My EL's gearbox has been starting to slip every now again, mainly from 4th it just lets go.
I checked the fluid and it was black as, so I changed it along with the filter.

It got a little better but still slips every now and again.

Now here is an interesting symptom that I've just discovered thanks to the instrument cluster diagnosis mode.

When in the diagnosis mode, in mode 8 (gear selector position), while driving in D, the diagnosis screen would suddenly show '0' and stay there for ages, and wouldn't shift down to 3, 2, or 1 when I selected them manually.
Obviously it should never show '0' as the gear position. So that's problem no.1.

Or when I shifted up to neutral or reverse the screen still showed D or P along with other strange reactions.

Then I witnessed the most important fault which is causing me all the grief. I saw what the diagnosis screen reads when the gearbox slips. It actually showed 'N' for that split second that I thought it was slipping, so looks like it's not slipping at all but in fact an electronic issue of some sort is causing it to think its in neutral.


Has anyone seen this issue before???
What/where are the electronic components associated with the BTR box?
Is there a separate transmission control module??

ANY advise or suggestion would be much appreciated, thanks!!

I'm having virtually the same problem with my LTD. It will show the wrong gear selection on the instrument cluster. For example if i'm in D it will show N etc, etc. Also when selecting gears manually sometimes it won't do it at all or if I do shift menually it will sometimes fall out of whatever gear I have selected. Unfiortunately I don't knwo what the problem is either but would love to so I can fix it, bloody annoying.

Personally I'm suspecting the inhibitor switch on the side of the box.
I'm gonna pull it out and try giving it a good clean, then seeing if it makes any difference. If not, I'll just go get a new one for around $100, next cheapest alternative.

that is no1,see auto guy and run codes,thats all these guys do,i have known my guy for years,he drives them-runs codes and has a very good idea whats wrong,he has specialists to build the boxes-ford,gm,jap.,does 4-8 cars a day and we can talk about anything.

UPDATE:

Well I got the chance to jack up the car and remove the inhibitor switch & give all its contacts a good clean inside and out, as well as the terminals of both plugs going to it.

Since then I have driven a few hundred km's without any issues at all, and the instrument cluster diagnostic mode shows 'D' the whole time rather than having a mind of its own like it used to.

Very happy with the result so far and best of all didn't cost me anything

which side of the box is the inhibitor switch on? and what does it look like?

Looks like this... Passenger side of the trans.

 

 

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FYI V8s have a sep auto controller - the 6cyl autos are controlled by the ECU.

I would also recommend checking your TPS - can muck around with your auto if it is not mounted correctly.

How many kms has your auto done ?

Yer TPS is all good, box has done 210,000k's. Shifts pretty well but when selecting gears manually sometimes it will and sometimes it won't. Also if selecting manually it will fall back into D when it wants to.

Another thing to check is the Slip yoke bush. They are notorious for wearing out.
Did you flush the auto tranny out???? Will take about 20lts to do that.