1995 Ford Taurus TFI ignition moidule replacement fails to

1995 FORD TAURUS
116,000 MILES • 6 CYL • FWD • AUTOMATIC
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SAMMYFORD
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The thin film ingition (TFI) module used on many Ford engines prior to 1995 were notorious for causing engine stalling when temperatures exceeded 257degF. My 1995 Ford Taurus suffers from this condition. On at least 8 occasions, the engine has stalled. Each time, the situation was while in traffic. I replaced the unit recently with a Bosch manufactured part bought at an auto parts store. Unfortunately, replacement of the module has not fixed the problem.

There are numerous articles on the web that describe the history of this problem, and suggest replacing the unit will fix the problem.

What do you suggest I do next? My inclination is to replace again with a MotoCraft OEM module in the hopes that the composition is different and less sensitive to temperature. Or to add a makeshift heat shield. Any suggestions are appreciated.
Dec 27, 2007 at 3:35 PM
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MERLIN2021
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Are your thermostat and cooling fans working? 257! a bit high...any other distributor part failures?
Dec 27, 2007 at 3:39 PM
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SAMMYFORD
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Thanks.

I am not certain how hot the module gets when the engine stalls in my case. The 257degF temperature comes from documentation of the stalling problem as described.

I haven't had any other distributor part failures I'm aware of. With the exception of this stalling problem, the engine runs well, rain or shine.

As for the thermostat and the cooling fans, they appear to be working. One unusual thing is the temperature gage is intermittent. It may be a bad connection? Ocassionally when in traffic, the gage will exceed the halfway mark between C and H. But the fan does come on. Maybe I should replace the thermostat, thermocouple, and/or the thermocouple wiring?

Have you heard of or personally replaced subject module for reasons similar to mine? Do you know if there is a replacement module whose composition is changed to handle higher temperatures? I found it interesting that Ford engineers apparently knew the location of the module on the distributor was a poor design selection due to the thermal environment. Some of the published articles on the subject imply that a redesigned module, possibly with a different material composition, exist that increase its temperaure capability. Any insights?
Thanks again.
Dec 27, 2007 at 4:18 PM
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