Ok so recently on my 94 Explorer I had to replace the ignition Control module hoping that was what was wrong with her. I decided to take pics along the way.

So tools you need:
7/32 socket (I used a deep with 1/4 in drive short extension)
1/4 in drive ratchet
12mm wrench (or what ever size your battery cables are)
5/16 socket
1/4 in drive long extension
flat bladed screwdriver



First off you need to know that the ignition control module for my truck was located on the passenger side of the radiator support between the grille and headlight right in front of the battery. I was told some of them are located on the passenger side fender apron.


If yours is like mine you have to remove the battery to get to it so take your wrench and disconnect the battery and take the 5/16s socket and 1/4 in drive long extension and 1/4 drive ratchet and remove the battery hold down. Set the battery hold down and bolt aside where you won't knock it and loose it.
(If yours is on the passenger side fender apron I still recommend disconnecting the positive cable at least on your battery.)


Once the battery is removed you will be able to see the part:



you will have to pull the Christmas tree clip for the wiring harness so I would start by doing that (mine was already done since I recently replaced my engine in the truck and my brothers hadn't snapped that back in.) Don't pull to hard or you will rip the wiring harness!

Next take your 7/32 socket (preferably with small extension) and your 1/4 in drive ratchet and remove the one bolt that holds it in the upper corner towards the grille. The bolt is very small so be sure not to loose it especially if you are working in an environment like me (lots of dirt). Once that is out set it where it won't get lost (preferably away from the engine bay).

Do not right away start pulling on it like it is glued or something because it isn't if you do you will end up breaking the module!

on the back of the module is a little tab that goes into a slit in the radiator support slide the module upwards and lightly pull out (DO NOT FORCE IT). Once that is out disconnect the wiring harness with your flat bladed screwdriver (be careful not to brake the tabs).



Above is the little tab I am talking about on the module.
Below is the module itself removed:



To install it just slide that tab back over the slit in the rad support and put the 7/32 bolt back in (finding the spot may be a bit challenging probably was the hardest part of the job) Do not torque the bolt to much as it will either break the module or strip the rad support out just make it tight enough that it won't back out.

Clip the wiring harness back on (only one way it can go) and install your battery opposite of how you removed it then start up your truck for a while then pull your codes to make sure that fixed your problem. Once that is done you are all done.


Hope this helps somebody one day.
If y'all have any questions please let me know I will try to answer them to the best of my ability.
Trav

 

I might mention, this module can be tested at many auto parts store. If they have a tester, have them check it, this is an expensive part, and you don't want to be replacing it randomly.

 

Yes you can have them tested and they are very expensive. I know autozone for my truck said $172 (which is crazy because the older F150s have them on the dizzy and they are only $50).

Only reason I didn't have mine tested was because the closest auto parts shop is 30 miles away so I just took this spare one I had running from my parts truck and plugged it in hoping it would fix it. Unfortunately, It didn't but I did find the problem. I prefer having a module with 142K miles on it then the 243K one in the truck so that's another reason I changed it.
Trav

 

Uhm, no they don't The older trucks have TFI, not EDIS. The EDIS module is more costly, but to be honest, rarely fails, as in they rarely EVER fail, unlike the earlier TFI modules used on vehicles with distributors, which failed all the time. Mileage or age has little to do with EDIS module failure. Power spikes, faulty ignition coils, performance ignition components, and damaged wiring are the most common causes for failure.

 

I understand they are not exactly the same but the work similar correct?

Thank you for the information you posted above too.
Trav

 

Not even close.

In a distributor, there is a rotor that is driven by a shaft off the oil pump drive gear. The distributor can be rotated to adjust base timing, and the rotor simply points to an ignition tower corresponding to the cylinder that needs spark. The TFI module reads a PIP signal off the vanes in the distributor housing to determine when the spark needs to be fired. The TFI module then fires the SINGLE coil at the right moment, so that spark travels down the primary ignition wire, through the rotor, to the tower, and then down the correct wire to the plug.

EDIS stands for Electronic Distributorless Ignition System. It eliminates the distributor entirely. It uses a 36-1 toothed wheel with one missing tooth. A sensor detects the passing of each tooth, and uses that information to not only know where TDC is, but at which cylinder the cycle is currently at. The EDIS module fires the correct coil (not a single coil like in TFI), which is hooked in a waste spark configuration with 2 cylinders, which fire simultaneously. The way it works is more complex, and quite different from TFI. Because the module is much more complex, it is also more expensive.

 

Thank you I didn't know all that. I am new to the ranger and Explorers I am mostly use to 87-96 Fords as I have 4 of them.
Trav