P0713: Transmission Fluid Temperature Sensor A Circuit High
What to do
You may notice worse fuel economy and slightly higher revs at a steady cruise, with nothing else obviously wrong. That combination is characteristic of this fault rather than of anything expensive.
What this code means
The fluid temperature signal is above its valid range — an open circuit or a short to supply. Since resistance rises as these sensors get colder, the module reads this as fluid that is impossibly cold, and the consequence is the mirror image of P0712: believing the transmission has never warmed up, it withholds torque converter lock-up indefinitely.
That produces a specific and easily recognised complaint — economy that has dropped noticeably on long runs, with engine speed at motorway cruise sitting a few hundred revolutions higher than it used to, and no other symptom worth mentioning. The transmission is behaving perfectly; it has simply been told it is permanently on a winter morning.
Likely causes
Start here
- Open circuit in sensor wiring · moderate
- Corroded transmission connector · moderate
- Faulty transmission fluid temperature sensor · moderate
Less common
- Wiring shorted to voltage · moderate
Symptoms
Components involved
Information, not instruction
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Have anything you intend to act on checked by a trained person against the manufacturer's own procedure for your vehicle. Nothing here replaces that procedure.
Community experience
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