P0960: Pressure Control Solenoid A Control Circuit/Open
What to do
Ask for all the stored codes rather than just the main one. Whether a control circuit fault appears alongside the solenoid fault decides whether this is a wiring problem or a hydraulic one, and those are quite different repairs — the first is often a connector, the second can be a valve body.
What this code means
A fault in the module's control circuit for pressure control solenoid A — the output driver and the wiring through which the command is sent, rather than the solenoid's ability to do its hydraulic job.
That distinction is the reason this whole run of codes exists alongside the P0745 and P0775 families, and understanding it turns twenty near-identical entries into a genuinely useful diagnostic tool.
The two ranges describe the same solenoids from opposite ends. P0745 says the solenoid did not deliver the pressure asked for — a statement about hydraulics, which could be the solenoid, debris, fluid or a worn bore. P0960 says the module's own output stage is unhappy with the circuit it is driving — a statement about electricity, which is wiring, a connector, the winding, or the driver itself.
So the pairing carries information neither code has alone:
- A P09xx control circuit code with its P07xx counterpart points firmly at the electrical path — winding, harness or connector. The solenoid is not doing its job because it is not being driven properly.
- A P07xx code on its own, with no control circuit fault points at hydraulics. The command was delivered correctly and the result still did not follow, so look at debris, fluid, pressure and valve bores rather than wiring.
That is a real fork in the diagnosis available for free from which codes are present, and it is worth asking for the full list rather than the headline fault.
One historical note that explains why some vehicles produce only half the picture: these control circuit codes were added to the standard later, when modules gained the ability to monitor their own output drivers. An older vehicle may report only the P07xx code because it has no way to report the other, which is not evidence that the circuit is healthy.
Likely causes
Start here
- Open circuit in solenoid wiring · moderate
- Faulty pressure control solenoid · moderate
- Corroded transmission connector · moderate
Less common
- Fluid tracking into the transmission connector · moderate
- Faulty transmission control module · specialist
Symptoms
Components involved
Information, not instruction
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Community experience
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