P0443: Evaporative Emission Control System Purge Control Valve Circuit Malfunction

Short answer: P0443 means “Evaporative Emission Control System Purge Control Valve Circuit Malfunction”. It is a standard OBD-II code, so the basic meaning is the same on every car. Below is what it means on each of the 6 cars we cover, with a link to the full page for each car.

Standard OBD-II code Same meaning on all cars (SAE J2012).

P0443 on each car

Symptoms

1. Check engine light on

Likely causes

1. To cause a P0443, there has to be a problem with the purge control
2. CIRCUIT 3.
3. Not necessarily the valve. Usually they are a unit housing the valve and the
4. Solenoid as an assembly. Or it could be comprised of a separate solenoid with
5. Bad purge solenoid (internal short or open)
6. Wiring harness chafing or rubbing another component causing short or open

What to check, in order

1. Read the code and live data with an OBD-II scanner
2. Look for exhaust or vacuum leaks and check the wiring of the sensor or valve
3. Test the part before replacing it
4. Fix the cause, clear the code and test-drive

Causes and checks above are the general meaning. The exact test steps and values differ by car: open your car’s page.

All fault codes