Powertrain, shared range

P3468 Cylinder 9 Deactivation/Intake Valve Control Circuit High

Check engine lightOn
EmissionsRelevant
Drive cycleNot required
Limp modeNo

P3468 indicates that the control circuit for the cylinder 9 deactivation or intake valve actuator is pulled high, typically by a short to battery voltage that the module notices once it switches the output on. No manufacturer documents this code publicly; J2012 reserves the codes for cylinders 9 to 12 for engines with more than eight cylinders. Most engines above eight cylinders that shut cylinders down, such as Audi's R8 V10 and Bentley's W12, do so bank by bank without dedicated valve actuators; Mercedes' M137 V12, by contrast, used a solenoid pack. GM's eight-cylinder version of this check counts below 0.5 ohm to controller power with the driver on, 20 of 25 samples. Expect the module to shut the output off and run all cylinders. P3465 (open) and P3467 (ground short) are the other electrical faults here.

Likely causes

Cylinder 9 control wire touching a supply wire
Shorted turns in the cylinder 9 solenoid coil
Output stage of the engine control module damaged

Symptoms

  • Check engine lamp on
  • Engine runs on all cylinders at all times

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

P3465P3466P3467P3472P3497

References: law.cornell.edu, gsi.ext.gm.com, media.audiusa.com, en.wikipedia.org.