P1613 — 18 documented meanings by make

P1613 does not mean the same thing on every car — manufacturers reuse the number for different faults. 16 makes document it: Audi, Chevrolet (USA), Citroen, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Opel / Vauxhall, Peugeot, Saab, SEAT, Skoda, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen. Find your make below.

P1613 on Audi, SEAT, Skoda

On Audi, SEAT, Skoda vehicles P1613 is documented as: Request fault light be switched on, open or short circuit to positive. P1613 is stored when the ECU sees short to positive 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: Signal wire touching a permanently live wire in a damaged loom; Connector pins bridged by corrosion or a bent terminal; Internal fault in the component shorting the signal to supply; Incorrect wiring after an aftermarket accessory was fitted.

Check first, cheapest first:

1. Disconnect the component and check whether the signal line still reads battery voltage
2. Inspect the loom for melted or rubbed insulation, especially near heat sources
3. Check the connector for a pushed-back or bent terminal
4. Trace the signal wire back to the module, looking for a live wire running alongside
5. Repair the harness, or replace the component if it is shorting internally

Related Audi, SEAT, Skoda codes:

P1613 on Chevrolet (USA)

On Chevrolet (USA) vehicles P1613 is documented as: Loss of dim serial data.

Related Chevrolet (USA) codes:

P1613 on Citroen

On Citroen vehicles P1613 is documented as: Configuration; Programming fault. P1613 is stored when the ECU sees not configured 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: Replacement module fitted but never coded to the car; Configuration lost after a battery or software event; Wrong part number for this vehicle specification; Adaptation or learning procedure not carried out after a repair.

Check first, cheapest first:

1. This is a coding fault, not a broken part — do not replace anything yet
2. Confirm the fitted module part number matches the vehicle specification
3. Run the coding or adaptation procedure with equipment that supports this brand
4. Re-check for the code after the adaptation completes

Related Citroen codes:

P1613 on Ford

On Ford vehicles P1613 is documented as: SBDS interactive codes.

Related Ford codes:

P1613 on Honda

On Honda vehicles P1613 is documented as: Gate array communication.

Related Honda codes:

P1613 on Hyundai

On Hyundai vehicles P1613 is documented as: MIL request signal circuit high input, engine control module/PCM self-test failed, voltage regulator, in ECU too high/low. P1613 is stored when the ECU sees signal too low on control module. 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: High resistance in the supply or ground path, dragging the signal down; Corroded connector adding resistance the module reads as a low reading; Sensor drifted out of tolerance with age; Partial short to ground somewhere in the signal line.

Check first, cheapest first:

1. Read the live value on a scanner and compare with a known-good reading
2. Clean and re-seat the connector, then re-test before replacing anything
3. Check the ground point for that circuit — a poor ground causes this far more often than a bad sensor
4. Measure the sensor against specification with the connector back-probed
5. Replace the sensor only once the wiring and ground have been ruled out

Related Hyundai codes:

P1613 on Kia

On Kia vehicles P1613 is documented as: Immobiliser communication fault. P1613 is stored when the ECU sees malfunction on immobiliser / key. 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 or connector fault in the circuit; Component failed electrically; Supply or ground problem feeding the circuit; Controlling module fault, though this is the least common of the four.

Check first, cheapest first:

1. Read all stored codes — a general fault code is often the symptom of a more specific one
2. Inspect the connector and wiring for the named component
3. Check supply and ground at the component
4. Measure the component against specification
5. Replace the component once wiring and supply are ruled out

Related Kia codes:

P1613 on Mercedes-Benz

On Mercedes-Benz vehicles P1613 is documented as: IFI control module stabilisation. P1613 points at control module. The standard definition names the system involved; which part inside it has actually failed is what the checks below establish, cheapest first.

Related Mercedes-Benz codes:

P1613 on Opel / Vauxhall

On Opel / Vauxhall vehicles P1613 is documented as: Immobiliser, no or wrong signal. P1613 points at immobiliser / key. 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:

P1613 on Peugeot

On Peugeot vehicles P1613 is documented as: Programming fault. P1613 is stored when the ECU sees malfunction 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 or connector fault in the circuit; Component failed electrically; Supply or ground problem feeding the circuit; Controlling module fault, though this is the least common of the four.

Check first, cheapest first:

1. Read all stored codes — a general fault code is often the symptom of a more specific one
2. Inspect the connector and wiring for the named component
3. Check supply and ground at the component
4. Measure the component against specification
5. Replace the component once wiring and supply are ruled out

Related Peugeot codes:

P1613 on Saab

On Saab vehicles P1613 is documented as: CIM not added; CIM missing on BUS; No immobiliser response from TWICE; Internal control module malfunction; Wrong transponder response from TWICE. P1613 is stored when the ECU sees not configured 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: Replacement module fitted but never coded to the car; Configuration lost after a battery or software event; Wrong part number for this vehicle specification; Adaptation or learning procedure not carried out after a repair.

Check first, cheapest first:

1. This is a coding fault, not a broken part — do not replace anything yet
2. Confirm the fitted module part number matches the vehicle specification
3. Run the coding or adaptation procedure with equipment that supports this brand
4. Re-check for the code after the adaptation completes

Related Saab codes:

P1613 on Suzuki

On Suzuki vehicles P1613 is documented as: Immobiliser system, engine control module, ECM, not registered. P1613 points at immobiliser / key. The standard definition names the system involved; which part inside it has actually failed is what the checks below establish, cheapest first.

Related Suzuki codes:

P1613 on Toyota

On Toyota vehicles P1613 is documented as: Variant coding not done.

Related Toyota codes:

P1613 on Volkswagen

On Volkswagen vehicles P1613 is documented as: Request fault light be switched on, open circuit or short to positive. P1613 is stored when the ECU sees short to positive 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: Signal wire touching a permanently live wire in a damaged loom; Connector pins bridged by corrosion or a bent terminal; Internal fault in the component shorting the signal to supply; Incorrect wiring after an aftermarket accessory was fitted.

Check first, cheapest first:

1. Disconnect the component and check whether the signal line still reads battery voltage
2. Inspect the loom for melted or rubbed insulation, especially near heat sources
3. Check the connector for a pushed-back or bent terminal
4. Trace the signal wire back to the module, looking for a live wire running alongside
5. Repair the harness, or replace the component if it is shorting internally

Related Volkswagen 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 P1613 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.