P3423: Cylinder 3 Exhaust Valve Control Circuit Low

The engine control module has detected a low-side voltage fault (short to ground) on the cylinder 3 exhaust valve deactivation solenoid circuit. Cylinder deactivation is disabled while the fault is present.

Medium severity. Can I keep driving?Drive little and gently. If you hear timing chain noise or the oil light comes on, shut off the engine.

Cylinder 3 is numbered according to the manufacturer: check your engine's manual before working on it.

Most likely causes

Wiring shorted to ground
Solenoid internal short
Connector pins corroded - high contact resistance

What to check, in order

Start with the simplest. You can tick off each step.

Check the oil level and condition before anything else
With the connector unplugged, check whether the signal wire is making contact with ground.
Check the solenoid valve's connector
Compare commanded and actual angles in live data
Test the solenoid valve and its filter, if it has one
Check the engine timing if there is chain noise

Good to know

Repair difficulty: hard
It affects emissions.

What each character of P3423 means

P: Powertrain: engine and transmission
3: Generic or manufacturer code, depending on the range
4: Emissions
23: Specific fault in that system

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep driving with code P3423?

Drive little and gently. If you hear timing chain noise or the oil light comes on, shut off the engine.

What causes code P3423?

The most common causes are: wiring shorted to ground; solenoid internal short; connector pins corroded - high contact resistance.

Related codes

Sources

Values and procedures vary by manufacturer. If it affects brakes, steering, fuel or high voltage, see a professional. Updated: 2026-11-04. How we build these pages.