OBD-II Code · Emissions
P0445
EVAP Purge Control Valve Short
Severity
low
Lowest on our scale. Fix it when convenient.
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–$300
Varies by vehicle, diagnosis, parts, and local labor. This is not a repair quote.
Purge valve circuit shorted.
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
Likely causes
- Shorted wiringMost common
- Failed valve
Read the full diagnostic procedureP0445 indicates the EVAP purge valve control circuit is shorted, meaning the PCM driver detected excessive current draw (short to ground on the contr…
P0445 indicates the EVAP purge valve control circuit is shorted, meaning the PCM driver detected excessive current draw (short to ground on the control wire) or shorted coil windings.
Cheapest checks
disconnect the valve and measure coil resistance; anything under roughly 15 ohms (well below the 22 to 30 ohm typical spec) confirms internally shorted windings. With the valve unplugged, check the control wire from valve to PCM for a short to ground using a multimeter on continuity mode between the control pin and chassis ground; resistance should read infinite/OL. If the wire is shorted to ground anywhere along its run, repair the chafe point (commonly where the harness crosses metal brackets or routes near exhaust heat shields). With a known-good valve installed and harness verified, command the valve with a scan tool and watch for the code to re-set; if it does, the PCM driver may be damaged from a prior short event, which sometimes requires PCM replacement or reprogramming. Caveat: replacing a purge valve without finding the original short-to-ground cause will often destroy the new valve and the PCM driver within minutes of operation, so always ohm the harness to ground before installing the replacement.
Vehicle-specific patterns2002 to 2009 Chevrolet/GMC full-size pickups with the V8 trip P0445 from the purge valve harness shorting against the intake manifold bolts, GM PIP48…
- 2002to 2009 Chevrolet/GMC full-size pickups with the V8 trip P0445 from the purge valve harness shorting against the intake manifold bolts, GM PIP4818 covers harness rerouting and updated valve.
- 2003to 2008 Ford F-150 with 5.4L sets P0445 from the purge solenoid coil shorting internally after heat-soak.
- 2004to 2008 Honda Pilot/Odyssey sets P0445 from canister purge valve shorted-winding failure on the engine-mounted unit.
- 2005to 2010 Toyota Tundra/Sequoia with the 4.7L 2UZ trips the equivalent VSV-shorted code from internal coil failure, Toyota recommends VSV replacement.
Estimated repair$80 to $320.
Look up another code
P0445 — frequently asked
What does a P0445 code mean?
Purge valve circuit shorted.
What causes a P0445 code?
Common causes: Shorted wiring; Failed valve.
What are the symptoms of a P0445 code?
Typical symptoms: Check engine light.
Is it safe to drive with a P0445 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-$300.
How do I diagnose a P0445 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.
More free tools