Failsafe Mode

Last week the better 9/10ths was down in Florida with the kids for Spring Break and she had my truck since it holds far more stuff than her Wrangler. She called me up and said that the truck was running bad and that the message center was displaying "Engine Failsafe Mode" and asked me what that might mean.

I already knew that failsafe mode means that somewhere in the engine control system there is a sensor that is misbehaving. I get my truck back tonight from her and I guess the first thing I need to do is find out if it tossed a code that I can translate into a sensor. My hope is that it is one of the easier ones or, better yet, one of the cheaper ones!

Cheaper ones...you know, you'd think something like an O2 sensor would be cheap, and, in the grand scheme of things, at $60 or so, it isn't bad, that is, until you add the cost of the special socket you need to get the silly thing off! Oh, let's not forget the fact that there are four O2 sensors and if you replace one you may as well save yourself the headache later on and replace all four! Ugh!

When I really start to think about this thing I actually hope it's the throttle position sensor! Work with me here, the 2004 TPS is actually a part of the throttle body since Ford decided in 2004 to go to a more "drive by wire" solution. The current throttle body is a 70 mm unit with the TPS built in and sells for about $230. An Edelbrock 75 mm unit is the same price and the air cleaner bolts right to it without modifications! Simple math!

Either way, I'll read the code and do what I'm told but still, one can hope!