P3472: Cylinder 9 Exhaust Valve Control Circuit High

P3472 records a high voltage level on the cylinder 9 exhaust valve control circuit, the pattern of a wire shorted to a supply feed or of a coil with shorted windings. No manufacturer documents this code publicly; J2012 reserves the codes for cylinders 9 to 12 for engines with more than eight cylinders. Engines that could in principle have a cylinder 9 with deactivation include the Mercedes M137 V12, the Lamborghini Aventador V12 and Bentley's W12; for none of them is a separate exhaust actuator documented, and the Bentley engine is described as leaving its valves working during shut-off. A US patent from GM shows that the exhaust side has a sequence of its own: there the exhaust valves stop before the intake valves and also return first. P3469 (open) and P3471 (low) complete the electrical set.

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
Cylinder deactivation switched off by the control module

Most likely causes

Exhaust actuator wire of cylinder 9 shorted to voltage
Shorted windings in the exhaust actuator
Faulty engine control module output

What to check, in order

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

Check the oil level and condition before anything else
Check the sensor's ground and make sure the signal wire is not receiving voltage from another circuit.
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: medium
It affects emissions.

What each character of P3472 means

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

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep driving with code P3472?

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

What causes code P3472?

The most common causes are: exhaust actuator wire of cylinder 9 shorted to voltage; shorted windings in the exhaust actuator; faulty engine control module output.

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.