P0246 Code: Turbocharger Wastegate Solenoid A High
The wastegate solenoid control circuit reads too high, usually a short to power or a shorted coil.
Unverified: this manufacturer-specific definition comes from a single source or varies by model. Confirm it with a brand-specific scan tool.
At a glance
Severity: Low
- Meaning
- Turbocharger Wastegate Solenoid A High
- System
- Fuel & Air Metering · Powertrain
- Safe to drive?
- Yes, short term
- Typical repair cost
- $0–$1,800
- DIY difficulty
- Moderate
The engine computer normally switches the wastegate solenoid by connecting its control wire to ground, and it expects that wire to sit near 12 volts when off and drop close to zero when on. P0246 means the circuit reads high: the control wire stays at battery voltage when the computer tries to pull it down, or the driver senses excessive current because the coil has shorted turns. In both cases the computer shuts the driver off to protect itself, the solenoid stops working and the wastegate falls back to spring pressure. The exact definition of 'high' differs between manufacturers, so the diagnosis below follows the most common low-side-driver layout; confirm with the wiring diagram for your vehicle.
Can I keep driving? Generally fine to drive, since the wastegate defaults to limiting boost. Performance is reduced, and a short to power can damage the computer's driver over time, so don't put off the repair.
How to read P0246
- P Powertrain
- 0 Generic (SAE)
- 2 Fuel & air (injector circuit)
- 46 Specific fault
Symptoms
- Check engine light, often right after start-up or the first time boost is requested
- Engine runs on low base boost and feels sluggish
- Code returns immediately after clearing
- Sometimes a blown fuse on the shared solenoid feed
- Other solenoid codes if the short involves a shared circuit
Possible causes
Ranked by how often each cause is behind this code (editorial estimate).
- Solenoid coil with shorted windings, reading far below its normal resistance
- Control wire chafed through and touching a battery-voltage wire
- Moisture or oil bridging the two pins in the solenoid connector
- Wrong solenoid fitted, with a coil resistance too low for the driver
- Aftermarket boost controller or piggyback module feeding voltage into the circuit
- Engine computer driver damaged by an earlier short
- Supply and control wires swapped after a connector repair
Diagnosis step by step
Compare coil resistance with specification
Unplug the solenoid and measure across its pins. Most wastegate solenoids read somewhere between 20 and 40 ohms. A reading well below spec, for example under 10 ohms, means shorted windings that draw enough current to trip the computer's protection.
Tools: Multimeter
Check the control wire for unwanted voltage
Unplug both the solenoid and the engine computer connector, then turn the key on. The control wire should now show no voltage at all to ground. Battery voltage on that isolated wire proves a short to a powered circuit somewhere in the harness.
Tools: Multimeter
Isolation test between neighboring wires
With the battery disconnected, measure resistance between the control wire and every other wire in the same loom section, especially the solenoid supply. Readings should be open. A low reading tells you which circuit it's touching and roughly where to look.
Tools: Multimeter
Walk the harness near hot parts
Follow the loom from the solenoid toward the computer, looking where it runs over the turbo, exhaust manifold or under heat shields. Melted insulation that has fused two wires together is typical. Also check any splice added for an aftermarket gauge or boost controller.
Tools: Flashlight
Check fuses and related codes
Inspect the fuse that feeds the solenoid and any others on the same circuit. A blown fuse or several solenoid codes at once point to the shared supply side rather than this one solenoid.
Tools: Flashlight, Multimeter
Clear, key-cycle and verify
Many computers keep a driver disabled until the next key cycle after a short. After the repair, clear codes, switch off for a minute, restart and use the actuator test: the control wire should now switch between about 12 V and under 1 V.
Tools: OBD-II scanner, Multimeter
Where the parts are
- 1Upstream O2 sensor
- 2Catalytic converter
- 3Downstream O2 sensor
- 4Diesel particulate filter
- 5Turbocharger
Repair options & costs
| Repair | DIY? | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|
| Replace wastegate solenoid with correct part | Yes | $80–$320 |
| Dry and clean solenoid connector, add dielectric grease | Yes | $0–$80 |
| Repair shorted harness section | No | $150–$550 |
| Remove or correct aftermarket boost controller wiring | No | $60–$250 |
| Repair or replace engine computer | No | $600–$1,800 |
Rough US estimates for parts and labor; shop rates vary by region. Not a quote.
Emissions / smog test impact
Will fail
A check engine light caused by this code fails OBD-II emissions tests. Because it usually resets instantly, it can't be cleared shortly before a test and hidden.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'high' actually mean for this solenoid?
On most vehicles it means the computer sees battery voltage on the control wire when it expects ground, or too much current through the coil. Either way, the circuit is behaving as if it's shorted toward power rather than open.
Can a bad solenoid damage the engine computer?
A coil with shorted windings or a wire touching power can stress the computer's output driver. Modern drivers have protection and shut down, but repeated shorts can wear them out, so fix the cause before fitting a new computer.
Why did the code start after I installed a boost gauge?
If the gauge or a boost controller was spliced into the solenoid wiring, it can feed voltage back into the control wire or change the coil load the computer sees. Remove it and retest before replacing parts.
Is P0246 more serious than P0243?
Not for the engine, since both leave the wastegate on spring pressure. P0246 is more specific, though, pointing to a short or low-resistance coil, which makes the fault easier to find.