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Shift Solenoid

An electrically operated valve that routes hydraulic pressure to apply or release a clutch or band, and so selects the gear. A modern automatic has several, and the module commands them in combinations rather than one per gear — which is why a single failed solenoid usually blocks a specific set of gears rather than one, and why the pattern of gears still available is itself diagnostic. They are driven from a shared supply inside the module, so one winding that has shorted internally can pull that supply down and stop every solenoid responding, producing a fault that implicates the whole control system from one cheap part.

Also known as: shift solenoid a, shift solenoid b, gear solenoid, transmission solenoid, solenoid pack, shift valve solenoid

Referenced by 167 codes

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Codes involving this component (167)

Other components in Transmission

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