P0853
Drive Switch Input Circuit
- Severity
- High
- Driving
- Drivable — book it in
A fault in the circuit for the drive switch, which tells the module that a drive position has been selected. When the module cannot trust this input, starting behaviour becomes unpredictable - and if the interlock it feeds stops working, the engine can crank with a gear selected.
Possible causes
- CommonFailed or misadjusted switch, often part of the transmission range sensor
- CommonWorn selector linkage, so the switch is never moved fully
- CommonCorroded connector at the transmission
- PossibleWiring damage under the vehicle
- PossibleAftermarket alarm or remote start spliced into the circuit
What you might notice
- Engine will not crank in park, but will in neutral or vice versa
- Engine cranks with a gear selected - it must not
- Reversing lamps wrong
- Gear display wrong
- Check engine light on
What to check, in order
- Test whether the engine cranks with a gear selected - handbrake on, wheels chocked, nobody in front of or behind the car. If it cranks in gear, stop using the vehicle until it is fixed.
- Check the switch or range sensor adjustment. Adjustment is often the entire repair.
- Watch the selected gear on the live data screen through the full selector travel.
- Check the selector cable and linkage for wear.
- Inspect the connector at the transmission for corrosion.
- Ask whether an aftermarket alarm or remote start has been fitted.
Read this code from your own car
Plug an ELM327 adapter into the OBD-II port under the dashboard. Pin16 reads every stored, pending and permanent code, explains each one like this page does — offline, with no account — and shows what the car recorded when the fault was set.
Where this code sits
P00xxP01xxP02xxP03xxP04xxP05xxP06xxP07xxP08xxP09xxP0AxxP0BxxP0CxxP0DxxP0ExxP0FxxP10xxP11xxP12xxP13xxP14xxP15xxP16xxP17xxP18xxP19xxP1AxxP1BxxP1CxxP1DxxP1ExxP1FxxP20xxP21xxP22xxP23xxP24xxP25xxP26xxP27xxP28xxP29xxP2AxxP2BxxP2CxxP2DxxP2ExxP2FxxP30xxP31xxP32xxP33xxP34xxP35xxP36xxP37xxP38xxP39xxP3AxxP3BxxP3CxxP3DxxP3ExxP3Fxx
Transmission
P0800P0801P0802P0803P0804P0805P0806P0807P0808P0809P0810P0811P0812P0813P0814P0815P0816P0817P0818P0819P0820P0821P0822P0823P0824P0825P0826P0827P0828P0829P0830P0831P0832P0833P0834P0835P0836P0837P0838P0839P0840P0841P0842P0843P0844P0845P0846P0847P0848P0849P0850P0851P0852P0853P0854P0855P0856P0857P0858P0859P0860P0861P0862P0863P0864P0865P0866P0867P0868P0869P0870P0871P0872P0873P0874P0875P0876P0877P0878P0879P0880P0881P0882P0883P0884P0885P0886P0887P0888P0889P0890P0891P0892P0893P0894P0895P0896P0897P0898P0899