Hello Im a new Ford owner. I just Bought a 1988 Ford Bonco II for my daughter. The thing ran great for two months. I started to have problems when it stranded her on the highway one night on her way home. The Bronco ruins like a DREAM when it runs. But it only runs for 45min to and hour then something over heats and it dies??????? Its like running out of gas or vapor lock is the best I can explain...... Yes ther is plaenty of gas in it. The truck would sit for 45min to an hour and start and run great.......Until it all started again.

So I start asking questions and here is the list of replaced parts:
fuel pumps both twice (to make sure i did not get bad units)
fuel filter of course
fuel regulator
TFI on distributor
electric point inside distributor (what a pain... Total tare down)
fuel pump relay
and finally the computer (located passenger side floor kick pannel)+

The only thing that helped was replacing the computer.... that worked for a day??????? any answers?????? its like what ever it is over heats shuts off and works when it cool down..... very agravating for the first Ford I'v ever bought. not real happy to own one now. PLeASE HELP?????

 

Sounds like the problem i used to have with a old boat of mine..come to find out the problem was RUST in the gas tank. Would start up run fine till the pump sucked up a piece of rust..then it would burn off whatever fuel was in the line and then the engine was just STOP. Let it sit for a few mins and it would fire right back up till it sucked up another piece of rust. I beat my head against the wall for months..everyone says..it's vapor locking..umm..OK..Then i just happend to take the hose off the tank and look in the tank and saw all that rust So i got a new tank, blew out the lines, filled it up with new gas and never had a problem again.

so the possiblility of rust in the tank getting sucked up might be a problem?

 

I will check out the tank for rust..... I changed the internal puimp though and dont remember seeing lots of rust but I was very pissed by that point that day and did not look too hard........ Thanks for the new idea.....

 

have you tried pulling the codes? that may help point you in the right direction..it almost sounds like and ignition problem..have you had the ignition module checked?

 

The Ignition Coil is the next part I was going to change along with the cap and rotor. The error codes I checked were after I changed the computer. They were for the EGR and knock something or other???????? This bronco does not have either so the mechanic said it wouldn't matter. The problem was long before the computer change though.......

 

On the TFI did you put the dielectric grease on the back of it before reinstalling it?

 

On my '84 it was an intermittent open in the coil winding. When it warmed up the engine would quit. After it cooled down, it would fire right up again.

 

Yes I did follow all the istruction in the Haynes manuel and did put the die electric greese there...... Im changing the coil today I will keep you posted.......Thx

 

Please, do keep us posted and I'll try to research this problem some more

 

make sure you look for bad grounds, that can cause a host of electrical problems. Also go through the wiring and check all your fusible links. There are not to many and you manual will help you out with that. Also Check out your spark plugs because they will tell you a great deal about what is happening. weather your mixture is leaning out to much or weather there are black and sooty showing a weak spark.

 

Another culprit that can act like a bad coil or bad TFI module is the pickup / hall effect sensor in the distributor itself. You may also want to check the spark plug wires themselves -- I've had a set of Accel Hi Performance wires go bad in no time for no apparent reason, and the vehicle would run for a while and then bam, no fire. After replacing the distributor, the ignition module (Duraspark) and the coil, still no joy until I replaced the wires. (Humor time..) Now, mind you, said vehicle was a '77 Ford PINTO with a 2.3L 4-cyl in it...

 

OK I replaced the Ciol and it ran for a bit but seems to do it more offten now then before according to my daughter........ who drives the car. I went to change out the EEC and for got to disconnect the the Neg on battery so I need to replace the relay for the EEC now cause the engine cranks but no turn over. I feeling like this is the WORST vehicle purchase ever in my life. And I know my 16 year old is getting sick of her car not working too. I know it have to be something electrical but man I runnign out of options and parts to replace. VERY frustrating...... Any more ideas are greatly appreciated. I most say this forum is really great you all have been supper nice and very helpful so thank you all for that.......

 

you should pull codes. If you dont want to bother with that I suggest narrowing down the things that are wrong first find out if its the fuel, or it has no spark that should help alot.

there should be a shrader valve on the fuel rail, when it acts up check to see if there is fuel pressure... there should be alot so look out. also just listen to hear if the pumps are running.

 

I've done all that before and no codes are showing. I thought I should have it hooked to the code reader when it stops running but I have not doen that yet? When I changed the EEC the first time I pulled codes and that only code read we got was for a ERG valve and Knock sencor that this engine does not have. They said it was cause the EEC I put in was from a truck that had those parts on the motor. ??????

 

If the computer(EEC) you put in was not from an 88 BII - that's probably the problem.