4R70W transmission problems: F-150, Crown Victoria

TSS parts for Ford's 4R70W: overdrive band, reverse drum diaphragm and remanufactured valve body

In short

The 4R70W is the 4-speed automatic in the 1997 to 2003 F-150, the Crown Victoria and Grand Marquis, the Mustang through 2004 and the V8 Explorer; it comes from the AOD and AODE, and from 2004 it became the 4R70E and 4R75E.
If it won't shift into 4th or drops into neutral in overdrive, check the overdrive band and its servo; this family's bands have no external adjustment.
If it slips under throttle when hot, valve body wear may be bleeding off EPC pressure: replacing only the solenoid won't fix it.
A burnt direct clutch usually comes from the 2-3 accumulator piston or, from 2001, the valve body separator plate.
It takes MERCON V, and the 2009 and newer 4R75E takes MERCON LV.

If your automatic Ford F-150, Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis or Mustang won't shift into 4th, slips under throttle, loses reverse or shudders on the highway, it most likely has a 4R70W or one of its relatives. This article covers which Fords have it, how to tell which one you have, its most documented problems according to Ford and rebuild specialists, its trouble codes, which fluid it takes and which parts get replaced.

Which Fords have the 4R70W?

The 4R70W is the 4-speed overdrive automatic in Ford's rear-drive V8 vehicles of the nineties and two-thousands. It comes from the AOD, built from 1980 to 1993 and fully hydraulic, and the AODE, its 1992 to 1995 electronic version. From 2004, Ford called it the 4R70E and 4R75E, with internal changes.

Vehicle	Years	Transmission
F-150 (the Lobo in Mexico)	1997 to 2003	4R70W; some 5.4 V8 trucks, such as the Harley-Davidson, use the stronger 4R100
F-150	2004 to 2006	4R70E with the 4.6 V8, or 4R75E with the 5.4 V8
F-150	2007 and 2008	4R75E
F-150 work truck with the 4.6 V8	2009 and 2010	4R75E (the others have the 6R80 6-speed)
Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis and Town Car	Through 2004	4R70W; in the early nineties, the AODE, and before that, the AOD
Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis and Town Car	2005	4R70E
Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis and Town Car	2006 to 2011	4R75E
Mustang	1996 to 2004	4R70W (AODE in 1994 and 1995); from 2005, the 5R55S
Explorer and Mountaineer 5.0 V8	1996 to 2001	4R70W
Expedition	1997 to 2006	4R70W with the 4.6 V8 through 2004 and 4R75E in 2005 and 2006; with the 5.4, the 4R100 in the early years
E-Series vans (Econoline)	Through 2014	AODE and 4R70W in the nineties; later, 4R75E

More detail by model in our guide What transmission does my Ford have?.

How to tell an AOD, AODE, 4R70W or 4R75E apart

These clues help:

The certification label on the driver's door pillar has a transmission code. According to Ford's owner guides, U is the 4R70W (2004), A the 4R70E and Q the 4R75E (2006 to 2010 F-150, 2006 to 2008 Grand Marquis and 2011 Crown Victoria), and E the 4R100. The letter changes by model and plant: on the 2005 Expedition, the 4R75E is B, and on the 2005 Grand Marquis, the 4R70E is W or X. Check the table in your vehicle's owner guide.
The AOD is the only hydraulic one: its shifts depend on a TV cable or rod connected to the throttle. From the AODE on, the transmission is electronic and computer controlled.
The ratios differ: the 4R70W, 4R70E and 4R75E have a 2.84 1st and a 1.55 2nd; the AOD and AODE, a 2.40 1st and a 1.47 2nd.
From 2004, the 4R70E and 4R75E have a turbine speed sensor and a different ring gear for the output speed sensor: those parts don't interchange with 1998 to 2003 units. Order parts by year and VIN.

Common 4R70W problems

These are the problems documented in Ford's bulletins and by specialists such as Sonnax, Transmission Digest and GEARS magazine. Almost all also apply to the AODE, 4R70E and 4R75E.

No 4th or neutral in overdrive: the overdrive band

4th (overdrive) depends on the overdrive band. When it burns or its servo doesn't apply it properly, the transmission won't shift into 4th, slips on the highway or drops into neutral on the 4-3 downshift. Sonnax links these symptoms to wear in the valve body's overdrive servo regulator (2001 and later) and in the servo pin bore in the case. Replacing the band without fixing the cause can burn it again.

Watch out for a common tip: this family's bands have no external adjustment screw, unlike some older Ford automatics. Band clearance is set at assembly by selecting the right servo pin.

Slips under throttle when hot: EPC pressure and the valve body

Transmission Digest describes an AODE and 4R70W problem: the pressure regulator valve bore wears and, when the transmission is hot, the pressure the EPC solenoid controls is lost. The result is sliding shifts and slipping at medium to full throttle. The usual move is to replace the EPC solenoid and the problem remains: the repair is in the valve body. That low pressure can also wear the forward clutch early, and the transmission slips in Drive. Sun Transmissions has a pressure testing guide.

Slips in 3rd or burns the direct clutch: the 2-3 accumulator and separator plate

If the bottom of the 2-3 accumulator piston blows out, forward clutch oil feeds the direct clutch circuit, partially applies it and burns it: the transmission slips in 3rd. Transmission Digest documented this case on a 4R75E; the fix is a new bonded 2-3 accumulator piston and new direct clutch plates.

On 2001 and later units, Ford also removed a stiffener plate from the valve body. According to Sonnax and Jasper, without it the separator plate flexes or cracks, forward and direct clutch pressures cross-leak, and those clutches burn. Replacing only the clutch plates without checking the separator plate and its gaskets brings the failure back.

Noise, metal in the pan and loss of reverse: the planetary

According to Transmission Digest, the main planetary carrier has a reputation for failure, especially on 2004 to 2008 units: its needle bearing overheats and breaks, and the pieces damage the gears. In 2009 Ford fitted a thicker bearing. In 2016, Ford issued a bulletin with a service kit for the 4R75E in 2008 to 2010 F-150s and E-Series vans for grinding or whine noise, vibration, slipping or loss of reverse; it asks you to check the pan magnet for metal, replace the converter if lockup codes were set and flush the cooler. GEARS magazine sees this damage mostly in heavy-duty use, such as vans or towing.

No reverse

If reverse won't engage or slips, check reverse pressure (Sonnax links it to the valve body's boost valve), the reverse drum with its diaphragm spring, piston and seals, and the low/reverse band with its servo; on 2008 to 2010 4R75E units, the planetary too. Sun Transmissions has a general guide to why a car won't go in reverse.

Shudder above 35 mph in 3rd or 4th

Ford issued a bulletin for the AODE and 4R70W for shudder or vibration under light to moderate acceleration above 35 mph in 3rd or 4th, which the bulletin's summaries attribute to fluid breakdown or the computer's calibration. Sonnax also links shudder to wear in the valve body's lockup valves; Sun Transmissions explains how to tell a transmission shudder from other vibrations. And if it vibrates right after a transmission replacement on a 1998 or newer Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis or Town Car, check the index marks on the driveshaft, output shaft and ring gear, which Ford balanced as an assembly.

Front leak: pump seal and bushing

A leak between the engine and transmission usually comes out of the pump seal, but Sonnax links it to a worn pump bushing: the converter hub gets play, the seal fails and the pump can make noise. Replace the seal and bushing together, and if the pump comes apart, its gasket and O-ring too.

Starts in 3rd or 4th with the check engine light: check the connector

If after a repair the transmission starts in a high gear, the check engine light comes on and solenoid codes set, it isn't always the solenoids: Transmission Digest documented a case where a poor-quality case connector left loose terminals and no power to the solenoids. And in a 1998 bulletin, Ford said that on certain models the 4R70W's molded solenoid lead frame must be replaced when removed.

Common trouble codes

These are the codes that appear in Ford's bulletins and the specialists' cases for this family:

Code	Name	What it points to in this family
P0741	Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance or Stuck Off	Slipping lockup: solenoid, valve body valves or converter
P1741, P1742, P1743	Ford converter lockup codes	If they set along with a planetary failure, Ford says to replace the converter
P0733	Gear 3 Incorrect Ratio	Wrong ratio in 3rd; listed in the 4R75E planetary bulletin
P0720, P0722	Output Speed Sensor Circuit / No Signal	Output speed sensor; from 2004, it must match the ring gear's generation
P1747	Ford EPC solenoid circuit code	It can be the circuit or the computer, not just the solenoid

Sun Transmissions has articles on codes P0741 and P0720.

What fluid does the 4R70W take?

MERCON V. According to Ford/Motorcraft's fluid charts, the AOD, AODE, 4R70W, 4R70E and 4R75E through 2008 take MERCON V; 1993 to 1997 units left the factory with MERCON, but Ford now lists MERCON V for all of them. The 2009 and newer 4R75E, such as the one in the 2010 F-150 with the 4.6 V8 and the 2011 Crown Victoria, takes MERCON LV, and Ford says not to mix them. According to the owner guides, dry fill is about 13.9 quarts (12.8 quarts on the 2004 Mustang V8), but the level is set with the dipstick, with the transmission hot.

How it's diagnosed and repaired

Scan it with a tool that reads the transmission's codes, not just the engine's.
Check the level on the dipstick with the transmission hot, and the fluid condition: burnt fluid or metal means internal damage. Check the pan magnet too.
If it slips, test line pressure before replacing the EPC solenoid: valve body wear causes the same symptoms.
If solenoid codes set after a repair, check the case connector and harness before replacing solenoids.
After a battery disconnect or a repair, the transmission relearns its shifts: according to Ford, normal shifting returns within a few hundred miles.

How much does the repair cost? It depends on what failed: a seal or a piston isn't the same as a valve body or a planetary. Get a diagnosis before accepting a replacement transmission.

See TSS parts for the 4R70W

TSS parts for the 4R70W, AODE and 4R75E

The TSS catalog has parts for the whole family: AOD, AODE, 4R70W, 4R70E and 4R75E and 4R75W. The most requested are:

TSS overdrive band (AODE, 4R70W and 4R75W): the 4th gear band. If it burned, check the servo and the valve body too.
Flanged pump seal and pump bushing: for front leaks.
Reverse drum diaphragm and reverse servo pistons.
Forward, direct and intermediate steels and friction plates.
Bonded 2-3 accumulator piston, 1-2 accumulator piston and piston kits.
Remanufactured 2001 to 2008 4R70W and 4R75W valve body, valve body gaskets, and pressure valve and spring.
Gold gasket kits (AOD, 1996 to 2003 4R70W and 2004 and later, with or without piston), filters, solenoids and a new direct drum.

Before ordering, confirm your transmission by year, engine and VIN, especially on 2004 and later units. To buy online in the US, Sun Transmissions has collections for the AODE, 4R70E, 4R70W and 4R75W and the AOD.

TSS is an aftermarket brand with OEM-comparable quality and quality control on every product. You can buy it from our authorized distributors: in the United States from Sun Transmissions, and in Mexico the full TSS catalog at Transmisiones Veinte 07.

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