Does my transmission even have a shift solenoid E?

If the code is genuinely being reported by the transmission controller rather than guessed at from a generic list, then it has at least five shift solenoids — the generic code range assigns them strictly in order, so E cannot exist without A through D. What does need confirming is which physical valve your manufacturer labels E, because the generic range stops there and designs with more solenoids number the extras their own way.

Why have I lost several shifts rather than one gear?

Because a transmission with this many solenoids can use clutch-to-clutch shifting, where each solenoid takes part in several shifts rather than owning one gear. Losing one element therefore corrupts every shift that uses it and leaves the rest untouched. The scattered pattern is not a sign that multiple things are broken; it is the normal signature of one element failing on a modern transmission.

Can the solenoid be swapped with another one to test it?

Where the service data says several shift solenoids are the same part number in different bores, yes. Moving the suspect one to a different position shows whether the fault belongs to the component or to the bore it was sitting in. Confirm the parts really are interchangeable in the service data first — some transmissions use similar-looking solenoids with different flow characteristics.

Should I service the fluid first?

It is a reasonable first step, because a spool held by varnish is one cause to check, and fresh fluid sometimes frees it. Be realistic about what it can achieve, though: it will not repair a failed coil, a damaged connector or a worn bore. If the pan comes down for the service, take the opportunity to inspect the magnet — what is on it tells you whether you are dealing with contamination or with something further along.

OBD-II trouble code

P0770: Shift Solenoid "E" Malfunction

The code number itself is a clue about the hardware: a transmission that can report a fifth shift solenoid is a modern multi-speed unit, and on those no single solenoid owns a single gear — which changes how the fault has to be read.

High severityPowertrainTransmission / Shift ControlDrivable short-term

Quick facts

System: Powertrain
Category: Transmission / Shift Control
Severity: High severity
Drivable: Usually safe to drive short-term
Repair cost range: $300 – $900 (shift solenoid replacement)
DIY difficulty: Advanced DIY

One of 42 shift solenoid codes

P0770 sits in a grid: one axis is which solenoid the letter refers to, the other is what went wrong with it. Each cell is a genuinely different fault with its own diagnosis — but codes from the same row or column often appear together, and what a pairing means is usually the fastest way in. The hub page lays out all 42 and explains how to read them against each other.

See all shift solenoid codes →

Browse every code in P0700–P0799, or start from the full code library.

What does P0770 mean?

Before looking at any component, it is worth noticing what P0770 implies. The generic code range allocates one block per shift solenoid in alphabetical order — A at P0750, B at P0755, C at P0760, D at P0765 and E at P0770. A transmission that can report solenoid E therefore has at least five shift solenoids, which is more ratios than a three- or four-speed uses. That inference reshapes the diagnosis.

The reason it matters is that transmissions with that many solenoids can be clutch-to-clutch designs, and on a clutch-to-clutch transmission there is no tidy mapping from one solenoid to one gear. Each solenoid participates in several shifts, releasing one element while another applies. So the fault does not present as a missing gear, the way a two-solenoid transmission would fail. It presents as a scattered set of shifts that are wrong while others are perfectly normal, and the pattern of which shifts misbehave is what identifies the element. Anyone expecting to lose fifth gear and finding instead that third feels fine, fourth flares and sixth never arrives is looking at exactly the right symptom for this code.

P0770 is the broad code for that solenoid rather than a split into electrical and performance faults, so both sides are in play. The electrical half is a coil that has gone open or shorted, a chafed wire, a corroded case connector where fluid and heat both attack the seal, or a degraded internal harness. The hydraulic half is low or contaminated fluid, varnish holding a spool, debris in a valve body bore, or a solenoid that energises but no longer delivers its pressure result.

There is one test that a five-solenoid transmission makes available and a simple one does not. Where several shift solenoids are electrically and physically identical parts sitting in different valve body bores, swap the suspect solenoid with a known-good one from another position. That separates the two halves of the diagnosis for free: if the fault follows the part to its new position, the solenoid is bad; if it stays behind in the original bore, the solenoid is innocent and the valve body is the problem. That is worth doing before anything is ordered.

One final caveat that belongs specifically to the highest letter. The generic range stops at E — there is no standard code for a sixth shift solenoid — so on transmissions with more solenoids than the generic set can name, manufacturers use their own codes and the mapping between letter and physical valve becomes their own business. Confirm in service data which valve your transmission calls E before spending anything.

Common causes

Low, contaminated or degraded transmission fluid — checked in minutes, and fresh fluid sometimes frees a spool held by varnish
Corroded or fluid-intruded external case connector
Varnish or debris holding the solenoid's spool in a valve body bore
Shift solenoid E coil failed open or shorted
Internal transmission harness insulation breakdown
Wear in the specific valve body bore this solenoid operates in, rather than in the solenoid itself
Clogged filter restricting supply once flow demand rises
Adaptive shift values never reset after previous transmission or valve body work

Symptoms

Several shifts wrong while others remain completely normal, which is the characteristic pattern on a multi-solenoid transmission
Flared, harsh or missing shifts scattered across the range rather than one gear disappearing
Transmission dropping into limp mode and holding a fixed ratio
Slipping under load during the affected shifts
Check engine light with P0770 stored, and it can be stored alongside P0700
Worse fuel economy from operating in the wrong ratio
Transmission running hotter than normal

Diagnostic steps

1.Confirm in service data that this transmission has a shift solenoid E and identify which physical valve carries that label. The generic range ends at E, so on units with more solenoids the naming is manufacturer-specific.
2.Check fluid level and condition using the correct procedure and temperature before anything else.
3.Road test and record exactly which shifts are wrong and which are normal. On a clutch-to-clutch transmission that pattern identifies the element far better than the code number does.
4.Measure solenoid E coil resistance at the case connector and compare with specification, then check for a short to ground and to power.
5.Inspect the case connector for fluid intrusion, spread terminals and a hardened seal, which is a routine finding on transmissions of this age.
6.Command the solenoid on and off with a scan tool and watch for a pressure or ratio response. No response with a good coil moves the diagnosis to the hydraulic side.
7.If the solenoids on this transmission are identical parts, swap the suspect one with a known-good position and re-test. A fault that follows the part condemns the solenoid; a fault that stays behind condemns the bore.
8.Drop the pan and inspect the fluid and magnet. Friction material or debris changes the conversation from a solenoid replacement to a valve body and contamination job. Support the vehicle on a lift or axle stands first and let the transmission cool — a pan coming down on a hot gearbox releases several litres of fluid hot enough to scald, directly onto whoever is underneath.
9.Check whether adaptive shift learning was reset after any previous work, and reset it before condemning hardware.

Repair cost

$300 – $900 (shift solenoid replacement)

This pair is shift solenoid E replacement. AutoZone's published band for a simple solenoid replacement is $300–$900, parts and labor. RepairPal's transmission fluid change average, updated 3 September 2026, is $294–$356, with vehicle examples from about $162 to about $463. Dropping the pan includes that fluid service. AutoZone's published band for a transmission rebuild is $1,800–$3,500, and for a full replacement $4,000–$8,000. A rebuild or a replacement is not in this pair.

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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.