U0160 indicates that the vehicle's primary control module has lost communication with the audible alert control module, which generates chimes and warning sounds. The loss of data on the communication bus prevents the alert module from receiving commands or reporting its status.
Damaged, corroded, or disconnected wires between the module and the CAN bus can interrupt communication.
Loose, bent, or contaminated connector pins prevent reliable data exchange.
The module’s internal transceiver or processor may have failed, causing it to stop responding on the bus.
A broken termination resistor or a shared bus wire fault can disrupt communication for the alert module and others.
Rarely, a defect in the PCM’s CAN driver can prevent it from addressing the alert module; this is only considered after wiring and module checks.
No. The PCM is rarely the root cause; most U0160 faults are due to wiring, connector, or audible alert module failures.
Yes. A shared CAN‑bus wire or termination fault can affect multiple modules, producing several U‑codes simultaneously.
No. Wiring and connector inspection should be completed first; replacing the module without verifying the circuit often leads to repeat failures.
A scan tool capable of reading U‑codes, a multimeter for power/ground checks, and optionally a CAN‑bus analyzer or oscilloscope for bus‑level verification.