Powertrain, shared range

P3409 Cylinder 2 Deactivation/Intake Valve Control Circuit/Open

Check engine lightOn
EmissionsRelevant
Drive cycleNot required
Limp modeNo

P3409 is the open-circuit code for the deactivation control of cylinder 2. GM uses it on two very different engines. On the 3.6 L V6 (LGX, LGZ) cylinder 2 is one of the two active fuel management cylinders, and an engineering bulletin links P3409 to oil leaking from the rocker arm oil control valve in the camshaft cover. On the L84 V8 with Dynamic Fuel Management every cylinder has a solenoid; GM flags an open circuit when it sees more than 200 kohm with the driver off, 20 of 25 samples at 250 ms, Type B. Shorts are P3411 and P3412, a mechanical failure P3410. The driver sees a warning lamp and loses the fuel-saving mode.

Likely causes

Oil leaking at the control valve and soaking its connector (GM 3.6 L V6)
Broken wire or loose pin in the cylinder 2 solenoid circuit
Open coil in the cylinder 2 deactivation solenoid
Engine control module output driver fault

Symptoms

  • Check engine lamp on
  • Oil residue around the valve cover control valve (V6)
  • No reduced-cylinder operation, higher fuel use

Repair estimate

DifficultyMediumDIY possible
Parts and labour€60–900
Time0.5–4 h

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

Parts involved

cylinder deactivation solenoidwiring harnessecm

Related codes

P3410P3411P3412P3413P3433P3497P0302

References: law.cornell.edu, gsi.ext.gm.com, static.nhtsa.gov, static.nhtsa.gov.