Engine Fail Safe Mode

[Floatflyer]

I have experienced the odd "EFSM" display but rarely with any change to the engine output BUT yesterday afternoon the problem got a lot worse. When I took my foot off the gas pedal the engine died. I also had difficulty getting the engine to start again.

Several of these episodes taught me to put the tranny into neutral and keep the RPMs at about 3,000 and the engine would continue to run. I managed to get home by slipping into neutral when I needed to slow down and then putting the car into D (drive) when ready to accelerate, an interesting way to drive.

After reading far more than I wanted to about this problem and Throttle Body contamination, I took the hose from the air filter to the throttle body apart and looked into the butterfly area expecting to find plenty of dirt/oil/debris.

Nope, pretty darn clean, hmmmm. I pushed on the butterfly and it moves smoothly but with a "spring" resistance, about what I would guess is normal. I looked at hoses and such and all looks ok. This EFSM issue has gone on sporadically for a couple of winters now, but this last episode was by far the worst.

On a side note, I had an issue with filling the gas tank with the nozzle clicking off. A month or so ago I took my compressor and blew back into the vent hole next to the fill port of the gas tank. No more problems. Last fill up or so started clicking off again. Wife said to blow back in the vent line again today as we were working on the car. Blew as before but this time air blew BACK at me when I removed the air nozzle!!!!! So, something appears to have plugged the line as before I could hear air getting into the gas tank.

Any and all suggestions appreciated. This car, a 2005 Explorer, lives in rural southern Baja, Mexico. 2 hr drive to nearest dealer who has failed to impress me with results but the price is certainly first class.

Thanks all, FF

 

[Number4]

The fuel vapor line should go to the fuel vapor canister. If you blew air from the fill up area, whatever was plugging the line went into the canister.

Unplug the in-feed line at the canister and blow air toward the fill up. See if you (helper person) feels air. If you do, move on to the canister. Remove both hoses, attach hose or blow air through the canister, if you don't feel air coming out, it's clogged.

 

[TTSport15]

my 06 expi did this a few times the code was from the tb sticking open real pia when u cruising on the hwy and the truck would just die

 

[Floatflyer]

Yesterday I bought a new gas cap, as I was getting a warning about the gas cap being displayed, and a new fuel filter, just in case. Today the wife and I are going to work on the vent line and cannister suggestions as they seem to be the most likely cause. I just re read the entire thread on Can't Fuel Car or whatever and they also had similar thoughts.

The last time I crawled underneath the Exploder, it was not real evident where this cannister is or even how the vent line is routed. Will report back results or lack of.

Thanks guys for the advice and support. FF

 

[Number4]

I have no clue where it is in my 3rd gen. Plain as day on my 94. When you find it, post some pics or something.

 

[Floatflyer]

I crawled underneath the Explorer this afternoon with flashlight and reading glasses. Followed the vent line from the access door where gas cap is located and found that this line, about 3/4" od, connects to a black box, maybe 4"long, 2-3" wide and 2" deep. This box is located directly over the axle to the right rear wheel and above the frame. On the other end of the box same size line comes out heading towards the tank and in about 5" makes a 90 degree turn down into the top of a round cylinder, which has an electrical connection on the bottom of the cylinder. Coming out of the side of the cylinder is the same size vent line and it keeps going towards the front of the car along side the gas tank.

Now, I am a fairly good sized guy and when I crawled underneath the car I could barely have my head aimed upwards. No way for me to get hands on anything both because of the lowness of the car but also of the small space to place hands/tools. After some cursing, as the ants crawled on me, I decided to take the car to a small town where a shade tree mechanic has a pit to get under the car and see if he can access the line and blow back on it or better yet, take the box off and examine it and then blow back and maybe towards the tank as well. This is not an easy fix.

I also cleaned out the throttle body on both sides of the butterfly. Got some black on a cloth but nothing of substance. Then had wife start the engine. First no start, then started and died. I pushed open the butterfly and had her crank and the butterfly shut. Then the engine started and seemed to idle ok, and would accelerate as well. As I watched the butterfly while engine went from idle to faster rpms, the butterfly stayed mainly closed. I have no idea what the normal operation of this butterfly is, open, closed, or???

Will see what happens after the mechanic wrenches on it. TBC. FF

 

[Floatflyer]

For those few who actually give a sh-t, here is the next and maybe final chapter. Today we were to "drive" our Explorer into San Jose del Cabo to a gringo mechanic with strong recommendations. Wife was to follow in our Toyota Sienna as we were expecting to have to leave the car, a 1.5 hr drive by the way.

I had alerted a friend about possibly needing road side help if things went wrong. About 2 miles from home the Exploder went into Engine Fail Safe Mode and I pulled off of the dirt road and tried to restart. Finally got it started and ripped the 11 miles into a small town, keeping the rpms at 2-3,000 by shifting between D and N. Parked it and chatted with my friend. Went back out and tried to start it with much difficulty but got it running. BUT, only at idle. Moving the gas pedal had zero affect on the rpms!!!

I got the Engine Fail Safe Mode display, then the Check Fuel Cap and then nothing. I left the car idling for about a half hour and got a local Mexican shade tree mechanic to come by and look at things. He hooked up a code reader and it only said Check that Ignition was On, or something.

He shut the engine off and then restarted it and, voila, gas pedal response! I drove it to his house and left it. Came back about 3 hrs later and he said it was done??? He changed the fuel filter, one I had bought previously, and said the old one was plugged. Last changed in 2011. Also replaced a resistor on the Throttle Body and suggested that I clean the injectors.

I paid him 1,000 pesos which equals $67 and I drove home him no other issues. SO, maybe this episode is over. I WILL be vigilant in changing my fuel filter and will get the injectors cleaned. He did not have a lift or pit to work with, just put a couple of 4x4s on a cement building block, put down a piece of cardboard and crawled under. You gotta luv this! Viva Mexico!! FF

 

[Number4]

I'd be concerned about the filter being clogged. Our tanks are plastic so there is no corrosion. Seems to me something was put in your tank.

 

[boominXplorer]

Engine safe mode 99% of the time has to do with the correlation of the gas pedal signal and throttle body response. If the throttle body shorts out they don't want the engine revving out of control hence the reason it goes into safe mode. If the problem coes back I bet it has to do with the throttle body or the signal from the pedal (you have drive by wire, no throttle cable)

 

[Floatflyer]

I thought and hoped that I was done with this thread, BUT, last Thursday I, again, had a return of this problem. We had to go to San Jose del Cabo to for an appointment and shortly after leaving our place the dreaded Engine Fail Safe Mode alert was displayed. I returned home and had the wife pick up our Toyota Sienna(a fine car) and follow me as we drove the 1.5 hrs to town. Even though I experienced no issues while driving I dropped the car off at a recommended Gringo mechanic for an oil change AND to see if he could figure out what was wrong.

3 hrs later and after our meeting and shopping we returned to the mechanic and was told that he couldn't find anything wrong and it was difficult because there was no alert displays, hmmm. Wife took off in the Toyota with me to follow and meet her at a super market. I COULD NOT START the gawd darn thing. Mechanic brought his code reader and it said ERROR and then he said the car had 10 "faults" and there was no communication between the gas pedal and throttle body or something like that. THEN the car started and repeatedly started, WHAT??

Anyway, I took off and met the wife and returned home. I have parked this POS and it will remain in Baja till we return in October. At that time we will address this again OR sell the damn thing. I have had more issues with this car than any other in my 55 yrs of car ownership. It is worse having it located in Mexico, even though we spent $900 for a wiring harness a few years ago at the direction of a Ford Dealership in La Paz we barely got out of sigh of the dealership before we had issues again.

I LONG for the simplicity of older cars, steam gauges, manual windows and door locks, etc. Time for a long summer rest and salmon fishing!!!!

 

[Number4]

Might be a failing throttle body. I'd think you would get a code though. It's an expensive item to guess at.