P053A
PCV Heater A Control Circuit Open
The heater on PCV path A - used to prevent ice plugs in the crankcase ventilation hose during cold weather - has an open control circuit. Without it, condensation can freeze and block PCV flow, raising crankcase pressure dangerously.
- Check engine light: Yes
- Emissions related: Yes
- Repair difficulty: easy
Common causes
Ordered by how often each turns out to be the cause.
- Open in harness or heater elementCommon
- Pin pushed back out of connector bodyLess likely
- Cracked solder joint inside the module or sensorLess likely
Parts involved
- PCV Heater A
- PCV Heater Wiring A
P053A is a generic OBD-II code defined by SAE J2012. Exact wording and diagnostic procedure vary by manufacturer and model. Code definitions are drawn from the public-domain OBDex dataset; the workshop notes are our own.