Vehicle actually driven above the calibrated speed limit, for example downhill, towing or with a very high gearing; Faulty or dirty vehicle speed sensor or wheel speed sensor giving a false high or erratic signal; Damaged wiring, poor connector contact or signal interference on the speed sensor circuit; Tyre size or final drive ratio changed from standard, so the calculated speed is wrong; Damaged ABS tone ring or reluctor wheel, or a faulty ABS or transmission control module passing on a wrong speed signal; Fault in the powertrain control module or an outdated calibration, where the manufacturer lists it as a known issue for that model.

P0297

Vehicle Overspeed Condition.

Generic
Powertrain
Generic code
Medium severity

How this code is built

P: SystemPowertrain
0: Defined bySAE, the same on every car
2: AreaFuel and air metering (injector circuit)
97: FaultThe specific fault in that area

What it means

P0297 is the generic code for a vehicle overspeed condition. The powertrain control module has seen road speed, from the vehicle speed signal, rise above a calibrated limit, or it has seen a speed that does not make sense when compared with engine speed and gear. The exact threshold and the way the car responds depend on the make, model and calibration.

Symptoms

Malfunction indicator lamp on
Engine power cut or fuel cut when reaching a set speed
Speedometer reading erratic, stuck or not working
Gear changes harsh, or the gearbox stuck in one gear on automatics
Cruise control or speed limiter not working properly
Car feels as if it hits a speed limit it should not be reaching

Possible causes

Vehicle actually driven above the calibrated speed limit, for example downhill, towing or with a very high gearinglikely
Faulty or dirty vehicle speed sensor or wheel speed sensor giving a false high or erratic signallikely
Damaged wiring, poor connector contact or signal interference on the speed sensor circuitpossible
Tyre size or final drive ratio changed from standard, so the calculated speed is wrongpossible
Damaged ABS tone ring or reluctor wheel, or a faulty ABS or transmission control module passing on a wrong speed signalpossible
Fault in the powertrain control module or an outdated calibration, where the manufacturer lists it as a known issue for that modelrare

How to diagnose

Read all stored and pending codes and the freeze frame data, noting the road speed, engine speed and gear when the code set
Compare the vehicle speed on live data with a known true speed, such as a GPS reading, on a road test, and check for sudden jumps or spikes
Check for other codes on the ABS, transmission and instrument cluster that point to a speed signal fault
Inspect the speed sensor and wheel speed sensor wiring and connectors for chafing, corrosion, oil or water ingress
Check that the tyre sizes match the vehicle specification and that all four are of the same size
Inspect the sensor tip and tone ring or reluctor for metal debris, damage or missing teeth
Test the sensor supply, earth and signal using the manufacturer's wiring diagram and specified values for that model
Check for any applicable service bulletins or calibration updates for the vehicle

How to fix

Repair or replace damaged wiring and connectors in the speed signal circuit
Clean or replace the faulty vehicle speed sensor or wheel speed sensor
Replace a damaged tone ring or reluctor wheel
Fit the correct size tyres or restore the original gearing so the speed reading is accurate
Update the control module calibration only where an outdated one is a confirmed cause for that model
Repair or replace a faulty ABS, transmission or powertrain control module only after the signals and wiring have been proven good

Can I keep driving?

Medium severity

The car can usually be driven carefully for a short time, but keep to legal speeds and have it checked soon. A false speed signal can affect gear changes, the speedometer and ABS, so do not ignore it for long.

Guide written by AI from the code's definition. Confirm with a diagnosis before replacing parts.