OBD-II trouble code
P0246: Turbocharger/Supercharger Wastegate Solenoid "A" High
SAE J2012 APR2002: wastegate solenoid A high. The 2011 GM sheet that was readable says the driver detects circuit high with the engine running. The printed pair is the solenoid.
Quick facts
- System
- Powertrain
- Category
- Fuel & Air
- Severity
- Medium severity
- Drivable
- Usually safe to drive short-term
- Repair cost range
- $206 – $241 (turbocharger boost-pressure solenoid replacement, parts and labor, after the harness short-to-power test clears the wire; the wiring repair is outside this pair)
- DIY difficulty
- Intermediate DIY
Browse every code in P0200–P0299, or start from the full code library.
What does P0246 mean?
SAE J2012 APR2002 names P0246 Turbo/Super Charger Wastegate Solenoid "A" High. Circuit high is measured with the external circuit connected. Section 3.4 is a characteristic at the module pin above the normal range. P0245 is the low row. A reading taken on an open connector is not the measurement the code is defined on.
GM publication 11OBDGS2 (2011) has a row that stayed readable: P0246, control circuit high, the device driver detects circuit high, engine speed running, continuous, two driving cycles. That row does not print a resistance window, a duty-cycle percent, or a 'bad ground' sentence. A corroded ground is not added here as the cause of circuit high, because that sheet does not say it. Whether this driver is ground-side or supply-side is the diagram's fact. A short to power on the control wire and a short to power on the feed are different repairs.
The Ford 2020 tech tip's energized pneumatic solenoid passes no pressure to the wastegate. That is the plumbing result of a commanded-on solenoid in that description, about the opposite of the off state that limits boost to about 34 kPa (5.0 psi). It is not the definition of a circuit-high DTC, and it is not an H-bridge stepper. Do not prove circuit high by feeling for boost.
Isolation, when the chart reaches it, is ignition off, solenoid disconnected and module disconnected, then a short-to-power check that is not used as the continuity check. Continuity wants the wire intact. A short-to-power check wants voltage where the chart says there should be none. RepairPal's $206–$241 solenoid average is the part price after the solenoid is isolated, not the price of the shorted wire.
Common causes
- A short to power in the wastegate solenoid A control wire
- An open in the solenoid A coil
- A failed wastegate solenoid A
Symptoms
- P0246 stored
- The driver reporting circuit high while the engine is running, on the sheet that printed that enable
- Voltage on the control circuit in the state the chart says should be low
- P0245 not stored, so the low test is not the one that failed
Diagnostic steps
- 1.Use the running-engine enable from the 11OBDGS2 row only as that sheet's enable. Hands stay off the belt and the fan.
- 2.Do not unplug the solenoid and treat a high open-pin voltage as a condemned coil. Circuit high is defined with the part connected. The unplugged check comes later, module disconnected, ignition off, and it is a short-to-power test plus a separate continuity test.
- 3.Read the diagram for which terminal is switched. A supply-side short and a ground-side short are not the same wire.
- 4.Skip any 'bad ground sets circuit high' step that is not in the vehicle chart. It was not in the 11OBDGS2 row.
- 5.Coil ohms, if specified, are connector off and ignition off. They do not see a short to power in the harness.
- 6.Replace the solenoid when the harness tests clear and the chart says the coil is the remaining part. The $206–$241 pair is that solenoid. The wire is outside it.
- 7.Verify with the engine running and the solenoid connected, code path recorded, not watched from the driver's seat.
Repair cost
$206 – $241 (turbocharger boost-pressure solenoid replacement, parts and labor, after the harness short-to-power test clears the wire; the wiring repair is outside this pair)
RepairPal's turbocharger boost pressure solenoid replacement, updated 3 September 2026, is $206–$241 (labor $75–$111, parts around $130). The printed pair is that solenoid. A short to power in the harness is outside the pair. Diagnosis is $125–$183 labor and is separate. No wiring-only dollar total was on the solenoid estimator.
Estimate your repair
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Open the Repair Cost Estimator with boost control solenoid replacement 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.