P3435: Cylinder 5 Deactivation/Intake Valve Control Circuit Low

P3435 flags a short to ground on the control line of the cylinder 5 deactivation valve. GM documents it codewise twice: in the 2019 tables for the L84 V8, with under 0.5 ohm to ground in the driver-off state, 20 of 25 samples at 250 ms and Type B, and in an engineering bulletin for 3.6 L V6 engines (LGX, LGZ) where P3435 appears along with P3433 and P3409 when oil leaks from the rocker arm control valve. Oil that wicks into the connector can create exactly such a leakage path. P3433 is the open circuit, P3436 the short to power, P3434 a mechanical failure. In daily driving the engine simply stays on all cylinders.

Cylinder 5 is numbered according to the manufacturer: check your engine's manual before working on it.

Symptoms

• Check engine lamp on
• Oil wetness at the valve cover around the control valve (V6)
• No fuel-saving cylinder deactivation

Most likely causes

• Oil in the cylinder 5 valve connector creating a leakage path (GM 3.6 L V6)
• Control wire shorted to ground
• Shorted cylinder 5 solenoid
• Engine control module driver fault

What to check, in order

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

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

Good to know

• Repair difficulty: medium
• It affects emissions.

What each character of P3435 means

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

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep driving with code P3435?

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

What causes code P3435?

The most common causes are: oil in the cylinder 5 valve connector creating a leakage path (GM 3.6 L V6); control wire shorted to ground; shorted cylinder 5 solenoid.

Related codes

• P3433Cylinder 5 Deactivation/Intake Valve Control Circuit/Open
• P3434Cylinder 5 Deactivation/Intake Valve Control Performance
• P3436Cylinder 5 Deactivation/Intake Valve Control Circuit High
• P3439Cylinder 5 Exhaust Valve Control Circuit Low
• P3409Cylinder 2 Deactivation/Intake Valve Control Circuit/Open
• P3400Cylinder Deactivation System Bank 1

Sources

• law.cornell.edu: 13 CCR 1968.2
• gsi.ext.gm.com: 19OBDG03B Diagnostics
• static.nhtsa.gov: MC 10166674 9999
• static.nhtsa.gov: MC 10173419 9999

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.