P0720: An output-speed circuit fault can be detected while the vehicle is stationary

P0720 describes an output-shaft speed circuit problem in the cited Ford monitor, with P0720_14 covering an open circuit or short toward ground. The important distinction is between the integrity of the circuit and whether the shaft is expected to be turning.

Electrical evidence and movement evidence are separate

Ford states that the described eight- and ten-speed sensors support electrical fault detection without the vehicle being driven, with faults maturing in about 1.5 seconds. A stationary zero-speed value is therefore neither proof of a fault nor proof that the circuit is healthy.

The same section has a different no-signal test: vehicle movement is inferred under positive driving torque while output speed remains very low. It also describes noise, dropout and commanded-gear plausibility checks. Their movement thresholds and event counts are not the electrical criterion for every P0720 presentation.

Why the suffix changes the investigation

The architecture tables distinguish open-or-ground, short-to-ground and short-to-power classifications, and show separate failure types for plausibility or missing information. Save the complete scanner display and module identity before choosing a diagnostic branch.

A useful record places the circuit status alongside output, turbine and wheel-speed information. Agreement among speeds after the event cannot identify the origin of a stored electrical fault. The monitor description does not specify a connector pin, sensor replacement or internal transmission repair. Those decisions require the applicable circuit procedure and evidence that isolates the fault path.

Source and applicability

Ford 2024–2025 gasoline OBD operation summary, July 16 2024 revision; only the cited monitor and transmission architectures. No individual vehicle fitment or universal calibration is inferred. Ford PDF, page 148. Ford PDF, page 155.