P0746: Pressure Control Solenoid A Performance or Stuck Off
What to do
If the transmission is slipping — revs rising without the car accelerating to match — stop driving it and have it recovered. Slip destroys clutches quickly, and each additional journey costs money. If the shifts are merely harsh rather than slipping, it is safe to drive gently to a garage.
What this code means
The pressure control solenoid is not delivering the pressure the module asked for. "Stuck off" typically means pressure defaulting to a fixed value rather than being modulated, and which fixed value depends on the design — some transmissions default to maximum pressure as a protective measure, which gives brutal shifts but does not damage anything, while others lose pressure and slip.
Slipping is the case that needs urgency. A clutch applied with insufficient pressure does not fail cleanly; it slips, generates heat, glazes its friction material and gradually destroys itself. That process is measured in miles rather than months, which is what makes a slipping transmission worth stopping for in a way that a harsh-shifting one is not.
Debris is the most common cause and the most treatable. These solenoids have fine internal clearances, and a particle of clutch material lodged in the wrong place holds a valve off its seat. Dropping the pan to change the fluid and filter clears a real proportion of these, and shows you the state of the transmission at the same time.
Likely causes
Start here
- Debris in the transmission fluid · moderate
- Faulty pressure control solenoid · moderate
- Low or degraded transmission fluid · easy
Less common
- Worn valve body · specialist
- Low transmission line pressure · specialist
- Worn transmission fluid pump · specialist
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.
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