P0711 to P0713: transmission fluid temperature sensor

Codes P0711, P0712 and P0713 (and P0710 on some brands) report a fault in the transmission fluid temperature sensor, the TFT. The computer uses that temperature to decide when to apply the converter clutch, how much pressure to send and how to shift, so a false reading shows up on the road. Here's what each code means, what causes them, what the transmission does, where the sensor is and how to test it.

What do P0710, P0711, P0712 and P0713 mean?

Which code you get depends on the brand: GM, Chrysler, Kia, Mazda and the Nissan JF015E and JF017E CVTs use P0711 to P0713, and Ford, on the 6R80, P0710 to P0713. And P0711 doesn't say the transmission is hot: the over-temperature code is P0218, which you check with the cooler and the fluid level.

Do P0712 and P0713 mean cold or hot?

The sensor is a thermistor: its resistance drops as the fluid heats up, and the computer reads it as a voltage. So on most transmissions the low signal (P0712) is an impossibly hot reading, typical of a short to ground, and the high signal (P0713) an impossibly cold one, typical of an open circuit. GM labels them that way on the 4L60E; Ford sets P0712 on the 6R80 when it reads over 171 °C (340 °F) and P0713 below -45 °C (-50 °F), and Nissan, on its CVTs, at 180 °C (356 °F) or more and at -40 °C or less.

But it isn't a universal rule: on GM's 6T70, which has the sensor inside the transmission control module, P0712 sets with a reading of -74 °C (-101 °F) or lower and P0713 with 174 °C (345 °F) or higher. That's why it pays to check the live temperature with a scan tool before deciding what to inspect.

What does the transmission temperature sensor do?

• It times the converter clutch (lock-up): on the 4L60E, GM doesn't apply it until the fluid reaches about 29 °C (84 °F), and above 135 °C (275 °F) it keeps it applied in 4th to bring the temperature down.
• It adjusts pressure and shifts to the fluid temperature, since cold fluid is thicker.
• It changes the strategy when cold or hot: with cold fluid some transmissions skip lock-up and the top gear; when very hot, VW's 09G shifts at higher rpm and, near 150 °C (302 °F), cuts engine torque.
• It's needed for level checks: on units like the 6R80 or 09G, the level is checked at a temperature you read with a scan tool.

What causes P0711?

Since the circuit works, the computer detects that the reading makes no sense. Each brand checks it its own way:

• Ford (6R80): the temperature stays below 21 °C (70 °F) or above 107 °C (225 °F), or barely changes during a drive.
• Nissan (JF015E CVT): the temperature doesn't change in 10 minutes of driving.
• Chrysler (46RE): the temperature doesn't rise enough in the 10 minutes after a cold start.
• GM (6T40 and 6T70): the fluid temperature doesn't match the module's.

The documented causes are the sensor, a poor contact at the connector or in the wiring (also inside the transmission, in the internal harness or lead frame) and, on some brands, the computer: Kia says so for its 6-speeds, and says not to replace the transaxle.

What causes P0712 and P0713?

They're electrical circuit faults, so the cause is usually:

• The transmission connector: water, corrosion, pushed-out terminals or damaged seals. In the US, Ford reported that on the 2002 Explorer and Mountaineer with the 5R55W the most common code was P0713, from water in the solenoid body connector.
• The wiring to the computer: open, shorted to ground or shorted to power. In the US, a recall on 2009 and 2010 DSG models fixed with software a poorly connected temperature sensor that could read a false high temperature and shift the transmission to neutral abruptly.
• The internal harness or lead frame: over the years, heat hardens and cracks the wire insulation (as on the AX4N and 4F50N), and on the 6R80 Ford says to clean metal debris off the sensor before replacing the lead frame.
• The sensor.
• And last, the computer.

Can I drive with these codes?

Only as far as the shop. Without a reliable reading, the computer uses a backup temperature and, depending on the unit, changes its strategy or puts it in limp mode:

• Chrysler replaces the real temperature with one calculated from ambient temperature, engine coolant temperature and run time, and keeps shifting.
• GM (4L60E, 6T70) keeps shifting with a calculated temperature or the module's, and freezes shift adapts.
• VW's 09G calculates a temperature from the engine's and the run time, runs the lock-up only fully open or closed, and shifts feel harder.
• Ford's 6R80, per its manual, stays in 1st with P0712 or P0713, and in 1st or 3rd with P0711, with the transmission light flashing.
• Some Nissan CVTs limit engine speed (the JF011E, below 4,500 rpm) or stop applying lock-up.

Meanwhile, the computer doesn't know whether the fluid is really overheating.

Where is the transmission temperature sensor?

On almost every automatic it sits inside the transmission, bathed in fluid, and it's rarely a stand-alone part:

That's why the part replaced is often the harness, the lead frame or the whole assembly.

How is it diagnosed?

• A scan tool that reaches the transmission module: the exact code, freeze frame data and the sensor's live temperature and voltage. Compare the temperature with the engine's or a thermometer: on the 6T70, GM expects the fluid and module temperatures within 20 °C (36 °F) after 10 minutes of driving.
• The transmission connector: water, corrosion, pushed-out terminals or damaged seals.
• The wiring to the computer, including power and grounds. Ford gives a useful test for the 6R80: with the transmission connector unplugged, the scan tool should read -40 °C (-40 °F), and with a fused jumper across the two sensor terminals, about 190 °C (376 °F). If both readings are right, the wiring and computer respond, and the fault is inside the transmission.
• Inside the transmission: the internal harness, lead frame or sensor wire, and the sensor resistance against that unit's chart.
• The real fluid level and temperature: if the sensor reads correctly and the temperature stays high, Ford says to diagnose overheating.
• The computer, last.

There's no universal resistance value: at about 20 °C (68 °F), the 6R80 sensor reads close to 37 kΩ (37,000 ohms), the Nissan JF015E and JF017E CVTs' about 6.5 kΩ, the Versa 4-speed's about 2.5 kΩ and Chrysler's 42RE about 1,000 ohms at room temperature. Use your transmission's manual chart.

Do I need to replace the transmission?

Rarely for this code. In the US, Hyundai and Kia say to replace the sensor (or the harness that carries it) on their 6-speeds, not the transaxle. On the Nissan JF015E and JF017E CVTs, the US manuals do call for replacing the transaxle, but only if the sensor fails its test after the wiring and connector check out. And Honda says not to replace solenoids for P0710 on its transmissions.

How do you clear the code?

With a scan tool, after the repair and after writing down the code and freeze frame. If the fault is still there, the code returns: Ford says to clear it and see if it comes back, and Nissan confirms the repair by driving in D for about 10 minutes. After repairing a 6T70, GM says to reset the transmission's learned values. Don't disconnect the battery to clear it: on Chrysler units the transmission's learned values are lost.

TSS parts for the temperature sensor

TSS doesn't sell the sensor on its own, but it does sell parts that carry or connect it:

See TSS harnesses

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