P1515 — 22 documented meanings by make

P1515 does not mean the same thing on every car — manufacturers reuse the number for different faults. 18 makes document it: Audi, Chevrolet (USA), Chrysler, Citroen, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Opel / Vauxhall, Peugeot, Porsche, Saab, SEAT, Skoda, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen. Find your make below.

P1515 on Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Volkswagen

On Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Volkswagen vehicles P1515 is documented as: Inlet manifold change-over valve, N156, short circuit to ground. P1515 is stored when the ECU sees short to ground on the circuit named in the code. That describes how the circuit is behaving, not which part has failed — the wiring, the connector and the component itself can all produce it, which is why the checks below start with the cheapest.

Usually one of: Wiring insulation chafed through where the loom passes a bracket or edge; Water or salt in a connector bridging the signal pin to the body; The component itself shorted internally; A harness pinched during earlier repair work.

Check first, cheapest first:

1. Unplug the component and re-read the code — if it changes, the fault is in the component, not the wiring
2. Inspect the loom where it passes metal edges, brackets and hinges
3. Open the connector and check for green corrosion or moisture
4. Measure resistance from the signal pin to a body ground; near-zero confirms the short
5. Repair the harness section, or replace the component if it shorted internally

Related Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Volkswagen codes:

P1515 on Chevrolet (USA)

On Chevrolet (USA) vehicles P1515 is documented as: Command vs actual throttle position performance (PCM). P1515 points at throttle body or pedal position. The standard definition names the system involved; which part inside it has actually failed is what the checks below establish, cheapest first.

Related Chevrolet (USA) codes:

P1515 on Chrysler

On Chrysler vehicles P1515 is documented as: Accelerator pedal sensor. P1515 points at accelerator pedal sensor. The standard definition names the system involved; which part inside it has actually failed is what the checks below establish, cheapest first.

Related Chrysler codes:

P1515 on Citroen, Peugeot

On Citroen, Peugeot vehicles P1515 is documented as: Electric current circuit.

Related Citroen, Peugeot codes:

P1515 on Ford, Mazda

On Ford, Mazda vehicles P1515 is documented as: Electrical circuit.

Related Ford, Mazda codes:

P1515 on Hyundai

On Hyundai vehicles P1515 is documented as: Idle speed actuator command signal incorrect, coil 1. P1515 is stored when the ECU sees range or performance on the circuit named in the code. That describes how the circuit is behaving, not which part has failed — the wiring, the connector and the component itself can all produce it, which is why the checks below start with the cheapest.

Usually one of: Sensor reading is inside its electrical range but does not match reality; Contamination or deposits changing what the sensor sees; A mechanical fault upstream that the sensor is correctly reporting; Sensor drifted with age without failing outright.

Check first, cheapest first:

1. Compare the live value against a second sensor or a known-good figure — this code is about plausibility, not a dead circuit
2. Look for the mechanical cause first: leaks, restrictions or wear that would genuinely produce this reading
3. Clean the sensor if it is the type that fouls
4. Check freeze-frame data to see under what conditions it triggered
5. Replace the sensor only after the mechanical side is ruled out

Related Hyundai codes:

P1515 on Kia

On Kia vehicles P1515 is documented as: Automatic transmission to manual transmission codification. P1515 points at transmission. The standard definition names the system involved; which part inside it has actually failed is what the checks below establish, cheapest first.

Related Kia codes:

P1515 on Mitsubishi

On Mitsubishi vehicles P1515 is documented as: Brake vacuum sensor system.

Related Mitsubishi codes:

P1515 on Opel / Vauxhall

On Opel / Vauxhall vehicles P1515 is documented as: Pedal position sensor, general error; Pedal position sensor range/performance; Idle speed actuator feedback signal high; Pedal position sensor, brake switch error; Idle speed actuator feedback open circuit; Pedal position sensor, potentiometer error; Pedal position sensor circuit, high/low input; Pedal position sensor, idle position switch error; Commanded versus actual throttle position correlation; Pedal position sensor, voltage supply circuit, high/low input. P1515 points at accelerator pedal sensor. The standard definition names the system involved; which part inside it has actually failed is what the checks below establish, cheapest first.

Related Opel / Vauxhall codes:

P1515 on Porsche

On Porsche vehicles P1515 is documented as: Inlet manifold switch-over 1, short circuit to ground. P1515 is stored when the ECU sees short to ground on the circuit named in the code. That describes how the circuit is behaving, not which part has failed — the wiring, the connector and the component itself can all produce it, which is why the checks below start with the cheapest.

Usually one of: Wiring insulation chafed through where the loom passes a bracket or edge; Water or salt in a connector bridging the signal pin to the body; The component itself shorted internally; A harness pinched during earlier repair work.

Check first, cheapest first:

1. Unplug the component and re-read the code — if it changes, the fault is in the component, not the wiring
2. Inspect the loom where it passes metal edges, brackets and hinges
3. Open the connector and check for green corrosion or moisture
4. Measure resistance from the signal pin to a body ground; near-zero confirms the short
5. Repair the harness section, or replace the component if it shorted internally

Related Porsche codes:

P1515 on Saab

On Saab vehicles P1515 is documented as: Pedal position sensor. P1515 points at accelerator pedal sensor. The standard definition names the system involved; which part inside it has actually failed is what the checks below establish, cheapest first.

Related Saab codes:

P1515 on Subaru

On Subaru vehicles P1515 is documented as: Idle speed control solenoid signal 3 circuit high input. P1515 is stored when the ECU sees signal too high on the circuit named in the code. That describes how the circuit is behaving, not which part has failed — the wiring, the connector and the component itself can all produce it, which is why the checks below start with the cheapest.

Usually one of: Open ground for the sensor, letting the signal float up; Signal line shorted to a supply voltage; Sensor failed open, which the module reads as maximum; Connector fault interrupting the return path.

Check first, cheapest first:

1. Read the live value and compare with what the conditions should produce
2. Check the sensor ground continuity back to the module
3. Unplug the sensor: if the reading changes, the wiring is intact and the sensor is suspect
4. Inspect the connector for corrosion or a spread terminal
5. Replace the sensor once ground and signal wiring are confirmed good

Related Subaru codes:

P1515 on Toyota

On Toyota vehicles P1515 is documented as: Boost pressure high. P1515 is stored when the ECU sees signal too high on turbocharger or boost control. That describes how the circuit is behaving, not which part has failed — the wiring, the connector and the component itself can all produce it, which is why the checks below start with the cheapest.

Usually one of: Open ground for the sensor, letting the signal float up; Signal line shorted to a supply voltage; Sensor failed open, which the module reads as maximum; Connector fault interrupting the return path.

Check first, cheapest first:

1. Read the live value and compare with what the conditions should produce
2. Check the sensor ground continuity back to the module
3. Unplug the sensor: if the reading changes, the wiring is intact and the sensor is suspect
4. Inspect the connector for corrosion or a spread terminal
5. Replace the sensor once ground and signal wiring are confirmed good

Related Toyota codes:

Which one is yours

A generic OBD reader gives you the number, not which of these meanings your manufacturer assigned to it. To get to the specific one:

1. Use a brand-specific scanner — VCDS for VAG, INPA or ISTA for BMW, XENTRY for Mercedes, Forscan for Ford. It shows the manufacturer's own text rather than the generic one.
2. Read all stored codes together — the neighbouring ones usually point at which system is involved and narrow the list.
3. Check freeze-frame data: the RPM, temperature and load at the moment it triggered indicate which system was active.
4. If you have no brand scanner, tell me the make and model below and I will tell you which of these applies to your car.

Code family

P1xxx is manufacturer-specific code (VW/Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Toyota etc. have different meanings for the same code number).

Severity

Manufacturer-specific codes need a brand scanner (VCDS for VAG, INPA for BMW, STAR for Mercedes).

That is what holds for P1515 in general. From here it depends on your engine — tell me which car it is and what it does, and I will give you the steps for it: real procedures, torque figures and diagrams instead of general advice.