P0745 to P0748: pressure control solenoid codes

Codes P0745, P0746 and P0748 report a fault in the pressure control solenoid, the part that sets how much pressure the transmission works with. They're searched a lot for Nissan, Toyota, Jeep, Chevrolet and Hyundai, and most of what's out there assumes "A" is the same part on every car. It isn't. Here's what each code means, which solenoid it is on your brand, the symptoms, how it's diagnosed and which TSS part fits.

What do P0745, P0746 and P0748 mean?

The difference matters. A circuit code (P0748, P0778, P0798, P0960 to P0971 and, on most brands, P0745) comes from a wire, a connector, the coil or the computer: Honda says of its P0962 that it's caused by an electrical problem and can't come from a mechanical fault. A performance code (P0746, P0776, P0796) compares what the computer commanded with what the transmission did, so the fluid, the valve body and the clutches count too: Toyota uses it to detect mechanical problems in the solenoids, the valve body or the transmission.

What does the pressure control solenoid do?

It regulates line pressure, the pressure that applies the clutches and bands: more pressure gives firmer shifts, and less, softer ones. Each maker has its own name for it: EPC or LPC on Ford, PCS on GM, line pressure solenoid on Nissan, VFS on Hyundai and Kia, linear solenoid on Honda and Toyota, and EVM on Renault and Peugeot. On many transmissions it gives maximum pressure with no current: that's how Nissan, GM and Chrysler (on the 62TE) describe it. So if the circuit opens, the usual result is bangs into D or R and harsh shifts, not slipping.

On Fords the opposite happens when the circuit shorts to ground: pressure drops to minimum, the computer limits engine power and the transmission can slip, as Ford documents on the 4R70W and 5R55W.

Which solenoid is A, B and C on each brand?

There's no universal "solenoid A". This is what each maker's manuals, US editions, say for the transmissions sold in Mexico:

What are the symptoms?

• Bangs into D or R and harsh shifts: the most common, when the solenoid loses current and pressure goes to maximum. Ford describes it that way on the 6F35, 4F27E and 4R70W.
• Slipping or lack of power: on Fords, a short to ground drops pressure to minimum and the computer limits the engine; on the 5R55W, Ford notes it slips in gear and 3rd is incorrect.
• Stuck in one gear: the 6R80 and 6F35 in 5th (with P0962 the 6F35 only leaves P, R, N and 5th, and drives away in 5th), the 6L80 Silverado in 3rd or 5th, and the Aveo without 4th.
• Missing gears: on the 2011 Cruze (6T40), GM documented P0776 with no reverse, 3rd or 5th; on the 5R55W Explorer, P0778 leaves the transmission without 2nd or 5th.
• On Nissan, Jeep and Mitsubishi CVTs: slow launch, no acceleration or speed that won't climb; Nissan stops locking the converter, and Chrysler warns the belt can slip.
• The check engine light doesn't always come on: on GM's 4L60E, P0748 and P0961 don't turn it on; on Mazda the AT light comes on, and on Ford, the wrench or transmission light.

What causes P0745 and P0748?

When they're circuit codes, the cause is usually electrical:

• A broken or shorted wire, or a loose, dirty or wet connector: on the 2015 and 2016 09G, Volkswagen found a broken wire in the solenoid connector.
• Voltage and grounds: on the 4L60E, GM says P0748 and P0961 can set with low voltage from heavy electrical demand, and on Express vans with the 6L90 it found P0961, P0965 and P0969 together from a poor battery ground, in the US.
• The power feed: on 46RE Ram and Durango trucks, the causes of P0748 include the transmission control relay and its fused power feed.
• The solenoid coil, measured against that transmission's value.
• And last, the computer: Honda ends its P0962 diagnosis by updating the software or trying a known-good computer.

What causes P0746, P0776 and P0796?

They're performance codes: the transmission didn't do what the computer commanded, and the cause can be hydraulic or mechanical:

• The fluid: low level or damaged fluid. Mazda lists them first for P0777, and Honda says to check for metal or clutch material.
• The valve body: after the solenoid, Toyota checks the valves for debris; GM says that with P0747 on the 2023 and 2024 Silverado the valve body is the most likely cause, and on the 4R70W, valve body bore wear loses pressure when hot even after the solenoid is replaced, according to Transmission Digest.
• The clutches and pump: on the 6L80 Silverado, GM ties P0796 to a damaged 4-5-6 clutch and says to inspect the pump; on the 6T40, with P0776 it says to check the 3-5-reverse piston before replacing the module. More in our 6T40 guide.
• Sensors: on the 2019 Malibu CVT, GM found P0746 and P0776 caused by failed pressure sensors, in the US.
• On Nissan CVTs, low line pressure pushes the pulley ratio out of range, and that's what sets P0746.

P0746 and P0776 on Nissan CVTs

This is the most-searched case. On Nissan, P0746 is the line pressure solenoid; P0776 is the secondary pressure solenoid on the X-Trail and the 2007 to 2012 Sentra, and on newer CVTs, P0965 is the primary pressure solenoid. Nissan doesn't sell these solenoids separately: its manuals end in replacing the transmission, and its US bulletins for the Versa, Note, Kicks, Sentra and Rogue (the X-Trail in Mexico) say to remove the valve body, inspect the belt and, if it hasn't slipped, replace only the valve body; if it has, the belt and pulleys or the whole CVT. Then the additional service Nissan specifies has to be done. More in our Nissan CVT guide.

Can I drive with these codes?

Only as far as the shop. With maximum pressure, engagements hit hard; with low pressure, the clutches or the CVT belt can slip, and the computer can leave you in a single gear, like 5th on the 6R80 and 6F35.

How is it diagnosed?

• A scan tool that reads the transmission module: the exact code and freeze frame data. Repair any other codes first, as Toyota, GM and Ford require; Mitsubishi checks the CAN network before anything else.
• The fluid level and condition, and what's in the pan.
• The actuation test with the scan tool: on the 4L60E, GM commands currents from 0.1 to 1.1 amps and compares the actual with the commanded.
• The circuit from the computer and the solenoid resistance, against that transmission's value.
• A line pressure test with a gauge, before blaming the solenoid or the valve body.
• Solenoid, valve body or clutches: if the solenoid passes the test and the code returns, Honda says to check the shift valve.
• After the repair, the relearn: GM, Nissan and Volkswagen require it.

There's no universal resistance value: GM gives 3 to 7 ohms for the 4L60E pressure solenoid; Toyota, 5.0 to 5.6 at 20 °C (68 °F) for the RAV4's SL1 and SLT; Honda, 3 to 10 for its linear solenoids; Hyundai, 3.5 ± 0.2 for the Elantra's VFS, and Ford, 2.48 to 5.66 for the 4R70W EPC. More in our solenoid guide.

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, it returns. After replacing the solenoid or the valve body, run the maker's relearn or basic settings; on the 09G, Volkswagen also calls for about 40 km (25 miles) of driving to complete the learning. Shift solenoids have their own codes, P0750 to P0774: we cover them in our P0750 guide.

TSS parts for the pressure solenoid

These are the TSS pressure solenoids for each transmission. TSS has no pressure solenoids for Nissan, Jeep and Mitsubishi CVTs, the 6R80, 6F35, 6L80, the Aveo or recent Toyota, Hyundai and Kia units:

See TSS solenoids

TSS products

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