Powertrain, generic (extended)

P2301 Ignition Coil A Primary Control Circuit High

Check engine lightOn
EmissionsRelevant
Drive cycleNot required
Limp modePossible

P2301 is the mirror image of P2300: the control line of coil A, i.e. cylinder 1, carries voltage at a moment when the engine module is trying to pull it low. Saab's Trionic 8 in the 2003 9-3 sets it if the line stays above 2 V for longer than 1 s while the module grounds it; on that system the code also covers a broken line, the injector of cylinder 1 is shut off, closed-loop mixture control and fuel adaption are frozen, and the fault counts as healed after 2 s without the condition. GM tests the line with its driver switched on and treats less than 100 ohms to supply as a fault. Ford's coil-driver check runs from 200 rpm at 11–16 V and stops fuel to the cylinder for 30 s per detection. Usual finds: a coil with an internal short or a wire rubbing against a 12 V feed.

Likely causes

Coil A with an internal short feeding supply voltage onto the control input
Control wire of coil A rubbing against a 12 V line in the harness
Broken control line or loose pin (counts as P2301 on Saab Trionic 8)
Faulty output stage in the engine module

Symptoms

  • Check engine light on
  • Cylinder 1 misfires, engine shakes at idle
  • Jerking and loss of power under load

Repair estimate

DifficultyMediumDIY possible
Parts and labour€40–400
Time0.3–2 h

Typical range across vehicles; the real cost depends on what the testing finds.

Parts involved

ignition coilcoil driverignition wiring

Related codes

P2300P2302P0351P2304P0301

References: saabwisonline.com, gsi.ext.gm.com, newtonnet.co.uk, law.cornell.edu.