P288CEngine Disconnect Clutch Actuator Control Circuit Driver Current/Temperature Too High
- Generic OBD-II code · Powertrain
- Turns on the check-engine light
- Matters for the ITP
- Can trigger limp mode
- How the car detects it
- P288C does not look at the clutch itself but at the electronic switch inside the control module that powers its actuator. Modern driver chips measure their own current and junction temperature; if either exceeds the limit, they shut down and report this condition. Behind it is usually an actuator drawing too much current – a partly shorted coil, a jammed electric motor in electromechanical designs – or a harness fault that loads the output. Ambient heat around a module mounted on the transmission can add to it. No manufacturer has published a description of P288C. CARB requires such outputs to be monitored for proper function. Unlike P2880, which reacts to a voltage level, P288C points to overload, so the actuator should be measured before the module is condemned.
- What you may notice
- Clutch actuator switched off, engine cannot be coupled
- Warning lamp, often after long or hot drives
- Limp-home operation
- Likely causes
- LikelyActuator coil or motor drawing excessive current
- PossiblePartial short in the actuator wiring
- PossibleControl module overheating from heat or poor cooling
- RareDefective driver chip in the control module
- Inspection (ITP)
- Matters for the ITP. While the check-engine light is on, the car fails the emissions check.
- Repair
- Hard · Usually a job for a workshop.Typical cost: €100 – €3,500
- Related codes
Explanation from obdex (CC0), exactly as the app shows it. Guidance only; confirm with a workshop.