OBD-II trouble code
P0086: Exhaust Valve Control Solenoid Circuit High (Bank 2)
Application matters: Use the exact vehicle/engine wiring diagram and test specifications. Bank, sensor, cylinder, and group identifiers do not establish routing, harness length, hardware count, shared-circuit geometry, or interchangeable reference parts.
P0086 identifies exhaust valve control solenoid circuit high on Bank 2. The exact diagnostic state determines whether a high reading can result from an open, short, driver, or load problem. Do not diagnose an open solely from the generic title.
Quick facts
- System
- Powertrain
- Category
- Variable Valve Timing
- Severity
- Medium severity
- Driving guidance
- Depends on symptoms and vehicle guidance
- Repair cost range
- Get a vehicle-specific estimate after diagnosis.
- DIY difficulty
- Advanced DIY
A code alone cannot establish whether driving is safe. Stop safely for a red brake or oil-pressure warning, overheating, severe misfire, stalling, or impaired braking or steering, and follow the owner's manual. Restraints faults can reduce crash protection even when the vehicle runs normally.
Part of a family with 12 codes
P0086 is one of 12 codes covering intake and exhaust valve solenoid circuit faults. The identifier must be matched to the exact vehicle. Related codes can share a diagnostic approach, but their circuit, failure condition, and required tests can differ.
Read the full guide for this family →Browse every code in P0001–P00C6, or start from the full code library.
What does P0086 mean?
P0086 identifies exhaust valve control solenoid circuit high on Bank 2. Match the exact exhaust control circuit to the engine and full DTC. The monitored electrical condition is different from proof of incorrect valve timing or a failed hydraulic phaser.
Circuit-high interpretation depends on whether the controller is driving, biasing, or checking that circuit. Identify the allowed test state and specifications before deciding whether a reading indicates an open, short, component, supply, or driver fault.
The bank designation does not prescribe a shared engine-ground route or the longest branch. A group of other circuit faults can justify looking for a genuinely shared supply or reference if the diagram supports one, but cannot establish the cause or permit skipping component tests.
Possible causes
- A fault in the identified component or its electrical connection, after testing
- An open, short, poor terminal, or excessive resistance in the actual circuit
- A supply, reference/ground, configuration, or controller problem covered by the OEM procedure
Symptoms
- Engine warning or a stored cam-control electrical fault
- Idle, performance, economy, or response changes may occur depending on the actual fallback
- A history/intermittent fault may have no present symptom
Diagnostic steps
Save the full scan report, code status, and available freeze-frame data before clearing anything. Confirm the reporting module, any failure-type suffix, and the procedure for the exact vehicle. The steps below are an overview; use manufacturer specifications and safety procedures for testing.
- 1.Record the complete scan and identify the Bank 2 exhaust control circuit and OEM test sequence.
- 2.Inspect the actual connector, supply/control path, and any relevant shared points shown in the schematic. Do not assume an engine-ground strap is the first repair.
- 3.Use the manufacturer’s specified operating state and test points for voltage-drop or waveform measurements; no generic tenths-of-a-volt limit is supplied by this code.
- 4.If a resistance or output test is permitted, use the correct component specification and isolation procedure rather than substituting another solenoid’s reading.
- 5.Distinguish the external circuit and load from a controller fault with the approved checks before replacing anything.
- 6.Verify the confirmed repair and applicable cam-control monitor without unsafe road testing.
Repair cost
Get a vehicle-specific estimate after diagnosis.
A trouble code alone does not price the repair. Ask the shop to identify the confirmed fault and itemize diagnosis, parts, labor, programming or calibration, and taxes.
Estimate your repair
Run the numbers for your vehicle
Open the Repair Cost Estimator with vvt solenoid replacement preselected. Adjust labor rate and vehicle category to fit your situation.
Related repairs
These links are planning examples; the code does not confirm that any listed part has failed.
DIY vs shop
This is an advanced DIY job. It typically requires specialty tools, scan-tool access, lifting equipment, or careful sequencing to avoid causing new failures. Plan for extended downtime and have a backup vehicle. Most owners are better served by a shop that has done this repair before.