P2441: Secondary Air Injection System Switching Valve Stuck Closed Bank 1
What to do
The car will drive normally and you will notice nothing — this only affects the first minute after a cold start. It will fail an emissions test. Worth repairing on that basis rather than urgently. Ask whether the pump behind the valve is still sound before agreeing to replace both, since a valve seized shut tends to have kept exhaust away from the pump.
What this code means
The bank 1 switching valve is not opening when the secondary air system runs.
This is the harmless half of the pair, and the difference between the two is worth appreciating. Stuck open, at P2440, breaks the mixture measurement and makes the engine run rich. Stuck closed simply means no air is delivered during the cold-start window — so the catalyst takes longer to light and cold-start emissions are worse, and nothing else happens. The engine runs normally, the fuel trims are correct, and the driver notices nothing.
So the practical consequence is an emissions test failure rather than a repair urgency, and the severity reflects that.
The cause is usually carbon or corrosion seizing the valve shut, which is the same environment that produces the stuck-open case. A valve seized closed also protects the pump behind it from exhaust, which is why a stuck-closed valve is sometimes found on a system whose pump is still in good condition — an accidental benefit worth knowing when deciding how much to replace.
Likely causes
Start here
- Carbon deposits seizing the valve · moderate
- Faulty secondary air switching valve · moderate
- Disconnected or leaking vacuum hose · easy
Less common
- Blocked secondary air pipework · moderate
- Corroded or loose connector · easy
Symptoms
Components involved
Information, not instruction
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Have anything you intend to act on checked by a trained person against the manufacturer's own procedure for your vehicle. Nothing here replaces that procedure.
Community experience
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