NHTSA Complaint #758966 — 1997 FORD F-350

PROCEEDING DOWN STEEP HILL AT NIGHT APPROACHING A T INTERSECTION, ENGINE QUIT RUNNING. ATTEMPTS TO RESTART FAILED, JUST NARROWLY AVOIDED A COLLISION, MINIMAL BRAKES AND STEERING AVAILABLE. CONTACTED PERSONAL MECHANIC, EXPLAINED SITUATION. CHECKED FUSES, 30 AMP FUSE FOR POWERTRAIN CONTROL SYSTEM RELAY COIL/GLOW PLUG CONTROLLER HAD FAILED. MECHANIC ADVISED OPEN THE FUEL FILTER HOUSING, REMOVE FILTER, CHECK THE HEATER WIRE IN BOTTOM. IF LOOSE, SHORTED OUT FUSE, THEREBY SHUT DOWN ENGINE. FOUND THE SOLDERED WIRE LOOSE. REMOVED SAME FROM THE ASSEMBLY PER INSTRUCTIONS AND REPLACED THE FUSE. ENGINE STARTED. MECHANIC SAID HE HAS REPAIRED (4) FORD DIESELS WITHIN PAST FEW MONTHS WITH SAME FAILURE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS BEING OPERATED. HE FURTHER SAID FORD WILL NOT HONOR REPLACEMENT OF THE FAILED PART. MY WARRANTY BOOK STATES THE ENTIRE FUEL SYSTEM (LESS LINES AND TANK) ARE COVERED. CONTACTED TWO DEALERSHIPS, BOTH INDICATED THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM. CONTACTED FRONTIER FORD WHERE TRUCK WAS PURCHASED. THEY STATED THOSE PARTS ARE NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY IN THEIR BOOKS. ADVISED THEM OF THE CRITICAL NATURE OF ENGINE FAILURE WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE AND WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT ASSIST. CONTACTED FORD MTR CO. AND WAS ESSENTIALLY TOLD THE SAME THING. THE PARTS WERE REPLACED, BUT I HAD TO WAIT UNTIL A DEALER COULD BE LOCATED WHO HAD THEM IN STOCK, I WAS TOLD THEY ARE ON A NATIONAL BACK ORDER STATUS. THE INTERNAL ASSEMBLY MADE OF A THIN METAL PLATE WITH THE HEATER ELEMENT SOLDERED TO THE PLATE WHICH PLACED UNDER THE FUEL FILTER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HOUSING. BY DESIGN ANY WATER PARTICULES DRAWN INTO THE FILTER SYSTEM ARE FORCED INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE ASSEMBLY WHERE A DRAIN VALVE IS LOCATED. FORD REQUIRES DRAINING THE ASSEMBLY EVERY 5K MILES OR WHEN THE WATER IN FUEL LIGHT COMES ON. I HAVE HAD THE FUEL FILTER REPLACED WHEN I FIRST PURCHASED THE TRUCK AND USE THE DRAIN VALVE EVERY TIME I REFUEL WHICH IS ON AVG. EVERY 400-500 MILES. *AK