Fail safe engine mode
5th Gear Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 4,717
From: Small walk way by big walk way
RE: Fail safe engine mode
I have had that happen too. But I do have the CAI and Pulleys. It could be a couple of things. 1. Your car computer is making an adjustment. 2. The car felt the need to go in the safe mode because of the driving at the time was excessive, meaning it was saving you from bad deonation to the engine. I had to increase my octane to hightest because the engine was pinging causing misfiring resulting to this lympe mode happening to the engine. I'm assuming this because I haven't had any other problems since and it was suggested for me to try since I have the different tune than stock. I also remember this happening once when I first got my car and the dealer said that it was a misfire. I believe these cars running on 87 octane isn't exactly healthy being they are high performance cars. This is just my opinion and I'm not a mech. I hope you get it all figured out. [>:]
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 864
From:
RE: Fail safe engine mode
it happened to a friend of mine ... exactly like your problem except his GT was completly stock ... anyway ... He went to a random shop that knows about mustang. .. he opened the MAF sensors and sprayed wd-40 on it and then put it back and his filter was in bad condition so he changed it .... ( you should clean yours ) and he also changed his plugs cuz they were old .... and after that it ran great ...
3rd Gear Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 884
From: Indiana
RE: Fail safe engine mode
ORIGINAL: Daniel60
I have had that happen too. But I do have the CAI and Pulleys. It could be a couple of things. 1. Your car computer is making an adjustment. 2. The car felt the need to go in the safe mode because of the driving at the time was excessive, meaning it was saving you from bad deonation to the engine. I had to increase my octane to hightest because the engine was pinging causing misfiring resulting to this lympe mode happening to the engine. I'm assuming this because I haven't had any other problems since and it was suggested for me to try since I have the different tune than stock. I also remember this happening once when I first got my car and the dealer said that it was a misfire. I believe these cars running on 87 octane isn't exactly healthy being they are high performance cars. This is just my opinion and I'm not a mech. I hope you get it all figured out. [>:]
I have had that happen too. But I do have the CAI and Pulleys. It could be a couple of things. 1. Your car computer is making an adjustment. 2. The car felt the need to go in the safe mode because of the driving at the time was excessive, meaning it was saving you from bad deonation to the engine. I had to increase my octane to hightest because the engine was pinging causing misfiring resulting to this lympe mode happening to the engine. I'm assuming this because I haven't had any other problems since and it was suggested for me to try since I have the different tune than stock. I also remember this happening once when I first got my car and the dealer said that it was a misfire. I believe these cars running on 87 octane isn't exactly healthy being they are high performance cars. This is just my opinion and I'm not a mech. I hope you get it all figured out. [>:]
Exactly! I was getting the failsafe mode with no possible known cause or engine check light. It happened several times after I installed my axle-backs. I deceded to change to 92 octane since my car was no longer stock and I've had no failsafe engine modes since! Plus the car seems to run smoother with the higher octane.
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 1
RE: Fail safe engine mode
Hey everyone, have your dealercheck/replace the THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR.I realize that the manual suggests that failsafe engine mode is a GT feature only (not true) and I only own a V6, the only mod being a K&N air filter, but I had this problem as well. And I bet when it happened your coolant temp gauge read fine, right? And if you shut it off for a few and then drove it it was fine?
I actually had to take it into the dealer twice because the problem only occured more than once and a month in between instances. The first time I took it in the dealer gave me some bull about not finding any error log in the comp. And it was fine for a while. It happened again a few weeks later and started happening FREQUENTLY and the check engine light stayed on. Tookher tothe dealer and they told me it was the throttle positioning sensor. Hope this helps!
-G (Anita is black and has a K&N...for the time being...)
I actually had to take it into the dealer twice because the problem only occured more than once and a month in between instances. The first time I took it in the dealer gave me some bull about not finding any error log in the comp. And it was fine for a while. It happened again a few weeks later and started happening FREQUENTLY and the check engine light stayed on. Tookher tothe dealer and they told me it was the throttle positioning sensor. Hope this helps!
-G (Anita is black and has a K&N...for the time being...)
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1
RE: Fail safe engine mode
I realize this thread is old, but my husband had this message pop up tonight in our 05' auto GT. Have there been any definite causes pinpointed, or should we just call the dealer and hope they can find the cause?
