P2538: Ignition Switch Accessory Position Circuit High
What to do
The engine drives normally. Radio or windows cutting out immediately when the key is turned back is the usual sign. Ask for the ignition switch and the connector behind the steering column to be checked.
What this code means
The accessory position circuit reads above its valid range — an open circuit, or a short to supply. An open circuit means the module never learns the vehicle is in accessory, so it may shut down fully when it should have stayed partly awake — which presents as accessories dying the instant the key is turned back from run.
As elsewhere in this family, the switch is a wearing mechanical part and the connector behind the column is the other candidate.
Likely causes
Start here
- Open circuit in ignition switch wiring · moderate
- Faulty ignition switch · moderate
- Corroded or loose connector · easy
Less common
- Wiring shorted to voltage · moderate
Symptoms
Components involved
Information, not instruction
CarGeek is a reference, not a service manual. Its pages are written from public sources and from what other people have found, never from a manufacturer's own service information, so they can be wrong or incomplete for your particular vehicle. Some of what they describe carries real risk: high voltage, fuel under pressure, stored energy, hot and moving parts.
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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