Explorer randomly shuts off while driving

[06Explorerlimited]

Hello, I was hoping there might be somebody out there that can help me diagnose a problem with our Explorer. In the last couple years it has started randomly shutting off while driving, which apparently is a common issue with these explorers. After it shuts off we simply have to pull over, put it in park, and it starts back up with zero issues and runs without issue. We've done a few things in the last couple years to fix it, but nothing has made the problem go away. This year the car has to make a 600-mile trip for the holidays and it has us kind of nervous. No shops in the area can get it in until January, so we're stuck fixing it ourselves.

Two years ago we replaced the throttle positioning sensor (the correct third generation sensor) and the throttle actuator, but neither of those fixed the issue. After that we thought it might be an issue with fuel pressure, so we replaced the fuel pump two weeks ago. Last week the car died again despite all of these fixes, but for the first time in three years it actually threw an error code: P02107...... which says to replace the TPS or Throttle actuator. We've inspected the engine bay and can't find any obvious damage to the wiring harness, we've checked connectors to make sure there was no corrosion, and we cleaned the battery cables to eliminate grounding issues. At this point I don't know what's left to check, and I'm hoping there's somebody that's had this same issue that knows what the proper fix is.

Car specs:
2006 Ford Explorer Limited Edition
4.6L V8
4x4

 

[PotatoExplorer]

I don't know about your situation, but I have to replace my throttle position sensor like every other year.

See my TPS thread here - Throttle Position Sensors - How Often to Replace? TPS

Maybe worth throwing another one on to see? If you haven't already done this, I would inspect all the wires running into the TPS harness and see if any of the individual wires are cracked.

 

[06Explorerlimited]

I don't know about your situation, but I have to replace my throttle position sensor like every other year.

See my TPS thread here - Throttle Position Sensors - How Often to Replace? TPS

Maybe worth throwing another one on to see? If you haven't already done this, I would inspect all the wires running into the TPS harness and see if any of the individual wires are cracked.

At this point it couldn't hurt to try replacing the TPS. It is a couple years old now.

 

[Bazz270]

Check cam shaft and crank shaft sensors.

 

[Joesell]

Hello, I was hoping there might be somebody out there that can help me diagnose a problem with our Explorer. In the last couple years it has started randomly shutting off while driving, which apparently is a common issue with these explorers. After it shuts off we simply have to pull over, put it in park, and it starts back up with zero issues and runs without issue. We've done a few things in the last couple years to fix it, but nothing has made the problem go away. This year the car has to make a 600-mile trip for the holidays and it has us kind of nervous. No shops in the area can get it in until January, so we're stuck fixing it ourselves.

Two years ago we replaced the throttle positioning sensor (the correct third generation sensor) and the throttle actuator, but neither of those fixed the issue. After that we thought it might be an issue with fuel pressure, so we replaced the fuel pump two weeks ago. Last week the car died again despite all of these fixes, but for the first time in three years it actually threw an error code: P02107...... which says to replace the TPS or Throttle actuator. We've inspected the engine bay and can't find any obvious damage to the wiring harness, we've checked connectors to make sure there was no corrosion, and we cleaned the battery cables to eliminate grounding issues. At this point I don't know what's left to check, and I'm hoping there's somebody that's had this same issue that knows what the proper fix is.

Car specs:
2006 Ford Explorer Limited Edition
4.6L V8
4x4

I having the same question it just started having to pull over and restart my truck.

 

[OfficialCT]

Just found what I'm 99% sure is the problem (in mine at least) after about 3 years of troubleshooting and it appears to be the ignition switch, which often gets overlooked. I was able to find this out by putting the vehicle in drive (very important as this test doesn't seem to work in Park) then jiggle the key while your foot still on the brake, or if you're in a safe area you can test this while driving slowly or coasting. The first time I did this my 09 EB edition 4.0 shut off within 3 seconds.
Symptoms: Car stalling randomly, All lights come on, and car loses throttle, power steering, and assisted braking. But it would always start right back up.

I mainly noticed this behavior during sharp turns, sudden elevation changes, or both. Except once, it also happened to me while decelerating on a level, but somewhat bumpy road. My guess is the terrain was causing my keys to swing around in the ignition causing the sudden power loss

Before changing any fuel pumps, throttle bodies, IAC valves, Position Sensors, etc.. I'd do this check first.

Hope this helps.

 

[Blackhawkxx]

That's great knowledge to have if this happens in the future. Thanks.