What P0744 means
The torque converter clutch (lock-up) connects pump and turbine mechanically; a solenoid – on/off, pulse-width modulated or proportional – moves a control valve in the valve body.
How the engine computer detects it
Slip is engine speed minus turbine speed. Manufacturers do not use P0740–P0744 uniformly: Ford uses P0740 for open, P0742 for short to ground and P0744 for short to power, and reports stuck on as P2758. In J2012 P0744 is an intermittent fault in the converter clutch circuit, but no manufacturer document available to us uses it that way: Ford flags a short to power via the driver feedback line after 0.5–5 s with MIL, and Nissan's CVT bulletins treat it as a functional converter fault checked at the valve body and belt. GM does not use it. Short interruptions make the clutch drop out and reapply, and lock-up may be disabled for the trip.
Written from public technical sources and not yet checked by a mechanic. How we write these pages
Symptoms
- Check engine light
- Lock-up missing or jerky at times
- Engine speed jumps when cruising
Common causes
- Loose contact or corrosion at the transmission connector or harness Most likely
- Ford: control wire shorted to positive Possible
- Solenoid with temperature-dependent winding fault Possible
- Nissan CVT: converter or valve body mechanical Less likely
How to diagnose P0744
- Read every stored code with an OBD-II scanner. If misfire or fuel trim codes are there too, fix those first: they often cause this one.
- Inspect the parts involved: torque converter clutch solenoid, torque converter, transmission valve body, transmission control module.
- Work through the causes above from most to least likely, cheapest checks first.
- Clear the code and drive a full drive cycle to confirm the repair held.
Vehicles that report P0744 most
| Vehicle | Years | Reports | Share | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nissan Rogue | 2008–2015 | 15 | 89k | |
| Nissan Sentra | 2009–2016 | 7 | 103k |
Counts of owner complaints to the NHTSA that mention P0744 (30 in total), not failure rates: popular models get more complaints simply because more of them are on the road. Models with fewer than 3 complaints are left out.
Reading the code
- P
- Powertrain
- 0
- Generic (SAE) code
- 7
- Transmission
- 44
- Specific fault
Questions drivers ask
Can I drive with code P0744?
If the car shifts normally, drive gently to a shop. If it's stuck in one gear, slips, shifts harshly or won't move out of Park, don't drive it: have it towed.
Will my car pass an emissions inspection with P0744?
Probably not in states that test vehicles with an OBD-II scan: an emissions-related code that keeps the check engine light on is usually an automatic fail. Rules differ by state and county, so check yours.
Will P0744 clear by itself?
The light can go off after several drive cycles without the fault, but the code returns if the cause is still there. After a repair, the readiness monitors need a full drive cycle before an inspection.
Often reported together
Codes that owners mention in the same NHTSA complaints as P0744. They can point to a shared cause, so it's worth checking them together.
- P1722Manufacturer-specific code3 complaints
- P1778Manufacturer-specific code3 complaints
This page is general information, not a substitute for a professional diagnosis. Repair costs are rough estimates for parts and labor and vary by vehicle and region.