Ford 4R70W

Transmission general data

The 4-speed automatic transmission AOD had been installed on well-known Crown Victoria with 4.6 liter engine since 1980, it was in production for 15 years. In 1993 it was updated into electronic AOD-E version. After that, it was modified into the 4R70W (1995) without significant changes and was used until 2006. The last modification of this popular series named 4R75W was released in 2003.

Technical issues and repair guidelines

This family of automatic transmissions rarely gets in repair services and mainly requires replacement of some spare parts. But it is not because these transmissions are extremely reliable and durabile, but on the contrary, once these transmissions get damaged by overheating, they should be replaced rather than rebuilt.

Typical problems of these automatic transmissions (from AOD-E to 4R70W) include the following: wear-out of seals and rings, that results in oil pressure drop in clutch packs, oil overheating caused by the pressure shortage, clogging of the valve body, wear-out of the brake band and backlash of servo pistons, wear-out of the torque converter locking and backlash of the pump shaft with wear-out of seals and bushings, ageing of rubber and plastic elements.

Owners of this automatic transmission have to change oil and filter every 30-50 thousand kilometers, perform the torque converter repair, install additional transmission cooling system, and when having the slightest suspicion regarding shortages in oil pressure, it is necessary to visit the nearest repair shop. A typical overhaul of the "old" AOED transmission, except spare parts, includes the following: Kit of gaskets and seals \ Overhaul kit. Since 2003, transmissions of the 4R70W/4R75E/W series mainly have been delivered to repair shops.