Engine fail safe mode.

[Maestro45]

While driving my vehicle (2004 ford explorer), it just cut off. When I realized I had lost power, I looked at the instrument panel and saw in the message center "engine fail safe mode". I also saw a little wrench in the lower instrument cluster. I turned the key and the vehicle started up, and I continued my trip home. Today, the same thing happened. Any suggestions as to what the problem is?

 

[BrooklynBay]

Welcome to this forum! I've moved your thread into the stock 2002-2005 section. Find out if there are codes stored.

 

[fusseli]

Fail safe can go off I think for multiple reasons. Most of them are pretty bad, like severe over heating or dangerously low oil pressure. Definitely pull codes and see what's going on.

 

[waskly]

your throttle body needs replacing.

 

[waskly]

Fail safe can go off I think for multiple reasons. Most of them are pretty bad, like severe over heating or dangerously low oil pressure. Definitely pull codes and see what's going on.

the car will run with no oil just fine. might get a low oil pressure message but thats about it. overheating will make it act like traction control is on.

 

[jayton]

the car will run with no oil just fine. might get a low oil pressure message but thats about it.

Huh? I have not had good experiences with cars running just fine with no oil. I wish I had the luck you've had!

 

[pet575]

You'll need to take it somewhere they can put in on the computer and read the codes. As stated above, there are several reasons you can get that message. Something is wrong, and the computer is trying to protect the engine from further damage.

I had it happen to me and it was the Mass Airflow Sensor.

 

[waskly]

Huh? I have not had good experiences with cars running just fine with no oil. I wish I had the luck you've had!

haha, i phrased that wrong, i ment to say the vehicle, pcm wont know it has no oil, and it wont adjust to it. it will run as if it had oil.

 

[PEAR0119]

your throttle body needs replacing.

This is what I am thinking. Almost sounds like the TPS is going bad. I had mine go bad like that, then it got worst. Replaced the TPS and everything has been fine since. But to know for sure you are going to need to pull the codes.