OBD-II Code · Forced Induction
P0245
Turbo Wastegate Solenoid A Low
Severity
medium
Worth booking. It costs fuel, emissions or comfort until it is fixed.
Can you drive it
Only if running normally
A short trip to a shop may be reasonable if the light is steady and the car runs normally. Stop safely for a flashing light, severe shaking, overheating, loss of power, or another urgent warning. The code alone cannot confirm safety.
Indicative cost (USD)
$100–$400
Varies by vehicle, diagnosis, parts, and local labor. This is not a repair quote.
Wastegate solenoid circuit voltage low.
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 work the likely-causes list in the order shown.
That order is what a shop checks first for this code — wiring and connections before the component they run to, because a connector costs nothing to inspect and is a common answer.
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
- Boost issues
Likely causes
- Failed solenoidMost common
- Wiring short to ground
Read the full diagnostic procedureP0245 indicates the wastegate solenoid A control circuit voltage is below the expected threshold, typically meaning a short to ground in the wiring,…
P0245 indicates the wastegate solenoid A control circuit voltage is below the expected threshold, typically meaning a short to ground in the wiring, a shorted solenoid winding, or a PCM driver fault.
Cheapest first
- visually inspect the harness routing along the exhaust manifold and turbo heat shield for melted insulation, which accounts for the majority of these failures on tightly packaged turbo fours.
- Disconnect the solenoid and measure resistance pin-to-pin (expect 14-30 ohms depending on application) and pin-to-ground (should read open, not less than 10K ohms); a low reading to ground confirms an internal short.
- The expensive misdiagnosis is replacing the PCM ($800-$1,400) when the underlying short cooks the new driver within minutes of installation.
Vehicle-specific patterns2009-2014 VW GTI/Audi A4 2.0T N75 control wire (gray/blue on EA888) chafes against the turbo coolant return line and shorts to ground, TSB 21-12-01 c…
- 2009-2014VW GTI/Audi A4 2.0T N75 control wire (gray/blue on EA888) chafes against the turbo coolant return line and shorts to ground, TSB 21-12-01 covers harness reroute;
- 2013-2018Ford Focus ST/Fiesta ST wastegate solenoid bracket allows the connector to contact the turbo housing, melting the pigtail;
- 2008-2013Mini Cooper S N14 wastegate solenoid takes road-spray corrosion and internally shorts;
- 2011-2017Hyundai Veloster Turbo 1.6T solenoid ground point G14 corrodes, dragging the circuit low.
Estimated repair$110 to $520.
Look up another code
P0245 — frequently asked
What does a P0245 code mean?
Wastegate solenoid circuit voltage low.
What causes a P0245 code?
Common causes: Failed solenoid; Wiring short to ground.
What are the symptoms of a P0245 code?
Typical symptoms: Check engine light; Boost issues.
Is it safe to drive with a P0245 code?
Only if running normally. A short trip to a shop may be reasonable if the light is steady and the car runs normally. Stop safely for a flashing light, severe shaking, overheating, loss of power, or another urgent warning. The code alone cannot confirm safety. Estimated repair: $100-$400.
How do I diagnose a P0245 code?
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. 1. Note every code that is set, not just this one. 2. Read the freeze frame — the conditions the fault was recorded under. 3. Confirm the fault is current rather than history. 4. Then work the likely-causes list in the order shown.
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