Software Incompatibility with Transmission Control Module

Possible causes

• CommonThe transmission control module replaced but never programmed or coded to this vehicle
• CommonUsed module fitted from a different vehicle, model year or engine variant
• CommonSoftware update interrupted, often by battery voltage falling during programming
• CommonOne module updated while others were left at their old versions
• CommonWrong part number - physically identical, electronically different
• PossibleAftermarket remap or tuning device
• RareCorrupted module software

What you might notice

• Limp-home mode or reduced power
• Transmission stuck in one gear
• Engine will not start
• Several warning lights at once
• Function controlled by that module unavailable
• Fault present since a repair or service visit

What to check, in order

1. Ask what was done to the vehicle recently, and by whom. This code follows work; it does not appear on its own.
2. Read the software and part numbers of the transmission control module and compare them against the vehicle's build specification - not just the model, but the engine variant, market and model year.
3. If a used module was fitted, check whether it is locked to its original vehicle. Many are, and it is better to find that out before paying for programming.
4. If a programming session was interrupted, it can usually be re-run with a battery support unit connected so voltage cannot fall again.
5. Do not replace the module. It is almost always the right hardware carrying the wrong software.
6. Expect manufacturer-level programming. A generic scan tool can read this code but cannot fix it, and neither can Pin16's coding lane, which writes documented parameters rather than module software.