OBD-II Code
P1746
Severity
Not yet reviewed
Nobody on our side has assessed this code yet, so we are not going to guess at how serious it is.
Can you drive it
We cannot say
Treat it as unknown until a shop reads it with live data. If the check-engine light is FLASHING, stop driving as soon as it is safe to — that means an active misfire, whatever the code.
Indicative cost (USD)
$180–$850
From this code's diagnostic notes. Varies by vehicle, diagnosis, parts, and local labor. This is not a repair quote.
$180 (EPC solenoid + pan gasket + Mercon V, DIY) to $850 (EPC + case-connector reseal + filter + flush, installed at an AAMCO-level shop).
P1746 is a Ford-specific Electronic Pressure Control (EPC) solenoid open-circuit code on the 4R70W / 4R75W / AODE family of 4-speed automatics — the TCM sends a PWM current command to the EPC solenoid in the valve body to vary line pressure (and therefore shift firmness) and looks at the current return on the feedback wire; if it sees zero current flow with the solenoid commanded on, it sets P1746 and forces the transmission into max-pressure limp-home so shifts are harsh but the transmission won't slip or burn clutches.
How a shop works this
Work from evidence to part, not the other way round. A code names a circuit or a symptom; it does not name the part that failed.
Note every code that is set, not just this one.
Codes that appear together usually narrow the cause faster than any one of them read alone.
Read the freeze frame — the conditions the fault was recorded under.
Cold or warm, idle or load, road speed and engine speed. A fault that only appears cold is a different fault from one that only appears under load, even with the same code on the scanner.
Confirm the fault is current rather than history.
Clear the code and see whether it returns under those same conditions. A code that does not come back may have been logged during a repair, a flat battery, or a bad connection that has since been disturbed.
Then follow the diagnostic notes further down this page, in the order they are written.
They are written in the order a shop works this code, cheapest checks first. Where they name a component, inspect its wiring and connector before replacing it.
If the code comes back after a repair, the underlying fault is still there. That is the point to bring in a scanner with live data and freeze-frame, or a shop that has one.
Common symptoms
- Check engine light
Read the full diagnostic procedureP1746 is a Ford-specific Electronic Pressure Control (EPC) solenoid open-circuit code on the 4R70W / 4R75W / AODE family of 4-speed automatics — the…
P1746 is a Ford-specific Electronic Pressure Control (EPC) solenoid open-circuit code on the 4R70W / 4R75W / AODE family of 4-speed automatics — the TCM sends a PWM current command to the EPC solenoid in the valve body to vary line pressure (and therefore shift firmness) and looks at the current return on the feedback wire; if it sees zero current flow with the solenoid commanded on, it sets P1746 and forces the transmission into max-pressure limp-home so shifts are harsh but the transmission won't slip or burn clutches.
Cheapest-first ladder
- Drop the transmission pan, look for metallic debris on the magnet (mild = normal wear; heavy = clutch-pack failure already in progress), and inspect the EPC solenoid for the bullet-shaped boss on the valve body — its connector is the most common failure point because ATF wicks up the wire and corrodes the pin.
- Ohm the EPC solenoid coil pin-to-pin at the case connector — Ford 4R70W spec is 3-7 ohms cold, anything reading open-circuit means a snapped solenoid lead inside the case or a failed coil.
- Inspect the case-pass-through connector for ATF intrusion and corrosion — same failure mode as P1700, fixing it often clears P1746 and a stack of associated codes.
- Back-probe the EPC current at the TCM with the engine running and watch the duty cycle — should sweep cleanly between roughly 30% (firm shifts under load) and 70% (soft shifts at light throttle); flat duty cycle with no current return means a broken feedback circuit, not necessarily a dead solenoid. Don't drop the transmission or rebuild it for a $40 solenoid before reading KAM for prior valve-body swaps and unauthorized tunes — shift-kit installs (TransGo, B&M) on 4R70W frequently re-route or re-pin the EPC circuit and a botched install will read as P1746 even on a healthy transmission.
Vehicle-specific patterns1996-2008 Ford F-150 / Crown Vic / Mustang / E-150 with the 4R70W / 4R75W is the canonical P1746 — the case-pass-through connector wicks ATF into the…
- 1996-2008Ford F-150 / Crown Vic / Mustang / E-150 with the 4R70W / 4R75W is the canonical P1746 — the case-pass-through connector wicks ATF into the harness and corrodes the EPC pin, or the EPC solenoid coil dies outright around 130-170k miles; either way the fix is pan-down access, solenoid swap, and a Mercon V flush.
- 1998-2003Ford Mustang GT / Cobra with the AODE / 4R70W sees P1746 from the same EPC failure pattern, often after track / autocross use that heats the fluid past 250 F.
- 2003-2011Crown Vic Police Interceptor and Mercury Marauder see P1746 in fleet/police use where extended idling and high-load pursuit cycles cook the EPC solenoid coil.
- 1996-2003E-150/E-250 vans (4R70W) in commercial / shuttle service see P1746 around 200k miles from sheer duty-cycle accumulation on the solenoid.
Estimated repair$180 (EPC solenoid + pan gasket + Mercon V, DIY) to $850 (EPC + case-connector reseal + filter + flush, installed at an AAMCO-level shop).
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