OBD-II trouble code
P0033: Turbocharger/Supercharger Bypass Valve Control Circuit
SAE J2012 APR2002 names this Turbo Charger Bypass Valve Control Circuit. It is the circuit/open code, not the low, high, or range/performance code. Ford pinpoint HN's entry list includes P0034 and P0035 and does not include P0033.
Quick facts
- System
- Powertrain
- Category
- Fuel & Air
- Severity
- Medium severity
- Drivable
- Usually safe to drive short-term
- Repair cost range
- $150 – $570 (turbocharger boost-pressure solenoid replacement, parts and labor)
- DIY difficulty
- Intermediate DIY
Browse every code in P0001–P0099, or start from the full code library.
What does P0033 mean?
SAE J2012 APR2002 section 3.1 defines circuit/open as a fixed value or no response, used where a specific high or low detection is not feasible, or together with the low and high codes when all three can be detected. Table B1 names P0033 Turbo Charger Bypass Valve Control Circuit. The same table's P0039 line says Turbo/Super Charger. The APR2002 line for P0033 does not contain the word supercharger. A calibration on a supercharged engine can still store P0033. The diagram, not the title spelling, shows what the valve does on this engine.
On a turbocharger, the bypass valve dumps or recirculates compressor discharge when the throttle closes. Ford's HN9 table separates an integrated bypass solenoid from a remote bypass solenoid. The diagram for this engine says which of those the circuit belongs to. Ford pinpoint test HN, in the service-information copy whose hosting page says it covers 31 vehicles including the 2015 Lincoln Navigator, MKZ, MKX, MKT, and MKS, and says it does not describe the 2018 F-150 page it was opened from, separates those parts in a resistance table. That table is reached for the DTCs in step HN1. P0033 is not one of them. The ohm bands in that table are not a P0033 specification.
A torn diaphragm changes boost behavior and is a performance result. P0039 is the range/performance code. P0033 does not, by its SAE definition, identify which direction the circuit failed.
Common causes
- An open in the bypass-valve control circuit, which is the fault type section 3.1 names
- A fuse or a VPWR feed that does not reach the solenoid connector
- A connector unlatched after charge-pipe or compressor-housing work
- The remote vacuum solenoid diagnosed when this engine uses an integrated valve, or the reverse
- A torn diaphragm replaced from a circuit/open code
- Ford HN ohm bands from the P0034/P0035 path applied to P0033
Symptoms
- Check engine light with P0033
- Compressor chirp or chatter on throttle lift, if the valve is not opening and this engine is turbocharged
- Boost that does not hold, if the valve is stuck open — a different result from an open circuit, and one this code does not prove by itself
- No change you can feel, on a failure that only removes the electrical command
- The low or high code, P0034 or P0035, stored instead when this calibration can tell those apart
- A supercharger bypass that this APR2002 line does not name, if the calibration still uses P0033
Diagnostic steps
- 1.Open the bypass-valve circuit test for this engine. Do not start with Ford pinpoint HN unless the chart you have lists P0033. The HN copy read here starts with P0034, P0035, P00C1, P00C2, P0234, P0245, P0246, P0299, P100F, and P1011 through P1016.
- 2.Identify the solenoid the diagram assigns to the bypass valve. Note whether it is remote or built into the valve. Ignition off. Inspect the connector and the fuse that feeds it.
- 3.Ignition on, engine off, sensor or solenoid unplugged: check for the supply voltage the chart calls for. Then, ignition off and the module connector disconnected, check the control wire for an open, a short to ground, and a short to voltage. An open-circuit code does not tell you to skip the short checks.
- 4.Measure the coil only against the resistance this procedure prints. The Ford HN bands (8–10 ohms, 12–14 ohms, and 21–25 ohms for the bypass parts that table names) stay on the DTCs that pinpoint lists.
- 5.A diaphragm that will not hold vacuum is a mechanical test. Run it only when this chart calls for it, after the circuit tests. Do not replace the turbocharger from P0033.
- 6.Clear the code and repeat the self-test the chart names. Do not road-test with a scan tool in the driver's hands. A passenger reads it, or you record it.
Repair cost
$150 – $570 (turbocharger boost-pressure solenoid replacement, parts and labor)
RepairPal prices a turbocharger boost-pressure solenoid, not a bypass valve. National average $206–$241, labor $75–$111, parts about $130, updated 3 September 2026 (repairpal.com/estimator/turbocharger-boost-pressure-solenoid-replacement-cost). Named lines on that page's cost-estimates-by-vehicle list, updated 3 September 2026: Volvo S60 $152–$179, Ford F-150 $164–$193, Lincoln MKZ $176–$210, Mercedes-Benz E350 $285–$336, Chevrolet Trax $305–$339, Volkswagen Beetle $311–$414, Volkswagen Passat $315–$366, and Buick Encore $517–$568. The Chevrolet Trax page for the same solenoid is $305–$339, labor $73–$107, parts about $231. The printed pair rounds the Volvo S60 low end ($152) and the Buick Encore high end ($568). It is the solenoid job only. No RepairPal total was found for the turbocharger bypass valve itself. A turbocharger assembly, national average $2,631–$3,261 on the same date, is not this circuit repair.
Estimate your repair
Run the numbers for your vehicle
Open the Repair Cost Estimator with turbo bypass / diverter valve preselected. Adjust labor rate and vehicle category to fit your situation.
DIY vs shop
This is an intermediate DIY job. It usually involves diagnostic steps, specialty parts, and some careful work in tight spaces. If you have the tools and a service manual or trustworthy video for your specific vehicle, it is achievable in a weekend. Otherwise, a competent independent shop will be faster.