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P0959

Auto Shift Manual Mode Circuit Intermittent

The auto-shift manual mode circuit reports a intermittent condition. Manual mode shift requests cannot be reliably interpreted.

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

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.

  • Connector not seatedCommon
  • Noisy ground referencePossible
  • Connector with intermittent contact under vibrationLess likely

Parts involved

  • Auto Shift Manual Switch
  • Wiring Harness
  • TCM

P0959 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.