P2536: Ignition Switch Accessory Position Circuit
What to do
The engine will normally run and drive as usual — what tends to misbehave is the accessories. Radio, windows or the display cutting out as soon as the key is turned back, or staying on when the key is removed, are the usual signs. The cause is the same worn ignition switch described under the other ignition codes, and a heavy bunch of keys hanging from the barrel accelerates that wear, which is worth knowing for the replacement's sake.
What this code means
A fault in the circuit reporting that the ignition is in the accessory position.
Why an engine module cares about a position in which the engine is not running is a fair question, and the answer is that it needs to know the difference between three states, not two. Off means the vehicle can sleep. Run means it should be ready. Accessory means somebody is present and using the vehicle without running it — sitting with the radio on, waiting with the windows working — and that is a different instruction from either.
What the module does with it is mostly about power. It stays partly awake rather than shutting down fully, and it participates in load shedding: as battery voltage falls with the engine stopped, accessories are progressively dropped to preserve enough charge to start. Knowing the vehicle is in accessory rather than off is what makes that judgement possible.
The symptoms are therefore mostly about accessories rather than the engine. Radio and windows that die the moment the key is turned back, or that refuse to switch off when the key is removed, are the usual complaints — and neither is obviously an engine module matter, which is why the code is worth having.
The part and its failure mode are the same as at P2530: a mechanical switch with separate contacts that wear independently.
Likely causes
Start here
- Worn ignition switch contacts · moderate
- Faulty ignition switch · moderate
- Corroded or loose connector · easy
Less common
- Damaged wiring harness · moderate
- Faulty body control module · specialist
Symptoms
Components involved
Information, not instruction
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Community experience
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