Failsafe mode-2005 Lincoln LS8

[boomyal]

It is now happening with some regularity. Turn of the engine and restart and it behaves normally til the next time.

Some times it throws a code (check engine light) and sometimes not. One time it was a single code (P2110) and one time two codes (P2110 and P2107)

They seem to be saying that it is a bad ECM or PCM, but it also mentions 'throttle control motor processor' and/or 'open or short circuit'.

There seems to be some confusion as to the cause and I question a dealer's ability to diagnose it properly. I would hate to have them just start throwing parts at it.

I called the dealer and Ford no longer supplies a PCM so even they have to go to the aftermarket to get one. If I had some assurance that it was the PCM I could get one for probably half of what the dealer would charge. They are ordered and programmed for each VIN number so they are 'lug and play' by the time your receive it.

I also do not know where the PCM is physically located.

The car has less than 60K miles on it.

 

[LS4me]

Replace your coils. The major cause of this is a marginal failure of #4 coil. Happened to my wife's '06 at right around 60K miles. No, it won't throw a failed coil code.

 

[joegr]

We've been over this several times. It's RF noise from one or more marginal coils confusing the PCM (the "throttle processor" is part of the PCM).

You need to replace all the coils and all the spark plugs (all at the same time).

There was one guy who wouldn't believe me and neither would his dealer. He went through the expense of changing the throttle body twice and then the PCM twice. What finally fixed it was the much cheaper act of changing out the coils and plugs.

BTW, the PCM change is not completely plug and play. A really good scan tool (or dealer tool) is required to reprogram your cluster and your keys to the new PCM. Until then, the car won't even start.

 

[Machspeed]

We've been over this several times. It's RF noise from one or more marginal coils confusing the PCM (the "throttle processor" is part of the PCM).

You need to replace all the coils and all the spark plugs (all at the same time).

There was one guy who wouldn't believe me and neither would his dealer. He went through the expense of changing the throttle body twice and then the PCM twice. What finally fixed it was the much cheaper act of changing out the coils and plugs.

BTW, the PCM change is not completely plug and play. A really good scan tool (or dealer tool) is required to reprogram your cluster and your keys to the new PCM. Until then, the car won't even start.

Just a quick comment joe, as you have made helpful comments regarding some of my previous posts. Recall I changed all my coils a few weeks back along with the plugs? I went with Borg Warner (BWD) coils and autolite plugs gapped at .041". Car ran great for a couple of weeks then I get the failsafe message from the message center. It sat overnight and started up fine the next day and I have not had an issue since. This seems really strange to me. I've had the traction control light come on a couple of times too, only to clear after shutting off the car. Regardless, as much as I love my LS, I believe in several areas it is both poorly and overly engineered.

 

[LS4me]

Just a quick comment joe, as you have made helpful comments regarding some of my previous posts. Recall I changed all my coils a few weeks back along with the plugs? I went with Borg Warner (BWD) coils and autolite plugs gapped at .041". Car ran great for a couple of weeks then I get the failsafe message from the message center. It sat overnight and started up fine the next day and I have not had an issue since. This seems really strange to me. I've had the traction control light come on a couple of times too, only to clear after shutting off the car. Regardless, as much as I love my LS, I believe in several areas it is both poorly and overly engineered.

I would still suspect the coils(s)......

 

[boomyal]

Replace your coils. The major cause of this is a marginal failure of #4 coil. Happened to my wife's '06 at right around 60K miles. No, it won't throw a failed coil code.

If the cylinder numbering is in the typical SBF order, the #4 would be the closest to the location of the PCM, if I understand it's location correctly, ie, inside the right passenger kick panel?

 

[joegr]

If the cylinder numbering is in the typical SBF order, the #4 would be the closest to the location of the PCM, if I understand it's location correctly, ie, inside the right passenger kick panel?

Yes on the cylinder numbering, and #4 is most often the one that causes ETC failsafe. However, you really, really, want to replace all coils and plugs. I promise you that more than one of them is marginal, and you are flirting with ruining your catalytic converters.

The PCM is not in the passenger kick panel. It's on the firewall, behind the glove-box.

 

[boomyal]

Going thru receipts of past repairs I discovered that the #3 and #7 coils were replaced two years ago. I had forgotten that we had Fail Safe issues related to that episode. We even got two of the same codes back then as we do now.

I just took the car to the dealer. I doubt they will carte blanche replace all the coils under warranty but they devined the issue back then and hopefully will replace some more of them, this time.