OBD-II trouble code
P0767: Shift Solenoid "D" Stuck On
A valve that has stayed applied rather than failed to apply — and because a stuck-on element can hold the driveline coupled all the way to a standstill, this is the one solenoid code that can genuinely stall the engine at a red light.
Quick facts
- System
- Powertrain
- Category
- Transmission / Shift Control
- Severity
- High severity
- Drivable
- Usually safe to drive short-term
- Repair cost range
- $180 – $1,400
- DIY difficulty
- Advanced DIY
What does P0767 mean?
Stuck on is the mirror image of every other failure in this family, and the difference is not academic. A solenoid that will not turn on withholds something. A solenoid that will not turn off keeps delivering something the transmission asked it to stop delivering. The first produces absence; the second produces conflict, and conflict inside a transmission is mechanically worse than absence.
What the module has detected is a mismatch between command and result. It de-energised solenoid D, expected the associated hydraulic circuit to release, and found from gear ratio, engine speed and turbine speed that the element stayed applied. Note that this is a hydraulic conclusion rather than an electrical one — the wiring may be perfect and usually is. The valve is stuck in its bore.
By far the most common reason is contamination. A valve spool moves in a machined bore with clearances measured in ten-thousandths of an inch, and the fluid is the only thing keeping that interface working. Fluid that has oxidised into varnish leaves a film on the spool and the bore that acts like glue; fluid carrying clutch material and metal debris packs the same clearance with grit. Neither is a solenoid failure in any meaningful sense, which is why **a fluid and filter service is the correct first move on this code far more often than it is on the electrical codes** — and why a solenoid replaced into contaminated fluid frequently sticks again within months.
The symptom that separates P0767 from its siblings depends on what the fourth solenoid slot controls, and on many transmissions that includes torque converter lockup or a device closely tied to it. A lockup element that will not release does something no other transmission fault does: it keeps the engine mechanically coupled to the wheels as the vehicle slows, so as you come to a stop the wheels stop the engine. The car shudders as speed falls and then stalls at the line, and it does it every single time you come to a halt. Drivers almost always describe this as an engine problem. It is not. If a vehicle stalls only when stopping, is fine in neutral, and restarts happily, a stuck-on transmission element belongs at the top of the list.
The same caveat that applies across the D and E codes applies here: not every transmission has a fourth solenoid. Four-speed units frequently do not, and the code is supported in software that outruns the hardware. Confirm the solenoid exists and learn what it operates before ordering anything, because "solenoid D" is a slot in a table rather than a description of a part.
One last practical note. Because the fault is a valve refusing to release rather than a coil refusing to conduct, the useful confirmation is a pressure and ratio test rather than a resistance test. Commanding the solenoid off while watching turbine speed against output speed shows you directly whether the element released, and that observation is worth more than any measurement taken at the connector.
Common causes
- Valve spool sticking in its bore from varnish deposits left by oxidised, overheated transmission fluid
- Clutch material and metal debris in the fluid packing the valve clearance and preventing return
- Weak or broken valve return spring, so the spool has nothing pushing it back when pressure releases
- Worn valve bore allowing the spool to cock and bind rather than sliding freely
- Solenoid failed mechanically in the applied position while its coil still measures normally
- Debris lodged at the solenoid screen or filter, holding pressure in the circuit after the command ends
- Restricted exhaust or bleed passage in the valve body, so the circuit cannot vent even when the valve moves
- Overdue fluid service, which is the underlying condition behind most of the causes above
Symptoms
- Engine stalling every time the vehicle comes to a stop, while running normally in neutral
- Shudder or lugging as speed falls toward a standstill, as though a manual driver held the clutch out too long
- Transmission stuck in one gear and refusing to release it
- Harsh engagement or a bind felt as the vehicle slows
- Very low engine speed at cruise with no give at all when load increases
- Transmission overheating warning or fluid temperature climbing on a normal drive
- Check engine light with P0767 stored, commonly with P0700 alongside
- Fluid on the dipstick that is dark, smells burnt, or leaves a varnish film
Diagnostic steps
- 1.Ask precisely when the stall happens. A vehicle that stalls only as it comes to a stop, runs cleanly in neutral, and restarts immediately is describing a driveline element that has not released — which is exactly this code — rather than an engine fault. That question alone redirects the diagnosis away from a fuel and ignition investigation that would find nothing.
- 2.Check the fluid before anything else. Colour, smell and the presence of a varnish film on the dipstick tell you whether contamination is a realistic cause, and on a stuck-on code it very often is. Burnt fluid found here changes the repair plan and makes a service the first step rather than an afterthought.
- 3.Confirm the transmission actually has a solenoid D and learn what it operates. Many four-speed units have no fourth solenoid, and the code can be supported in software that outruns the hardware. Service data will name the component and its function, and this determines whether you are looking for a part or a wiring problem.
- 4.Command the solenoid off with a scan tool while monitoring turbine speed against output speed and gear ratio. An element that releases will show as a change in the ratio; one that does not will show the ratio holding regardless of command. This is the observation that confirms the fault, and it is far more meaningful here than any measurement taken at the connector.
- 5.Verify the coil electrically anyway, to eliminate the possibility of a shorted circuit holding the solenoid energised. A control wire shorted to voltage keeps a solenoid applied continuously and produces a stuck-on complaint from a perfectly healthy valve, which is a wiring repair rather than a valve body one.
- 6.Drop the pan and inspect the filter and magnet for clutch material and metal. What you find there tells you whether this is a contamination problem that a service and a solenoid can resolve, or whether the transmission has internal wear that will keep supplying debris no matter what is replaced.
Repair cost
$180 – $1,400
A fluid and filter service is $180-$400 and is worth doing early on a stuck-on code, because contamination is the leading cause and the service is a prerequisite for any other repair to last. Diagnosis is $130-$240. A solenoid replacement is $350-$800 depending on access, and should be done with fresh fluid rather than into the old charge. A valve body replacement or rebuild is $700-$1,400 where the bore itself is worn and a solenoid alone will not hold. If the pan reveals significant clutch material, the honest estimate moves toward a transmission overhaul, since replacing valves in a transmission that keeps producing debris buys months rather than years.
Estimate your repair
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Open the Repair Cost Estimator with transmission shift solenoid replacement preselected. Adjust labor rate and vehicle category to fit your situation.
DIY vs shop
This is an advanced DIY job. It typically requires specialty tools, scan-tool access, lifting equipment, or careful sequencing to avoid causing new failures. Plan for extended downtime and have a backup vehicle. Most owners are better served by a shop that has done this repair before.