I have a 1994 Thunderbird LX 4.6 V8 ,I love my Bird but the tranny is starting go.It acts like it slips out of drive into nuetral at about 45 to
55 mph, I had it on the scope and showed no codes. I tryed finding one at the local junkyards with no luck at all..Thunderbird and there parts are hard to find in mid Wisconsin. Now my guestion. is would a Ford F-150 or F-250 even the 2000+ up to 05 Auto. Tranny fit in a Thunderbird. .I`m pretty sure the F-150s had the 4.6 in them.well at least some years..
This perfectly describes a very well known problem with the '94 Tbird 4r70w trannies (maybe the AODE too, I dunno). I chased this problem with my TB for several years. I'm reasonably certain it was the Manual Lever Positioning Sensor (?) on mine.
The '94 TB MLPS is indeed a potential problem, lacks a seal to protect the electrical integrity of the unit, as I understand it.
The '94 MLPS has 8 male connectors. Our Ford mechanic told me they use the '95 MLPS as a replacement unit. It has 12 connectors, so they have to replace the female connector from the wiring harness (more $). I replaced mine ('94 LX V8, 4R70W Tranny) with a
100% compatable Wells unit ($25 at Auto Zone), which has been working well for quite some time, now.
If you have reasonable miles on your tranny and have taken good care of it, it *may* not be necessary to replace it.
Might wanna ask your tranny mechanic about any MLPS replacement. For my $, the Ford-recommended repacement is too expensive (maybe $250). It's a pain in the ass, but you can maybe replace it yourself if you're skilled and so inclined. More info on this if you need it.
Cheers, Puddin'
********************************************************* Puddin' Man PuddingDotMan at GmailDotCom *********************************************************;
Why replace the tranny when you have a very good chance of fixing it for under $50. This problem is most frequently caused by the MLPS located on the left side of the trans. If you can read instructions and have basic hand tools, you can repair it in about 10 minutes after you get under it. The part is sometimes called the nuetral safety switch if you get it in the aftermarket like Autozone or Advance.
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