Fault codes › Powertrain › Generic (SAE standard) › Transmission › Transmission control

P0700 Transmission control system

Needs attention Have it looked at soon. The car is usually driveable with care in the meantime.

What does P0700 mean?

P0700 is a generic powertrain code, defined by the SAE standard, so it means the same thing on every make and model: transmission control system. It belongs to the transmission group of codes.

A control module stores the code when something it watches stays outside what it expects for long enough. On its own the code says which system complained, not which part has failed — the causes below, most likely first, are where to start.

Is it safe to drive with P0700?

Needs attention. Drive gently; sustained slipping damages the gearbox.

Common causes of P0700

  1. A fault stored in the transmission module (read its own codes).
  2. Low or degraded transmission fluid.
  3. Solenoid or sensor fault.

Symptoms

What to check first

Can I just clear P0700?

You can, and the light goes out — but a fault that is still there sets the code again, often within a drive or two. Clearing also erases the freeze frame (what the engine was doing when the code was stored) and resets the emissions readiness monitors, so an MOT, smog or inspection test will wait until they have run again. Fix the cause first, then clear it, then watch whether it returns.

Read and clear P0700 from your iPhone with OBDTrip

Plug a Bluetooth OBD-II adapter into the car and OBDTrip reads every stored, pending and permanent code, explains each one in plain English like this, shows what the engine was doing when it was set, and clears the check engine light once the fault is fixed. It keeps a history of when each code comes back, and records every drive on its own from then on.

Download on the App Store

Needs a Bluetooth Low Energy adapter such as the Vgate iCar Pro — which adapters work with iPhone. Reading and clearing codes is part of an OBDTrip subscription.

Related codes

General guidance from OBDTrip's fault-code catalogue, not a diagnosis of your car. When a code points to brakes, steering, overheating or a flashing check engine light, have the car looked at before driving on.