P0616
Starter Relay A Circuit Low
The control line for starter relay A is shorted to ground - the ECU drives the relay and measures voltage too low.
- Check engine light: Yes
- Emissions related: No
- Repair difficulty: easy
Symptoms
- Check engine light on
- Possible limp mode or no-start
- Multiple follow-up faults across modules
- Reset/relearn may be needed after repair
Common causes
Ordered by how often each turns out to be the cause.
- Control line shorted to groundCommon
- Connector pins corroded - high contact resistanceLess likely
- Harness chafing through insulationLess likely
Parts involved
- Starter Relay A
P0616 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.