Engine fail safe mode! Help please!
 

I have a 03 x5 4.4 with 110k

I was driving on the freeway and all of a sudden the engine fail safe mode comes on the the engine shuts down. Lucky I could get to the shoulder without getting hit by other cars.

The car starts but once it drops below 1000 rpm the engine dies. If I keep it above 1k rpm it stays on but dies once it drops below 1k.

Have any of you guys encountered this problem? What do you guys think is wrong.

Really tempted to get rid of this car. Don't really feel safe if this happens again since this is my wife's car.

Thanks!

Had that same issue with my 2004 4.4i ended up to be a weak Battery !!!

Got a new one from Varta and all sorted out. Surprisingly the car seems to run even better. Looks like the Battery was the factory installed one from 2004 and had done its time.

Wow really the battery. I'm gonna have check that, hopefully it's just an easy fix.

Pretty scary how the motor just shuts down while driving.

Thanks

any other warning lights on the dash? any odd noises from under the hood?

Hey try something. Disconnect maf and try starting it.

No odd noises sound normal. Engine service light is on, battery and oil light are now on also.

I'll try that and see what happens

So I disconnected the maf and the car started right up and stayed on and idled normal.

I reconnected the maf and started it up and it died right away.

So it looks like the maf sensor is the culprit.

Thanks for the help.

Did a search but couldn't come up with the answer. Sorry for the dumb Q, but what is a MAF?

Mass Air Flow sensor