A low reading on the control line of the cylinder 9 exhaust valve actuator triggers P3471, most often a wire grounded against the engine or body. No manufacturer documents this code publicly; J2012 reserves the codes for cylinders 9 to 12 for engines with more than eight cylinders. Because known shut-off systems on engines above eight cylinders either drop a whole bank by fuel and spark (Audi R8 V10) or close the valves with one shared actuator per cylinder (as in GM's design), a separately wired exhaust actuator on cylinder 9 would be unusual. If such a circuit is present, test it the same way as the intake circuit: resistance to ground with the connector unplugged, then the coil. P3469 is the open-circuit fault, P3472 the short to voltage, P3467 the matching intake code.
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 9 is numbered according to the manufacturer: check your engine's manual before working on it.
Symptoms
- Check engine lamp on
- Partial-cylinder mode unavailable
Most likely causes
- Exhaust actuator wire of cylinder 9 grounded
- Internal short in the exhaust actuator
- Engine control module output damaged
What to check, in order
Start with the simplest. You can tick off each step.
Good to know
- Repair difficulty: medium
- It affects emissions.
What each character of P3471 means
- P: Powertrain: engine and transmission
- 3: Generic or manufacturer code, depending on the range
- 4: Emissions
- 71: Specific fault in that system
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep driving with code P3471?
Drive little and gently. If you hear timing chain noise or the oil light comes on, shut off the engine.
What causes code P3471?
The most common causes are: exhaust actuator wire of cylinder 9 grounded; internal short in the exhaust actuator; engine control module output damaged.
Related codes
- P3469Cylinder 9 Exhaust Valve Control Circuit/Open
- P3470Cylinder 9 Exhaust Valve Control Performance
- P3472Cylinder 9 Exhaust Valve Control Circuit High
- P3467Cylinder 9 Deactivation/Intake Valve Control Circuit Low
- P3497Cylinder Deactivation System Bank 2
Sources
- law.cornell.edu: 13 CCR 1968.2
- audi-mediacenter.com: the engine legendary ten cylinder on the road and
- static.nhtsa.gov: INRD PE25001 11969
- patents.google.com: en
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.