P1693 — 12 documented meanings by make
Documented by: AUDI, CHEVROLET (USA), CHRYSLER, CITROEN, FORD, HYUNDAI, KIA, LAND & RANGE ROVER, MAZDA, PEUGEOT, PORSCHE, SAAB, SEAT, SKODA, TOYOTA, VOLKSWAGEN — the meaning can differ between manufacturers
P1693 does not mean the same thing on every car — manufacturers reuse the number for different faults. 16 makes document it: Audi, Chevrolet (USA), Chrysler, Citroen, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Land & Range Rover, Mazda, Peugeot, Porsche, Saab, SEAT, Skoda, Toyota, Volkswagen. Find your make below.
| Make | Documented meaning | Points at |
|---|---|---|
| Audi | Self-diagnosis fault light, K83, electrical fault in circuit or short circuit to positive | short to positive |
| SEAT | Self-diagnosis fault light, K83, electrical fault in circuit or short circuit to positive | short to positive |
| Skoda | Self-diagnosis fault light, K83, electrical fault in circuit or short circuit to positive | short to positive |
| Volkswagen | Self-diagnosis fault light, K83, electrical fault in circuit or short circuit to positive | short to positive |
| Chevrolet (USA) | Tachometer circuit, low voltage | signal too low |
| Chrysler | A companion diagnostic trouble code was set in both the ECM and PCM | control module |
| Citroen | Turbo charge control circuit | |
| Citroen | SID 803 starting and switching off of the engine controlled. Starting or switch-off requests absent or not valid | |
| Ford | Turbo charge control circuit | |
| Mazda | Turbo charge control circuit | |
| Hyundai | Immobiliser transponder, MIL request line check | immobiliser / key |
| Kia | Malfunction indicator light request circuit | lighting circuit |
| Land & Range Rover | Immobilisation ECU code exchange fault. Last occurrence - maximum signal | control module |
| Peugeot | Metering Oil Pump Stepping Motor Circuit Malfunction | |
| Porsche | MIL (check engine light), short circuit to positive | short to positive |
| Saab | Check engine light, short circuit to positive | short to positive |
| Toyota | Oil control valve closed | oil pressure or level |
P1693 on Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Volkswagen
On Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Volkswagen vehicles P1693 is documented as: Self-diagnosis fault light, K83, electrical fault in circuit or short circuit to positive. P1693 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:
- Disconnect the component and check whether the signal line still reads battery voltage
- Inspect the loom for melted or rubbed insulation, especially near heat sources
- Check the connector for a pushed-back or bent terminal
- Trace the signal wire back to the module, looking for a live wire running alongside
- Repair the harness, or replace the component if it is shorting internally
Related Audi, SEAT, Skoda, Volkswagen codes:
P1693 on Chevrolet (USA)
On Chevrolet (USA) vehicles P1693 is documented as: Tachometer circuit, low voltage. P1693 is stored when the ECU sees signal too low 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: 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:
- Read the live value on a scanner and compare with a known-good reading
- Clean and re-seat the connector, then re-test before replacing anything
- Check the ground point for that circuit — a poor ground causes this far more often than a bad sensor
- Measure the sensor against specification with the connector back-probed
- Replace the sensor only once the wiring and ground have been ruled out
Related Chevrolet (USA) codes:
P1693 on Chrysler
On Chrysler vehicles P1693 is documented as: A companion diagnostic trouble code was set in both the ECM and PCM. P1693 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 Chrysler codes:
P1693 on Hyundai
On Hyundai vehicles P1693 is documented as: Immobiliser transponder, MIL request line check. P1693 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 Hyundai codes:
P1693 on Kia
On Kia vehicles P1693 is documented as: Malfunction indicator light request circuit. P1693 is stored when the ECU sees malfunction on lighting circuit. 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:
- Read all stored codes — a general fault code is often the symptom of a more specific one
- Inspect the connector and wiring for the named component
- Check supply and ground at the component
- Measure the component against specification
- Replace the component once wiring and supply are ruled out
Related Kia codes:
P1693 on Land & Range Rover
On Land & Range Rover vehicles P1693 is documented as: Immobilisation ECU code exchange fault. Last occurrence - maximum signal. P1693 is stored when the ECU sees malfunction 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: 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:
- Read all stored codes — a general fault code is often the symptom of a more specific one
- Inspect the connector and wiring for the named component
- Check supply and ground at the component
- Measure the component against specification
- Replace the component once wiring and supply are ruled out
Related Land & Range Rover codes:
P1693 on Peugeot
On Peugeot vehicles P1693 is documented as: Metering Oil Pump Stepping Motor Circuit Malfunction. P1693 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:
- Read all stored codes — a general fault code is often the symptom of a more specific one
- Inspect the connector and wiring for the named component
- Check supply and ground at the component
- Measure the component against specification
- Replace the component once wiring and supply are ruled out
Related Peugeot codes:
P1693 on Porsche
On Porsche vehicles P1693 is documented as: MIL (check engine light), short circuit to positive. P1693 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:
- Disconnect the component and check whether the signal line still reads battery voltage
- Inspect the loom for melted or rubbed insulation, especially near heat sources
- Check the connector for a pushed-back or bent terminal
- Trace the signal wire back to the module, looking for a live wire running alongside
- Repair the harness, or replace the component if it is shorting internally
Related Porsche codes:
P1693 on Saab
On Saab vehicles P1693 is documented as: Check engine light, short circuit to positive. P1693 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:
- Disconnect the component and check whether the signal line still reads battery voltage
- Inspect the loom for melted or rubbed insulation, especially near heat sources
- Check the connector for a pushed-back or bent terminal
- Trace the signal wire back to the module, looking for a live wire running alongside
- Repair the harness, or replace the component if it is shorting internally
Related Saab codes:
P1693 on Toyota
On Toyota vehicles P1693 is documented as: Oil control valve closed. P1693 points at oil pressure or level. The standard definition names the system involved; which part inside it has actually failed is what the checks below establish, cheapest first.
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:
- 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.
- Read all stored codes together — the neighbouring ones usually point at which system is involved and narrow the list.
- Check freeze-frame data: the RPM, temperature and load at the moment it triggered indicate which system was active.
- 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 P1693 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.
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Code breakdown
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