OBD-II Code · Transmission
P0712
TFT Sensor Circuit Low Input
Severity
medium
Worth booking. It costs fuel, emissions or comfort until it is fixed.
Can you drive it
Only if running normally
A short trip to a shop may be reasonable if the light is steady and the car runs normally. Stop safely for a flashing light, severe shaking, overheating, loss of power, or another urgent warning. The code alone cannot confirm safety.
Indicative cost (USD)
$150–$400
Varies by vehicle, diagnosis, parts, and local labor. This is not a repair quote.
TFT sensor voltage low.
How a shop works this
Work from evidence to part, not the other way round. A code names a circuit or a symptom; it does not name the part that failed.
Note every code that is set, not just this one.
Codes that appear together usually narrow the cause faster than any one of them read alone.
Read the freeze frame — the conditions the fault was recorded under.
Cold or warm, idle or load, road speed and engine speed. A fault that only appears cold is a different fault from one that only appears under load, even with the same code on the scanner.
Confirm the fault is current rather than history.
Clear the code and see whether it returns under those same conditions. A code that does not come back may have been logged during a repair, a flat battery, or a bad connection that has since been disturbed.
Then work the likely-causes list in the order shown.
That order is what a shop checks first for this code — wiring and connections before the component they run to, because a connector costs nothing to inspect and is a common answer.
If the code comes back after a repair, the underlying fault is still there. That is the point to bring in a scanner with live data and freeze-frame, or a shop that has one.
Common symptoms
- Check engine light
Likely causes
- Wiring shortMost common
- Failed sensor
Read the full diagnostic procedureP0712 sets when the TFT sensor circuit reads at or near 0V (typically below 0.15V for 5+ seconds), which the TCM interprets as the sensor shorted to…
P0712 sets when the TFT sensor circuit reads at or near 0V (typically below 0.15V for 5+ seconds), which the TCM interprets as the sensor shorted to ground or the signal wire shorted to chassis. The thermistor would have to read essentially zero ohms to produce this voltage, which is physically impossible unless the sensor element has shorted internally or the signal wire is grounded somewhere in the harness.
Diagnostic ladder cheapest-first
- unplug the trans case connector and check live data, if the temp reading jumps to -40F (the substitute value for an open circuit) then the fault is internal to the transmission (sensor or internal harness shorted to case); if the reading stays pinned at the max-hot value the short is external in the engine-bay harness between the case connector and the TCM. Ohm the signal wire to ground with the connector disconnected at both ends, anything under 100 ohms is a short.
- Verify the TCM 5V reference is healthy (4.95-5.05V) at the case connector, a collapsed reference rails the signal low and mimics a sensor short.
- Expensive misdiagnosis: do not authorize a solenoid-pack replacement until you have isolated the short to inside the transmission, an external harness short to ground (commonly at a chafe point near the trans cooler lines or starter) is a $80-200 repair versus a $1,500-2,500 internal job.
Vehicle-specific patterns2003-2007 Dodge Ram 1500 with 545RFE has a known internal harness chafe inside the trans where the lead-frame wire rubs through against a casting bos…
- 2003-2007Dodge Ram 1500 with 545RFE has a known internal harness chafe inside the trans where the lead-frame wire rubs through against a casting boss;
- 2007-2012Hyundai Santa Fe/Sonata with A6LF1/A6MF1 throws P0712 from solenoid body internal short, the sensor is not individually serviceable;
- 2010-2015Chevy Equinox/Terrain 2.4L with 6T40/6T45 sees P0712 alongside other solenoid codes when the TEHCM internal traces corrode from condensation, GM bulletin PIT5290 covers TEHCM replacement criteria.
Estimated repair$180 to $2,400.
Look up another code
P0712 — frequently asked
What does a P0712 code mean?
TFT sensor voltage low.
What causes a P0712 code?
Common causes: Wiring short; Failed sensor.
What are the symptoms of a P0712 code?
Typical symptoms: Check engine light.
Is it safe to drive with a P0712 code?
Only if running normally. A short trip to a shop may be reasonable if the light is steady and the car runs normally. Stop safely for a flashing light, severe shaking, overheating, loss of power, or another urgent warning. The code alone cannot confirm safety. Estimated repair: $150-$400.
How do I diagnose a P0712 code?
Work from evidence to part, not the other way round. A code names a circuit or a symptom; it does not name the part that failed. 1. Note every code that is set, not just this one. 2. Read the freeze frame — the conditions the fault was recorded under. 3. Confirm the fault is current rather than history. 4. Then work the likely-causes list in the order shown.
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