P0371–P0376 Timing Reference High Resolution Signal A Too Many Pulses
The ECU has logged a fault on P0371. The definition below is the exact wording the standard uses for this code.
Can you drive it? The engine light will stay on and the car may run in a reduced-power mode. Read the freeze-frame data to see the conditions the fault was logged under.
Which code is which
Same fault, different cylinder or bank — diagnosed the same way. Several set together usually means one shared cause.
| Code | Definition | Severity |
|---|---|---|
P0371 | Timing Reference High Resolution Signal A Too Many Pulses | Investigate soon |
P0376 | Timing Reference High Resolution Signal B Too Many Pulses | Investigate soon |
The definition
P0371: Timing Reference High Resolution Signal A Too Many Pulses.
P0371 is a powertrain code (the engine or gearbox), defined by the SAE standard - it means the same thing on any make of car, and any generic OBD-II reader will decode it.
What to check first
Cheapest and fastest checks first:
- Read the freeze-frame data stored with the fault - engine speed, load and temperature at the moment it logged tell you whether this happens cold, hot or under load.
- Check the connector at the part for corrosion, and that it is fully seated.
- Clear the code and see whether it returns, and under what conditions.
What actually causes this on a VAG
This is the engine-position signal - the fine-detail crankshaft reference the ECU uses to time ignition and injection - with a specific complaint attached: the ECU counted more pulses per revolution than it knows should exist. In plain terms, it is seeing teeth that are not there. That points much more strongly at something adding electrical noise to the signal, or at the toothed wheel itself being wrong or damaged, than at a worn-out sensor. Worth knowing before you start: this is a generic industry code and not one VAG's own ECUs lean on heavily, so have the fault read with software that shows VAG's own wording for it too - that will name the actual component on your engine rather than leaving you with the standard's generic phrasing.
Most likely causes, in order
- Aftermarket electrics added or spliced into the wiring. Extra pulses have to come from somewhere, and added wiring is the classic source. A dashcam hardwired into a fuse box, an audio amplifier, an alarm or immobiliser bypass, a tracker, or anything spliced into an ignition-switched feed can put noise onto nearby circuits that the ECU counts as teeth. On older petrol engines, aftermarket HT leads routed against the sensor loom do the same thing. If any of this went on recently, disconnect it and see whether the fault stops returning - that test is free and it is the first thing to do.
- A poor engine earth or a broken screen on the sensor cable. This signal is carried on a screened pair on many engines. If the screen is broken, or the engine-to-body earth strap is corroded, interference that would normally be shrugged off reaches the ECU instead. Earth straps are cheap, visible and quick to clean up, so check them before you go further.
- Chafed sensor wiring shorting momentarily. A wire rubbing on a bracket or the block can create false pulses each time it touches. Follow the loom from the sensor and look for shiny patches, tape repairs and anywhere it is pulled tight over an edge or crosses a heat source.
- The wrong, damaged or contaminated toothed wheel. A bent tooth, or a smear of metal debris bridging the deliberate gap in the wheel, changes what the sensor sees and can read as an extra tooth. So can the wrong flywheel or driveplate - if this appeared straight after a clutch, flywheel or gearbox change, establish that the correct part went on before anything else. Removing the sensor to inspect its tip and the visible part of the wheel costs nothing but time.
Worth knowing: A too-many-pulses count is one of the codes where recently added aftermarket wiring is a genuinely likely cause, so retrace anything spliced in before spending money on engine parts. And if nothing has been added and the wiring checks out, do not default to a new sensor - a sensor can fail to see teeth, but it does not invent them. At that point the answer is in the wiring or the wheel, and fitting a sensor is money spent to learn nothing.
Reading the code is the easy part
A code names the circuit that complained. What tells you why is watching the sensor behind it while the engine runs — and that is where a code reader stops and a diagnostic tool starts.
VAGPULSE reads every module in a VW, Audi, Skoda or SEAT — not just the engine — shows the live measuring blocks behind this fault, gives you the freeze-frame conditions it was logged under, and clears it once you have fixed it. It also does what a generic OBD reader cannot on a VAG: service resets, coding, adaptations, and Stage 1–3 flashing with your original file saved first.
$249 once. No subscription, unlimited cars. Windows 10/11.
See VAGPULSE — $249 Look up another codeSoftware downloads instantly · cable ships September 30 · cable guarantee — refund if it won't connect
Prefer to work on your phone? The VAGPULSE Android app is a free download and its demo mode runs against a sample car with no hardware at all, so you can see exactly what it reads before spending anything. Reading your car with it needs the VAGPULSE cable, which comes with the licence.
Common questions
What does P0371 mean?
P0371 means Timing Reference High Resolution Signal A Too Many Pulses. It is logged when the ECU sees this circuit outside its expected operating window.
Can I drive with P0371?
The engine light will stay on and the car may run in a reduced-power mode. Read the freeze-frame data to see the conditions the fault was logged under.