P2426
Exhaust Gas Recirculation Cooling Valve Control Circuit Low
- Severity
- Low
- Driving
- Drivable — book it in
A fault in the control circuit for the EGR cooling valve - low, usually a short to earth or an open circuit. The EGR cooler passes recirculated exhaust gas through engine coolant to cool it before it reaches the intake; this valve controls that cooling. The fault is electrical, in the circuit that operates the valve.
Possible causes
- CommonCorroded or damaged connector at the EGR cooling valve
- CommonFailed cooling valve solenoid or actuator
- PossibleWiring fault between the module and the valve
- PossibleChafed harness near the exhaust or cooler
- RareFaulty control module driver
What you might notice
- Check engine light on
- Failed emissions test
- Increased exhaust smoke on a diesel in some cases
- Usually no symptom the driver notices
What to check, in order
- Inspect the connector at the cooling valve. It sits in a hot area and corroded or heat-damaged connectors are the usual cause.
- Measure the actuator winding resistance against specification.
- Check the wiring for chafe damage where the harness runs near the cooler or exhaust.
- Check for supply voltage at the valve with the ignition on.
- Inspect the cooler itself for coolant leaks while you are there. A leaking EGR cooler shows as white smoke and unexplained coolant loss, and is a different and more serious problem than this circuit fault.
Read this code from your own car
Plug an ELM327 adapter into the OBD-II port under the dashboard. Pin16 reads every stored, pending and permanent code, explains each one like this page does — offline, with no account — and shows what the car recorded when the fault was set.
Where this code sits
P00xxP01xxP02xxP03xxP04xxP05xxP06xxP07xxP08xxP09xxP0AxxP0BxxP0CxxP0DxxP0ExxP0FxxP10xxP11xxP12xxP13xxP14xxP15xxP16xxP17xxP18xxP19xxP1AxxP1BxxP1CxxP1DxxP1ExxP1FxxP20xxP21xxP22xxP23xxP24xxP25xxP26xxP27xxP28xxP29xxP2AxxP2BxxP2CxxP2DxxP2ExxP2FxxP30xxP31xxP32xxP33xxP34xxP35xxP36xxP37xxP38xxP39xxP3AxxP3BxxP3CxxP3DxxP3ExxP3Fxx