C061DVariable Effort Steering Actuator Control Circuit Low
- Generic OBD-II code · Chassis
- Can trigger limp mode
- How the car detects it
- C061D flags an actuator line held too low, most often a coil lead shorted to the steering gear housing or to the vehicle body. The Magnasteer coil sits in the cast valve housing, which forms part of its magnetic circuit, so insulation damage there grounds the winding; checking each coil terminal against the housing is a standard test. Because the current must flow in both directions, the controller uses a full bridge, and drivers such as the DRV8874-Q1 shut down on overcurrent when an output is grounded. With the actuator dead, assist depends solely on torsion bar stiffness and the pump's delivery. No maker publishes C061D; open and high are C061C and C061E.
- What you may notice
- Speed-dependent steering feel lost
- Steering feels the same at all speeds
- Fuse for the steering actuator may blow
- Likely causes
- LikelyActuator coil insulation broken down to the steering gear housing
- PossibleActuator wire chafed against subframe or exhaust heat shield
- RareFailed output stage in the controlling module
- Repair
- Hard · Usually a job for a workshop.Typical cost: €30 – €1,500
- Related codes
Explanation from obdex (CC0), exactly as the app shows it. Guidance only; confirm with a workshop.