OBD-II Code · Powertrain
P2010
Intake Manifold Runner Control Circuit Low (Bank 1)
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)
$150–$700
Varies by vehicle, diagnosis, parts, and local labor. This is not a repair quote.
IMRC actuator circuit reading low on bank 1.
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
- Reduced low-end torque
Likely causes
- Failed IMRC actuator/solenoidMost common
- Wiring
- Stuck runner
Read the full diagnostic procedureP2010 means the ECU is reading the IMRC control circuit voltage on bank 1 as too high — typically the actuator's control wire is shorted to power, th…
P2010 means the ECU is reading the IMRC control circuit voltage on bank 1 as too high — typically the actuator's control wire is shorted to power, the actuator winding is open and the ECU's pull-up resistor is sitting at battery voltage, or the ECU's internal driver has failed in the high state.
The cheapest-first ladder
- unplug the IMRC actuator and back-probe the control-side wiring with the key on, engine off.
- The ECU's driver should hold the control line at a specific voltage (typically 0-5V on stepper motors, ground-side switching on DC-motor solenoids); if it sits at battery voltage with the actuator unplugged, the control wire is shorted to a 12V source somewhere in the harness — chase the loom for a chafed wire against the manifold or the alternator bracket.
- If voltage is normal with the actuator unplugged but rises to battery voltage when plugged in, the actuator is internally shorted.
- Scan-tool the commanded vs actual position: a healthy stepper IMRC on a Ford Cyclone will show TPS-like 0-100% position feedback that tracks the commanded position within 5%. Commanded current under load should land between 0.5-1.5 A; if it pegs at 1.5+ A with no movement, the mechanical linkage is seized.
- The expensive-misdiagnosis caveat: don't replace the ECU on a P2010 — the most common cause is a chafed harness against the intake manifold ridge, a $40 wire repair that mimics an ECU driver failure perfectly until you pin-out the connector and verify the short upstream of the actuator.
Vehicle-specific patterns2007-2014 Ford 3.5/3.7 Cyclone (Edge, Explorer, MKX, Taurus) is again the leading P2010 platform — the same heat-cooked actuator that throws P2008 (o…
- 2007-2014Ford 3.5/3.7 Cyclone (Edge, Explorer, MKX, Taurus) is again the leading P2010 platform — the same heat-cooked actuator that throws P2008 (open circuit) often throws P2010 first as the winding partially shorts before opening fully; replace the actuator at the first code, not the second.
- 2010-2017GM 3.6 LFX/LLT throws P2010 when one of the two intake runner control valves fails internally and creates a short to its position-sensor circuit.
- 2005-2010Ford 4.6/5.4 Triton throws P2010 less often than P2008 because the older platform uses a vacuum-driven actuator with a simpler electrical circuit, but a corroded IMRC monitor switch connector will pull the signal line high.
- 2011-2016Hyundai Theta 2.4 (Sonata, Optima) throws P2010 from harness chafing where the IMRC loom crosses the engine mount bracket.
Estimated repair$40 (harness repair) to $1,200 (intake manifold replacement on the GM 3.6).
Look up another code
P2010 — frequently asked
What does a P2010 code mean?
IMRC actuator circuit reading low on bank 1.
What causes a P2010 code?
Common causes: Failed IMRC actuator/solenoid; Wiring; Stuck runner.
What are the symptoms of a P2010 code?
Typical symptoms: Check engine light; Reduced low-end torque.
Is it safe to drive with a P2010 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: $150-$700.
How do I diagnose a P2010 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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