P1213–P1220 Cylinder 1 Fuel Injector (N30) Circuit - Short to B+
A wire in this circuit is touching a live positive feed, so the part sees power when it shouldn't.
Can you drive it? This class of fault can cause real mechanical damage if you keep driving on it. A persistent misfire also destroys the catalytic converter, which is the expensive part.
Which code is which
Same fault, different cylinder or bank — diagnosed the same way. Several set together usually means one shared cause.
| Code | Definition | Severity |
|---|---|---|
P1213 | Cylinder 1 Fuel Injector (N30) Circuit - Short to B+ | Do not keep driving |
P1214 | Cylinder 2 Fuel Injector (N31) Circuit - Short to B+ | Do not keep driving |
P1215 | Cylinder 3 Fuel Injector (N32) Circuit - Short to B+ | Do not keep driving |
P1216 | Cylinder 4 Fuel Injector (N33) Circuit - Short to B+ | Do not keep driving |
P1217 | Cylinder 5 Fuel Injector (N83) Circuit - Short to B+ | Do not keep driving |
P1218 | Cylinder 6 Fuel Injector (N84) Circuit - Short to B+ | Do not keep driving |
P1219 | Cylinder 7 Fuel Injector (N85) Circuit - Short to B+ | Do not keep driving |
P1220 | Cylinder 8 Fuel Injector (N86) Circuit - Short to B+ | Do not keep driving |
The definition
P1213: Cylinder 1 Fuel Injector (N30) Circuit - Short to B+.
P1213 is a manufacturer-specific powertrain code (the engine or gearbox). Its meaning is set by the carmaker rather than by the SAE standard, so a generic OBD-II reader will often show it as an unknown code or misread it.
What to check first
Cheapest and fastest checks first:
- With the connector unplugged and ignition on, check whether the signal pin already has battery voltage on it. It should not.
- Check for a chafed wire lying against a live feed, especially in looms that run alongside the starter or alternator cabling.
Reading the code is the easy part
A code names the circuit that complained. What tells you why is watching the sensor behind it while the engine runs — and that is where a code reader stops and a diagnostic tool starts.
VAGPULSE reads your engine ECU's fault codes and the live measuring blocks behind them, and clears the codes once you have fixed the fault. On the engine it also does what a generic OBD reader cannot on a VAG: coding, adaptations, and Stage 1–3 flashing on Bosch ME7 petrol ECUs, with a backup saved every time it reads your ECU.
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Common questions
What does P1213 mean?
P1213 means Cylinder 1 Fuel Injector (N30) Circuit - Short to B+. A wire in this circuit is touching a live positive feed, so the part sees power when it shouldn't.
Can I drive with P1213?
This class of fault can cause real mechanical damage if you keep driving on it. A persistent misfire also destroys the catalytic converter, which is the expensive part.