OBD-II Code
P0079
Severity
Not yet reviewed
Nobody on our side has assessed this code yet, so we are not going to guess at how serious it is.
Can you drive it
We cannot say
Treat it as unknown until a shop reads it with live data. If the check-engine light is FLASHING, stop driving as soon as it is safe to — that means an active misfire, whatever the code.
Indicative cost (USD)
$90–$640
From this code's diagnostic notes. Varies by vehicle, diagnosis, parts, and local labor. This is not a repair quote.
P0079 is a Bank 1 exhaust valve control solenoid circuit-low fault, meaning the ECM commanded the OCV and saw the circuit voltage drop below threshold (typically below 0.5V when the driver expects a high-side signal, or a duty-cycle feedback that reads as a short to ground) for longer than the calibration's debounce window (often 0.5 to 2 seconds).
How a shop works this
Work from evidence to part, not the other way round. A code names a circuit or a symptom; it does not name the part that failed.
Note every code that is set, not just this one.
Codes that appear together usually narrow the cause faster than any one of them read alone.
Read the freeze frame — the conditions the fault was recorded under.
Cold or warm, idle or load, road speed and engine speed. A fault that only appears cold is a different fault from one that only appears under load, even with the same code on the scanner.
Confirm the fault is current rather than history.
Clear the code and see whether it returns under those same conditions. A code that does not come back may have been logged during a repair, a flat battery, or a bad connection that has since been disturbed.
Then follow the diagnostic notes further down this page, in the order they are written.
They are written in the order a shop works this code, cheapest checks first. Where they name a component, inspect its wiring and connector before replacing it.
If the code comes back after a repair, the underlying fault is still there. That is the point to bring in a scanner with live data and freeze-frame, or a shop that has one.
Common symptoms
- Check engine light
Read the full diagnostic procedureP0079 is a Bank 1 exhaust valve control solenoid circuit-low fault, meaning the ECM commanded the OCV and saw the circuit voltage drop below threshol…
P0079 is a Bank 1 exhaust valve control solenoid circuit-low fault, meaning the ECM commanded the OCV and saw the circuit voltage drop below threshold (typically below 0.5V when the driver expects a high-side signal, or a duty-cycle feedback that reads as a short to ground) for longer than the calibration's debounce window (often 0.5 to 2 seconds).
Start with the cheapest possible check
unplug the Bank 1 exhaust OCV connector and inspect for oil intrusion in the connector body, corroded pins, or a chafed harness where it routes near the valve cover or exhaust manifold heat — wiring is the #1 cause of circuit-low codes on solenoids, not the solenoid itself. With the connector unplugged, measure resistance across the solenoid pins; spec is typically 6.9 to 7.9 ohms at room temperature. The expensive misdiagnosis is replacing the OCV ($50 to $120) and then the cam phaser ($900 to $1,800 installed) when the real problem was a corroded pin or a melted harness section that costs $40 to repair properly.
Vehicle-specific patterns2005-2010 Ford 5.4L 3V (F-150, Expedition, Navigator) sets P0079 frequently because the Bank 1 exhaust solenoid sits in a thermally brutal spot and t…
- 2005-2010Ford 5.4L 3V (F-150, Expedition, Navigator) sets P0079 frequently because the Bank 1 exhaust solenoid sits in a thermally brutal spot and the connector pin tension fades.
- 2007-2013BMW N54/N55 (335i, 535i, X5, X6) gets P0079-equivalent (BMW uses different code mapping) from Vanos solenoid coil failure plus oil-saturated connectors.
- 2008-2014Toyota 2GR-FE dual VVT-i (Camry V6, Highlander, Sienna, Lexus ES350, RX350) sets P0079 when the Bank 1 exhaust OCV's internal coil shorts after sludge migration.
- 2010-2016Hyundai/Kia 2.4L Theta II (Sonata, Optima, Santa Fe Sport) is a frequent P0079 vehicle from the exhaust OCV coil degrading with heat.
Estimated repair$90 to $640.
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