Powertrain, shared range

P34A2 Cylinder 11 Deactivation/Intake Valve Performance

Check engine lightOn
EmissionsRelevant
Drive cycleRequired
Limp modeNo

P34A2 names a mechanical deactivation fault on cylinder 11: the valves continued to operate although the cylinder had been switched off. No manufacturer documents this code publicly. The nearest production example is the Active Cylinder Control that Mercedes fitted to the 5.8 l V12 of the CL 600 and S 600 from 2001; it idled one bank and uncoupled its exhaust valves by means of two solenoids; a stuck switching element there would produce exactly the fault this code describes. For eight-cylinder engines GM uses P3498 to P349F, judged by manifold pressure and stored as Type B after 22 failures in 25 checks. P3482 is the control-performance code for cylinder 11, and a misfire there would be P0311.

Likely causes

Valve switching element of cylinder 11 jammed
Oil pressure supply to the switching parts disturbed
Low or degraded oil

Symptoms

  • Check engine lamp on
  • Rough running when one bank is shut down
  • Higher fuel use

Repair estimate

DifficultyShop_onlyWorkshop job
Parts and labour€150–6,000
Time1–16 h

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

Parts involved

valve trainliftercylinder deactivation solenoidengine oil

Related codes

P3482P3481P34A1P34A3P0311

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