2006 Expedition 5.4L, approximately 130k miles... Just last month was pulling into Target parking lot - parked car in a parking spot, and while concluding a phone call (engine idling), car just died, as if it ran out of gas. Tried starting - turned over briefly a couple of times, but mostly just cranked and cranked with no result, as if it were out of gas.
Checked fusebox, noted fuse #12 was blown... Great! Got some replacement fuses - stuck one in there, cranked her up, she ran about 10 seconds before the fuse blew again. Crap.
35 degrees and saturating rain all day - stranded at the Target with kids in car!! Called a neighbor to pick us up, and set about researching my problem at home. Quickly came upon reports of the FPDM (Fuel Pump Driver Module) issues for this model year and others, whereby corrosion on the mounting bracket destroys the module. Seemed logical, and once I understood the problem (you'll see in a second) it's astounding that there haven't been more reports of this - I'm certain there will be eventually, having seen mine.
I bought the part and rigged up a quickie install right there in the rain in the parking lot - took about 10 minutes to plug in the new module. I figured out quickly that there was no way to get the two bolts off of the bracket (rusted completely on there) - so without proper tools and not wanting to get drenched, I just crammed my hand up above the spare from underneath and was able to unplug the harness connector (leaving the old FPDM mounted up there)... The FPDM is secured to the bracket with just two bolts, and there is only a single wiring harness connector plugged into it... In theory I just needed to plug the harness into the new one and then could 'dangle' it all the way home. Pulled the harness down below the spare tire, and just plugged in the new one and 'tie-strapped' it up there to hold it on temporarily. Cranked it up and drove her home - spent some time finishing the install properly in the comfort of my garage. It was easier to remove the entire bracket and get the old FPDM off of it out of the car than attempt to deal with the rusted bolts while the bracket was still installed.
Review my photos below and you'll see what I mean - every model with this type of setup will eventually have this failure - the corrosion is caused by what is called 'dissimilar metal corrosion', where someone was asleep at the wheel during design time and opted to mount the aluminum-backed FPDM directly against a non-aluminum metal bracket. The nasty corrosion you see below isn't due to winter or weather but simply the two dissimilar metals being in contact with one another. The only way to prevent this would be to keep them from touching - which as you can see from the photos, the redesigned FPDM (over $100 for the part at my dealer) has new spacers built into it to keep it physically separated from the non-aluminum mounting bracket.
Anyway I had meant to post this last month as I saw no real thorough posts anywhere detailing this repair (which I think will become quite common as time progresses). Hope this helps - if you're having sporadic fuel pump or 'engine dying' issues that are not explained, look here first. I did see many early folks who erroneously replaced entire Fuel Pumps (a tough/expensive job on this car), only to have the issues maddeningly continue. I understand also that it is possible for the malfunctioning/shorting FPDM to cause failure of the Fuel Pump itself - so it's important to get it fixed if you're experiencing the symptoms.
Good luck...!
Here is the location of the FPDM when viewed from the left rear tire area - the bracket is circled (and my 'temporary' install job can be seen in the square red box hanging down
Here is the temporary install job up close - tiestrap did just fine
Here is the new FPDM design mounted onto the old bracket - arrows pointing to the new spacers:
Here is the amazing pic... This is the old FPDM after removal from the bracket... The corrosion was so bad in some places I could take a pencil and gently push thru the destroyed backing - was almost soft to the touch - amazing (yours will look the same eventually!)
Recently had the same problem, shop replaced but still not entirely convinced. My wifes '06 has had intermittent "bogging" over the past few months noticable when going between 45-55 mph. As you would start up a grade or long hill we would feel what appeared to be some sort of interruption in the drive line. Almost like a sloppy u-joint, or as one mechanic described as a "fish bite". Once you would crest the hill it would disapate and smooth out....
History is fuel pump replaced in May '11. Ran fine up until recently as mentioned.
Fast forward to a week ago....wife comes out of work and would start and idle, as soon as she would put into gear it would stall. Once on the scene, I let it idle for ten minutes or so and managed to get it into gear and drive it around the lot for a bit to see if I could nurse it. The engine light did come on during all of this, and with a local parts store just down the street, I drove it in to have them read the code. The young man tells me "it says you got a fuel pressure issue, try changing fuel filter first". I replaced fuel filter and drove it for another day...seemed to be doing ok until Saturday morning. Started to run horrible under a load, cutting out all the way up any grade. Stalled, engine light reappeared and would not start. Towed to repair shop as at this point I am pretty baffled. Once on the scanner, they determine that a fuel sensor is bad, replaced it and said come and get your vehicle. Well, $192 later we were on the road...for about 15 minutes. Started to do the exact same thing, of course by now it is after closing time so I drive it straight to them so they would have to see it first thing the next morning. Mid morning they call me and tell me once again they found the problem. Said you got to see this part and you will understand. It was the FPDM...looked a little worse than the one in the pics (can you say recall?). The whole back was ate through exposing the internals, which appeared to be a small computer mother board. Through the codes that appeared they blamed the faulty FPDM for frying the fuel sensor, hince the continued bogging and cutting out after new sensor. Good thing I took it back up or probably would have fried the new sensor.
HOWEVER....here's where I'm not completly convinced our problem is solved. It is still cutting out or "fish biting" while climbing a hill. Hard to explain, but picture running a smooth 30 mph plus when you approach a long or short grade. Seems as if when you start into the hill and as the fuel system calls for more to accomodate the load....it misses, or cuts out for short periods. Only a few, but definatly there. Not as bad as before but apparent. No engine light yet, so I know the shop is gonna give me the dumb we don't know look Monday morning when I show up with it again. Just hoping someone out there could at least point me in the right direction here....? Thanks in advance and sorry for the long winded story. Just wanted to paint a vivid picture.
Hmmm. Sounds like you ran with the new fuel sensor for a little while with the shorted FPDM before they figured out it was the FPDM. While I was fortunate that my failure was "total" and therefore fixed right away (before other damage could be done by the faulty signals, as it causes havoc in the fuel system) I have seen other reports of associated systems (sensor, pump itself, etc) failing as a result of the FPDM corrosion issue. There is real electrical or physical damage that could occur within the fuel circuit depending on how your specific situation manifested itself. Usually just engine dies; but, could be more subtle...
It's possible there is other related damage that had occurred, or perhaps the new sensor became damaged even from the short amount of time it was running with the old FPDM. I know it's not what you want to hear but maybe provide some additional ideas.
There is also a fuel pump relay (on my 2006 anyway) built into the fuse box - requires replacing the fuse box - it's also one of the several areas to investigate, though your intermittent situation makes it trickier. If it were me I'd start at the fuse box and work my way back testing all of it. There are a variety of posts I'd found on the many manifestations of this thing - all caused by this FPDM problem.
I removed FPDM today, had corrosion and a hole on it, truck was running fine.
I cleaned it out , used a wire brush to make it shining, I patched the whole with JB Weld epoxy. Painted it , removed the bracket , sanded painted the bracket, I installed it back with longer screws and two stailess steel spacers.
Thanks for help me prevent this problem on my truck.
My Advice , if you have an expy please remove yours do the same thing.
It is well worthy preventative maintenance. Thank you.
Yeah sure beats engine dying at 70mph or in nasty weather... Or when the wife or kids are driving... Or in Tim-buck-too where no dealer is around for miles (dealer-only part
Man that's sure the way to go if you're doing preventative (not needing in a pinch like I did). The Dorman part even has the new spacers. $55 beats $130-ish I paid for dealer part. Good to know!!
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Pulled the harness down below the spare tire, and just plugged in the new one and 'tie-strapped' it up there to hold it on temporarily. Cranked it up and drove her home - spent some time finishing the install properly in the comfort of my garage. It was easier to remove the entire bracket and get the old FPDM off of it out of the car than attempt to deal with the rusted bolts while the bracket was still installed.
Thank you.
