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P073B

Stuck in Gear 6

The transmission is mechanically stuck in gear 6 and will not shift out of it. A shift solenoid or hydraulic valve on the gear-6 circuit has jammed, or a clutch/band has failed to release. Symptoms are no up- or downshifts, harsh behaviour, and often limp mode. Causes: a stuck or failed shift solenoid, a valve-body fault, a hydraulic pressure problem, or internal mechanical damage.

  • Check engine light: Yes
  • Emissions related: No
  • Repair difficulty: hard

Symptoms

  • Check engine or transmission warning light on
  • Harsh, delayed, or missing shifts
  • Possible limp mode (locked in one gear)
  • Slipping or shuddering during gear changes

Common causes

Ordered by how often each turns out to be the cause.

  • Shift solenoid stuckCommon

Parts involved

  • Transmission

P073B is a generic OBD-II code defined by SAE J2012. Exact wording and diagnostic procedure vary by manufacturer and model. Code definitions are drawn from the public-domain OBDex dataset; the workshop notes are our own.