P2609Intake Air Heater System Performance
- Generic OBD-II code · Powertrain
- Turns on the check-engine light
- Matters for the ITP
- Needs a drive cycle to confirm a fix
- How the car detects it
- P2609 judges the intake air heating as a whole rather than one circuit: the controller compares what the grid heater should achieve with what it measures, for example via the current drawn or the rise in intake air temperature during preheat. Ram has published two service documents for its 6.7 L Cummins pickups. Bulletin 18-012-12 REV. A reflashes the engine module of 2011 Ram 2500/3500 trucks, with P2609 among the codes whose diagnosis was improved. A 2016 parts tip for 2012-2016 engines says that with heater faults or P2609 together with P0542 the heater grid and its relay are to be replaced as a set, and the cable between them checked for overheating. Volvo's 2022 pre-heat relay instruction also covers P2609-00. Hard cold starts and white smoke are the usual complaints.
- What you may notice
- Hard starting in cold weather
- White smoke and rough idle after a cold start
- MIL on
- Likely causes
- LikelyWorn heater grid or relay (replace as a set)
- PossibleOverheated or loose supply cable between relay and grid
- PossibleEngine software with an outdated diagnostic (reflash available)
- RareIntake air temperature sensor reading implausibly
- Inspection (ITP)
- Matters for the ITP. While the check-engine light is on, the car fails the emissions check.
- Repair
- Medium · Usually a job for a workshop.Typical cost: €0 – €800
- Related codes
Explanation from obdex (CC0), exactly as the app shows it. Guidance only; confirm with a workshop.