P0733: Third-gear ratio disagreement is a comparison, not a component verdict

P0733 concerns the relationship expected while third gear is commanded in Ford's general ratio strategy. The diagnosis depends on speed information and gear state, so it cannot identify a failed mechanical component independently of those inputs.

Check the conditions behind the comparison

The summary names turbine speed, output speed and wheel speed as relevant inputs. Its example forward-gear window also requires sufficient torque, throttle and shaft speeds, with shifting stopped for more than half a second. A comparison made during an unconfirmed transition is not equivalent to the documented test.

The typical failure criterion is more than 30 rpm of commanded-ratio error for over 2.5 seconds, repeated six times across key cycles without solenoid faults. This explains why neither an isolated mismatch nor one later successful observation tells the whole diagnostic history.

Third-gear state may be the actual question

For the TR9070 DCT, Ford places P0733 in an unknown-gear-state row. P074B separately identifies failure to engage third, while P072E identifies failure to disengage it. If this architecture reports the code, do not assume that the generic ratio title establishes which shift action failed.

A useful diagnostic record aligns the commanded gear, actual speed relationships, electrical fault status and time spent in the eligible state. That evidence can justify the next vehicle-specific test. The source does not establish a particular clutch, sensor or valve as the cause, and its numerical example should not be generalized to other calibrations.

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 152. Ford PDF, page 153. Ford PDF, page 167.