New fuel pump and spark plugs but gas pedal still not responding

Question

I have a Ford Explorer 2007 and I'm experiencing the car cutting out on me. For example, when turning a corner with the engine revs low, the gas pedal wouldn't respond and then the car cut out. It started again okay and then cut out 200 meters later driving straight down the road. Anyway, mechanic said it was the fuel pump and so got it changed.

For 9 days no problem. Then tonight, slowing down and turning corner at low speed revs reduce and gas peddle unresponsive, car nearly cuts out and then jumps back into action. Then 50 meters later turning the corner again at low speed same thing happens.

After that no problems at all.

This is what has been changed:

1. Spark plugs were changed the day before the fuel pump as well.
2. Fuel filter was changed at the same time as the fuel pump.
3. Alternator was changed only 4 months ago.

When they plugged the computer into the car it showed up no faults at all. Can anyone tell me what the problem may be?

Thank you for any ideas or help!

Answer 1

Four things come to mind, based on what you stated.

1. It could be a short if it only happens when you turn one direction.
2. It also could be a vacuum leak or a vacuum issue.
3. I wouldn't rule out a bad fuel pump either, but it's just a slim chance, since it was just replaced. I'd do a fuel pressure test on it if you can. I found two cases where it was a fuel pump in both cases and one had just replaced the fuel pump. Engine cuts out when turning.
4. I would add to this checking the distributor. More than once I've seen and heard of a distributor preventing a car from starting or causing it to cut out. I had an old Mazda 323 that would just cut out with no warning. Turned out to be the distributor and if I ran it on the highway at 70 mph + for about 30 minutes it would just die. Once it cooled off everything was fine or if I ran it below 60 mph. Really an odd one! Another mechanic friend told me there was a car on auction that three mechanics looked at it, but couldn't get it to start, so they walked off from it. He bought it, swapped out the distributor and it fired right up!

Here is a quote from that link about the fuel pump.

open up your pump under the seat...I had the exact same issue after I instaledl a new in tank pump and had two problems causing this same symptom...one the top seal was leaking and two the feed line had split...while the tank was full the pressure was great enough to still push fuel though the damaged line, but when fuel sloshed on hard right turns, the supply cut off, once I straightened again the supply was good again...this problem also caused my fuel gauge to be inaccurate...oh yeah, my feel line was split in between the pump itself and the brass hard line in the cap

Answer 2

The car has a Throttle position sensor on the throttle body. This device sends an electrical signal best described as like a dimmer switch to the engine control module (computer) to tell it to send more fuel to the engine as more air is on it's way! Your engine demands a correct % of fuel and air known as the fuel ratio to mechanics. If as an example I were to unplug the T.P.S. while running I could give it gas at the throttle body as much as I wished but the engine would only stall because nothing is telling the fuel system to increase fuel and your engine doesn't run on air alone. One minor thought here is to check for a broken motor mount as well though I'm leaning away from that potential. Years ago, I delt with a carbureted model car that upon turning or hard acceleration bound up the throttle and that was a broken motor mount.