my transmission temp gauge does not read. I want to find the sender and make sure it is pluged in or replace. the gauge pegs to the left. Help.

Jamie
89 regal 460

Jamie, I cannot help you, but I have the same symptom on '96 w/ Allison 6-sp. Did you find it?

The temp sending unit is usually in one of three places:

1. In the drain port of the trans pan.

2. Screwed in to the trans inself. (perhaps a Ford guy here will know the exact location)

3. In a tee fitting on one of the lines, most likely in the line from the trans to the cooler.

It will be a single contact unit with a pipe thread nipple, most likely 1/8 pipe thread. When you find it, remove the wire and touch it to ground. It the needle does not move, your problem is not the sensor.

With ignition off, my temp sender pegs left. When running it barely climbs to a hair past the lowest reading. That is, it never seems to rise.

Could it be that the true temp is that low, or it is not functioning.

I guess what I am asking is: What is a typical low-load reading on the tranny temp?

After a warm up, while in drive, hold the brakes full on and depress the gas pedal until the engine will rev no higher. You should see the temperature rise in a little while. If the temp bulb is on the trans, the normal temp will be near the water temp, ie. around 200 F. If your temp bulb is located before the cooler, the temps will run higher. Either way, it should climb a bit when you climb.

With our 454/Turbo 400, 34T, on an 85-90 degree day last month going down the Freeway at 60mph our temp was 190 degrees. If I ran at 70-75mph, or went up a long steep hill, the temp would go to around 250... Engine oil temp was about the same too. How accurate is the reading, I don't know.
Cheers, John