P0917 means the control module saw the gear shift position sensor signal above its maximum acceptable voltage. In the P091x family, P0914 is the circuit code, P0915 range or performance, P0916 low, P0917 high, P0918 intermittent and P0919 a control error. On a three-wire sensor with a 5-volt reference, a signal pinned at the reference is what an open signal wire, an open ground or a sensor with a failed element produces. The module reports the symptom as "high."
Severity: moderate. Can you keep driving? Usually. The sensor lives on manual gearboxes with start-stop or hill hold, on automated manual transmissions and on some dual-clutch units. On a conventional manual the usual effect is start-stop disabled and a warning light. On an automated manual, where the sensor confirms what the shift actuator did, the vehicle may refuse a gear or hold one, and that is a tow rather than a drive. Some vehicles allow cranking only when the module confirms neutral, so a no-crank complaint can arrive with this code.
What the sensor is
It reports which gate the lever or fork is in, or simply whether the gearbox is in neutral. It is not the transmission range sensor of an automatic (Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive), which sets P0705 through P0709. On a manual it may be a Hall sensor on the shift tower, a potentiometer on the external linkage, or a switch that closes in neutral; on an automated manual it is on the actuator. The service manual's component location is the only reliable way to find it.
Why "high" points at an open
A three-wire sensor pulls its signal down from the reference in proportion to position. Cut the signal wire, and the module's pull-up holds the line at the reference: high. Lose the ground, and the sensor cannot pull the signal down at all: high. Unplug the connector: high. A sensor whose element has failed open reads the same. The one thing that does not produce a high reading is a wire grounded against the case, which produces P0916 instead.
Technicians who see P0914, P0916 and P0917 stored together usually find a single chafed wire that touches ground intermittently: when it touches, low; when it lifts off, the damaged conductor opens, high. That pattern is a harness, not a sensor.
Causes, in the order they are found
An open in the signal or ground wire. The harness to a gearbox-mounted sensor runs low near the exhaust, the subframe and the shift cables, and a wire that has been rubbed through, pulled at a connector or cooked by the exhaust opens.
A connector backed off or corroded. Road spray and gear oil reach this connector. A terminal pushed out during a clutch or gearbox job is common after that work.
A lost ground. A ground eyelet on the gearbox or body with corrosion under it.
The sensor with a failed element. Confirmed by measuring, not assumed.
A reference circuit problem shared with other sensors, when several sensor codes appear at once.
The module, last.
A diagnostic order
- Confirm the vehicle has this sensor and locate it.
- Record the codes and freeze frame. P0917 with P0916 points at a chafed wire; P0917 alone points at an open or a connector.
- Watch the position parameter live while moving the lever through each gate. A value stuck at maximum in every position is the fault live.
- Open the connector and look for corrosion, oil, water and loose terminals.
- Test the circuit, key on, sensor unplugged: reference about 5 V, ground under 0.1 V of drop to battery negative, and the signal wire at the pull-up voltage. Then plug the sensor in and measure the signal at the connector by back-probing: it should move with lever position. Unchanged at the reference with the sensor connected means the sensor is not pulling it down, which is an open ground at the sensor or a dead sensor.
- Check the signal and ground wires end to end with the module disconnected, flexing the harness.
- Repair what measured open, replace the sensor only if the circuit passed and the sensor reads open at its own pins, then clear and verify through every gate and a start-stop cycle. Let the readiness monitors complete afterwards.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drive with a P0917 code?
On a conventional manual with start-stop, yes; expect start-stop disabled and a warning light. On an automated manual or dual-clutch unit the sensor is part of the shift mechanism and the vehicle may refuse a gear, which makes it a tow.
What is the difference between P0916 and P0917?
P0916 is the signal pinned low, usually a wire grounded against the gearbox. P0917 is the signal pinned high, usually an open wire, a lost ground or a connector that has backed off. Both stored together usually mean one chafed wire that touches ground intermittently.
Is this the same as the transmission range sensor?
No. The range sensor on an automatic reports Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive and sets P0705 through P0709. Gear shift position is a separate sensor on manual and automated manual gearboxes.
How much does it cost to fix P0917?
A connector or a wire repair is usually an hour or two. A sensor on an external linkage is an inexpensive part. A sensor inside an automated manual's actuator is a larger job and on some units means the actuator assembly.
Related codes
- P0916: gear shift position circuit low; see P0916.
- P0914 / P0915 / P0918 / P0919: the rest of the family.
- P0900 to P0904: clutch actuator circuit on automated manuals.
- P0705 to P0709: transmission range sensor on automatics.
The code number itself tells you the family and the domain; how to read an OBD2 code number explains what each character means.