Q about Fail-Safe Cooling

richie9mt

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My 2008 Escape blew off the upper rad hose and I had to drive 3.6 miles home on Fail-Safe Mode.

I wondered if my 2006 Mustang 4.0L V6 has this also. I looked in my Owners Manual and there is this message - "What You Should About Fail Safe Cooling - (4.6L V8 Engine Only". Nothing about the 4.0L V6.

Does it have Fail Safe Cooling like the 2008 Escape?
 

Miker

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I highly doubt it. It does have limp mode. Although if you lost all the coolant not sure how running the engine at all is going to be a good (fail safe) thing.
 

richie9mt

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I agree. My Mustang is a 2006; two years before my 2008 Escape. But for the benefit of 2008 and later Mustangs who may have a similar Fail-Safe Mode, here is a scan from my 2008 Escape Owners manual on this subject -

fail-safe.jpg
 

Pentalab

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I highly doubt it. It does have limp mode. Although if you lost all the coolant not sure how running the engine at all is going to be a good (fail safe) thing.
Fail safe...and limp mode is the same thing. Every 2nd cylinder is shut off, no spark and no fuel, just pumps air.
 

richie9mt

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Fail safe...and limp mode is the same thing. Every 2nd cylinder is shut off, no spark and no fuel, just pumps air.

And it is a surreal ride! You can actually hear the two individual cylinders firing. Shakes and shudders, lurches ahead at maybe five mph, the suddenly fires all four cylinders for about fifty yards, then back to two-banging. It did shut down completely and I let it coast to the curb and sit for ~ ten minutes. Plus a planned ten minuts break about halfway thru the 3.6 miles.

After filling it up and burping it until I got heat from the vents, it only took ~ five pints of 50/50 antifreeze. Still holding that.

My problem now is that after all this and attempting to delete the DTCs with FORScan (latest free version), I can't get it to 'save' the changes. The box with the 'Switch engine off and then on' doesn't show up. And the SES light on the dash is still on. It drives fine, temp gauge is in middle, no problems apparent.

I've deleted DTCs before with no problem but this is something new. I've gone over YouTube tutorials to see if I've missed anything, nothing strikes me as being anything amiss.

I'm thinking maybe thermostat damage or coolant temperature sensor failure, but it was fine last time I checked the Escape with FORScan.
 

Juice

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Save what to clear codes? I never have to save anything. Connect to car. Two burttons on bottom left, read codes & clear codes. Free unlicensed version works to clear DTCs.
 

richie9mt

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Save what to clear codes? I never have to save anything. Connect to car. Two burttons on bottom left, read codes & clear codes. Free unlicensed version works to clear DTCs.

The box to 'Turn Ignition Off Then On' was in a YouTube video. After the read & clear buttons and the 'Are You Sure' message. I don't get that box. I have four DTC codes, all pertaining to cylinder head overtemperature, but that's a question for another forum. ;)
 

Juice

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The box to 'Turn Ignition Off Then On' was in a YouTube video. After the read & clear buttons and the 'Are You Sure' message. I don't get that box. I have four DTC codes, all pertaining to cylinder head overtemperature, but that's a question for another forum. ;)
Try connecting NOT using a stored profile. Takes a little longer to connect, but profiles have been known to not always work right.
 

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