How To Test Diagnostic Trouble Code P0760 (Overdrive Solenoid Malfunction)

This tutorial will help you diagnose a P0760: Shift Solenoid C Malfunction (OBD II) or code 43: OD Shift Solenoid Circuit (OBD I) transmission diagnostic trouble code (DTC).

Symptoms Of A Bad Overdrive Shift Solenoid (DTC P0760)

When the Over-Drive shift solenoid (also known as Shift Solenoid C) fails, you're gonna' see two specific symptoms, these are:

1. The check engine light (CEL) will be lit nice and bright on your Chrysler vehicle's instrument cluster and you'll have the following code:
   • P0760: Over-Drive Solenoid Circuit Malfunction (OBD II equipped only).
   • P0760: Shift Solenoid C Malfunction (OBD II equipped only).
   • If OBD I equipped, you'll see trouble code 43: Over Drive Solenoid Circuit.
2. The transmission will not shift gears:
   • More specifically, it'll stay in 2nd gear no matter what speed you're driving the vehicle.
   • This is commonly referred to as: Limp In Mode.

It stinks that you're having this issue (P0760 or code 43), but the cool thing is that it's not that hard to test this yourself and replace the solenoid pack if indeed the Over Drive shift solenoid is bad.

What Tools Do I Need?

The most important tool that you're gonna' need is a multimeter. Your multimeter can either be a digital multimeter or an analog multimeter.

A scan tool is becoming a must-have tool, but isn't necessary to use the info in this test tutorial of the Over Drive shift solenoid.

Here are some of my suggestions:

1. Multimeter
   • Don't have one or need to upgrade your analog multimeter to a digital multimeter, check out my recommendation here: Tekpower TP8268 AC/DC Auto/Manual Range Digital Multimeter (Amazon affiliate link).
2. Scan Tool
   • As I mentioned above, you don't need to use a scan tool to take advantage of the test info in this tutorial, but it does come in handy to read any trouble codes.
   • If you don't own a scan tool yet, I recommend taking a look at this one: ZM301 OBD2 Scanner Diagnostic Tool (Amazon affiliate link).

Where To Buy The Chrysler Solenoid Pack

Your local auto parts store (like AutoZone and O'Reilly Auto Parts) will carry the Chrysler solenoid pack and will be more than happy to sell you one at a cost of US$150 to $200, which is quite expensive.

Another alternative you may want to explore, is buying it online and saving a few bucks. Below, you'll find two links (to the same place) so that you can shop and compare and see what option is best for you!

Circuit Descriptions Of The Chrysler Transmission Solenoid Pack

To be able to resistance test the Over Drive solenoid, which is located inside the transmission's solenoid pack, we need to know which two pins to test (on the solenoid pack, not its electrical connector).

In this section, I'll briefly described the 8 circuits (pins) of the solenoid pack. The ones that we're interested (for this tutorial) is pin #6 and pin #4 (of the solenoid pack, not its 8-wire electrical connector).

Chrysler Solenoid Pack Connector Pin outs
Pin	Wire Color	Description
1	Yellow w/ Black stripe *	2-4 Pressure Switch
2	Dark Green *	Low/Reverse Pressure Switch
3	Orange w/ Black stripe *	Overdrive Pressure Switch
4	Red *	Power (10 to 12 Volts DC)
5	Pink *	Underdrive (UD) Solenoid
6	Brown *	Overdrive (OD) Solenoid
7	Light Blue *	Low/Reverse Solenoid
8	White *	2-4 Shift Solenoid

  * Your specific Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth vehicle may have different colors.

One last thing before we move on to the next page (and start testing), the solenoid pack will have the above 8 numbers embossed on it. This will further aid you in identifying the metal male terminals you'll need to test in the next page.

TEST 1: Over-Drive Shift Solenoid Resistance Test

OK, this is what you signed up for, testing the Over-Drive shift solenoid inside the transmission solenoid pack to see if it's good or bad.

Before you start, you'll need to disconnect the solenoid pack's 8-wire connector since you'll be testing the solenoid pack's pin #4 and pin #6 with your multimeter's red and black test leads (in Ohms mode).

Pin #4 is the one that feeds power (10 to 12 Volts) to the Over-Drive shift solenoid and Pin #6 is the one that feeds the activation signal to it.

NOTE: Don't perform the Over-Drive shift solenoid test with a hot engine/transmission or you run the risk of getting burned. Be careful, use common sense and think SAFETY.

OK, this is what you'll need to do:

1. Disconnect the solenoid packs electrical connector.
   • This is an on-car test, so you don't have to remove the solenoid pack to test it.
   • If you have already removed the transmission solenoid pack, well that's OK since the instructions in this test tutorial still apply.
2. Set your multimeter to Ohms mode.
3. With the red Lead, probe the metal male terminal labeled with the number 4 in the photo above.
4. With the black multimeter test lead, probe the metal male terminal labeled with the number 6.
5. Your multimeter should register between 0.5 to 9 Ohms.

Let's find out what your test result means:

CASE 1: The multimeter registered the indicated Ohms. This is the correct and expected resistance test result and let's you know that the Over-Drive shift solenoid (within the solenoid pack) is OK.

Since a trouble code P0760 is lighting up the check engine light and your transmission is not shifting out of 2nd gear, the next steps are:

1. Check the continuity of circuit #6 between the Transmission Control Module and the solenoid pack's connector.
2. Check the physical condition of the solenoid pack's connector and the round metal terminals inside of it for damage.

The above steps are beyond the scope of this article, but at least now you know what direction your troubleshooting needs to take.

CASE 2: The multimeter DID NOT register the indicated Ohms. Double check that you're testing the correct metal male terminals on the solenoid pack and retest.

If you still don't see the indicated resistance in Ohms, then the Over-Drive shift solenoid is bad. You'll need to replace the solenoid pack Assembly to resolve the problem.

Over-Drive Shift Solenoid Test Conclusion

I think that getting down and close to the solenoid pack to test the pins is probably the hardest part of the entire test, but once you get to the pins, the test itself is pretty easy.

Over the years I've replaced quite a few of these Chrysler solenoid packs (working full-time as diagnostic tech in an automotive repair shop), so in this section I want to share a couple of personal suggestions that I think will help you:

1. Whenever any of the shift solenoids, inside the solenoid pack, go bad, the transmission will go into LIMP IN mode. This means the transaxle will stay and run in 2nd gear only.
2. A bad Over-Drive (OD) shift solenoid will not cause your transmission to slip.
3. If your vehicle's transaxle is slipping, then replacing the solenoid pack will not help since slippage is a direct result of internal transaxle damage (burned clutch discs, broken/worn internal hard parts, etc).
   • Can a bad solenoid pack cause the transaxle to go bad?, the answer is YES if you don't take care of the problem as soon as possible and/or continue driving it for extended amounts of time/distance in LIMP IN mode.

Well, in conclusion: I hope this test tutorial helped you. If it did, drop me a line using the contact form below. Sharing your diagnostic and repair experience will definitely help other readers facing the same issue/dilemma.

Chrysler Transmission Solenoid Pack Tutorials

The following tutorials relate to this transmission solenoid pack tutorial:

• Testing Diagnostic Trouble Code P0750 (Low Reverse Shift Solenoid Malfunction).
• How To Test Diagnostic Trouble Code P0755 (2-4 Shift Solenoid Malfunction).
• How To Test Diagnostic Trouble Code P0765 (Shift Solenoid D Malfunction).