P3496: Cylinder 12 Exhaust Valve Control Circuit High

P3496 is the final code of the per-cylinder valve block: it marks the cylinder 12 exhaust valve control circuit as too high, typically a short to battery voltage or a coil with shorted turns. No manufacturer documents this code publicly; J2012 reserves the codes for cylinders 9 to 12 for engines with more than eight cylinders. Bentley built its last W12 in 2024 after describing a shut-off that idles one bank of six under part or trailing throttle, and the Lamborghini Aventador V12 shut one bank below 135 km/h; neither documents an exhaust actuator for cylinder 12. The clearest public account of exhaust valves following their own switching sequence remains a GM patent. Should the code appear, the module will disable deactivation. P3493 (open) and P3495 (low) complete the set, P3497 is the bank 2 system code.

Cylinder 12 is numbered according to the manufacturer: check your engine's manual before working on it.

Symptoms

• Check engine lamp on
• Cylinder shut-off disabled

Most likely causes

• Exhaust actuator wire of cylinder 12 shorted to battery voltage
• Shorted turns in the exhaust actuator coil
• Engine control module output damaged

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. Check the sensor's ground and make sure the signal wire is not receiving voltage from another circuit.
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 P3496 means

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

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep driving with code P3496?

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

What causes code P3496?

The most common causes are: exhaust actuator wire of cylinder 12 shorted to battery voltage; shorted turns in the exhaust actuator coil; engine control module output damaged.

Related codes

• P3493Cylinder 12 Exhaust Valve Control Circuit/Open
• P3494Cylinder 12 Exhaust Valve Control Performance
• P3495Cylinder 12 Exhaust Valve Control Circuit Low
• P3492Cylinder 12 Deactivation/Intake Valve Control Circuit High
• P3497Cylinder Deactivation System Bank 2

Sources

• law.cornell.edu: 13 CCR 1968.2
• bentleymedia.com: 1611 end of an era as final bentley w12 engine han
• newatlas.com: 24363
• 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.