried the process of reducing pressure via the Schrader valve etc, and it would not start. A couple of hours later we returned from lunch and it started.
I should mention that the second time it died I again noticed fluid had been sprayed in the drivers side of the engine compartment, just like the first break down. I noticed that the cap to the power steering fill was crooked as if it was not screwed on straight and there was a gap between the lid and the fill neck on one side. (I corrected this).
I’m wondering if because of this fluid being sprayed or sloshed around has the issue been electric and there is some sort of short going on? After is sits long enough and the fluid can evaporate or flow off the surfaces it is no longer acting as a conduit? What I don’t understand is, if this is the case what short would not blow a fuse of damage a component thus making starting it impossible without replacing the fuse or part?
Thanks for hanging in there and getting to this point, I appreciate your patience and any advice you can offer.
Stuart
Here is the history of this issue.
Before driving this vehicle on a 400 mile trip I noticed a small amount of gasoline on the ground. I took it to a mechanic (Mechanic A) and he discovered the gas tank was rusting at the top of the tank where the fuel pump is located. He replaced the tank and reported that the pump was in good shape.
There were no issues on the drive.
The Bronco was parked inside for a couple of weeks and the next time I drove it was on a sunny day that reached about 87 degrees. I drove to to a shopping center and it sat out in the sun for 3 hours while my wife and I shopped and ate lunch. We got back in the car and drove for about 3 miles at speeds of 45-50 mph and suddenly the Bronco started to hesitate and buck until it died.
I pulled over and tried to restart it and it acted as if it was out of gas. The gauge showed Full and I’m confident that it was accurate as I had filled the tank before I parked it. I called a nearby mechanic (Mechanic B) and he sent one of his guys and he showed up quickly and he popped the hood and took a look. We noticed that there was an amount of some fluid sprayed in the front, driver side of the engine compartment. There was some of it puddled in the cap of the power steering fluid fill.
The mechanic didn’t address this but continued to try and diagnose the fuel issue. He took the cap off the Schrader valve on the fuel rail and released pressure and opened the cap on the fuel filler neck. He then crawled under the car and banged on what I assume was the tank and the frame mounted fuel pump. When the vehicle still would not start he concluded that the tank was empty and that the fuel gauge or sending unit was bad. As second mechanic showed up with a couple gallons of gas and when that was added the Bronco started. I noticed that before he turned the key to the start position he turned it to the on position, presumably to engage the fuel pump.
I drove the vehicle 2 miles to a gas station to fill it up, I could only get about a gallon and a half in. I started it up and it died on me, in the same fashion as earlier, as soon as I drove out of the station. I coasted to a safe parking spot and let it sit for about an hour. Then like the mechanic had done earlier I opened the gas cap, and released the pressure via the Schrader. I was able to start the vehicle and drive it to a mechanic (Mechanic C) close by who was just closing but agreed to take it into their lot and look at it the next morning.
I arrived the next morning when they opened and it started right up. Because prior to this issue I had intended on having Mechanic B do some AC work I decided to drive the Bronco to their shop rather than keep it at the shop (Mechanic C) it spent the night at. (Mechanic C does not work on AC by the way).
I had to leave town for a couple of weeks and while I was gone I stayed in touch with the owner of the garage and he reported it had some issues that I’m sure have nothing to do with my original issue. He assured me they were looking into the fuel issue but I allowed them to replace a dying battery as well as what was reported as a soon to fail starter. He let me know when it was done and even delivered it to me on a Saturday. I immediately took it on a quick drive around town which lasted about 25 minutes in sunny and 82 degree temps in stop and start driving. I put it in the garage for the rest of the day.
The next day I drove the Bronco around town on two different trips with stop and start city drivng in similar weather conditions, sunny and mid 80’s. Prior to that I contacted Mechanic B to ask just what they did related to the fuel issue. He reported they checked the components, and found some debris in the system. He said that while they had the vehicle they took it on a couple of test drives trying to replicate the bread-down in both city and highway drivng.
My wife and I met friends at a restaurant at the end of the second trip of the day and after the Bronco sat for about 20 minutes I tried to start it and it died. (We had issues with our reservations and lost our table so we decided to go to another restaurant.) We left the vehicle in the lot and went to lunch. Prior to leaving I tried the process of reducing pressure via the Schrader valve etc, and it would not start. A couple of hours later we returned from lunch and it started.
I should mention that the second time it died I again noticed fluid had been sprayed in the drivers side of the engine compartment, just like the first break down. I noticed that the cap to the power steering fill was crooked as if it was not screwed on straight and there was a gap between the lid and the fill neck on one side. (I corrected this).
I’m wondering if because of this fluid being sprayed or sloshed around has the issue been electric and there is some sort of short going on? After is sits long enough and the fluid can evaporate or flow off the surfaces it is no longer acting as a conduit? What I don’t understand is, if this is the case what short would not blow a fuse of damage a component thus making starting it impossible without replacing the fuse or part?
Thanks for hanging in there and getting to this point, I appreciate your patience and any advice you can offer.
Stuart