P1136: How to Diagnose & Fix — Intake Valve Timing Control Solenoid Valve Circuit, Bank 2
3 vehicles · 1 makes
How to diagnose and fix P1136: most-reported vehicles
Ranked by owner reports. Each card gives the symptoms, how to confirm the cause, the fix, parts and sources for that vehicle.
Audi Q5 · 2009–2025
Audi states that contaminated gasoline or gasoline with insufficient deposit-control additives can contribute to deposits on intake valves, the intake manifold, fuel injectors and combustion chambers. Possible results include rough running after cold start, extended cranking, hesitation, rough idle, reduced performance, poor fuel economy or an MIL with misfire, lean-system or air/fuel-ratio-imbalance faults. The bulletin does not describe a Q5 intake-valve defect, a walnut-blasting interval or a fixed failure mileage.
Common Symptoms
- Rough running after a cold start
- Excessive engine cranking time
- Hesitation while driving
- Rough idle
- Reduced engine performance
- Poor fuel economy
- MIL with misfire, lean-system or air/fuel-ratio-imbalance faults
How to Fix
Confirm the exact gasoline-powered vehicle, fuel quality, symptoms and stored DTCs before cleaning or replacing components. If contaminated gasoline is suspected, change fuel source; if detergent quality is suspect, Audi recommends Top Tier detergent gasoline. Continue guided diagnosis if the condition persists and identify the actual deposit location before selecting any cleaning procedure. The bulletin does not call for routine walnut blasting, a catch can, chemical cleaner or high-RPM driving.
Sources for this issue (1)
Audi A4 · 2009–2021
Audi states that contaminated gasoline or gasoline with insufficient deposit-control additives can contribute to deposits on intake valves, the intake manifold, fuel injectors and combustion chambers. Possible results include rough running after cold start, extended cranking, hesitation, rough idle, reduced performance, poor fuel economy or an MIL with supported misfire, lean-system or cylinder-imbalance faults. Audi does not describe this as a defect common to every A4 2.0T, and it sets no walnut-blasting interval or failure mileage.
Common Symptoms
- Rough running after a cold start
- Excessive engine cranking time
- Hesitation while driving
- Rough idle
- Reduced engine performance
- Poor fuel economy
- MIL with supported misfire, lean-system or cylinder-imbalance faults
How to Fix
Confirm that the vehicle is gasoline-powered, document fuel quality, symptoms and stored DTCs, and follow current guided diagnosis before cleaning or replacing anything. If contaminated gasoline is suspected, change fuel source; if detergent quality is suspect, Audi recommends Top Tier detergent gasoline. Identify the actual deposit location before selecting a cleaning process. Do not prescribe routine walnut blasting, a catch can, chemical cleaner or high-RPM driving from this record.
Sources for this issue (1)
Audi SQ5 · 2014–2025
Audi states that contaminated gasoline or gasoline with insufficient deposit-control additives can contribute to deposits in injectors, combustion chambers, the intake manifold and intake valves, with rough running, hesitation, reduced performance, poor fuel economy or related ECM faults. This does not establish a universal SQ5 intake-valve defect, a mandatory walnut-blasting interval or a fixed mileage. Audi separately warns that unapproved fuel additives are not permitted on 2018-2025 EA839 V6 TFSI SQ5 models because a negative effect on engine life cannot be ruled out.
Common Symptoms
- Rough running after a cold start
- Excessive engine cranking time
- Hesitation while driving
- Rough idle
- Reduced engine performance
- Poor fuel economy
- MIL with misfire, lean-system or air/fuel-ratio imbalance faults
How to Fix
Confirm fuel quality, symptoms and stored DTCs before replacing or cleaning components. If contaminated gasoline is suspected, advise changing the fuel source; if low detergent quality is suspected, Audi recommends Top Tier detergent gasoline. Continue workshop diagnosis if symptoms persist. On 2018-2025 EA839 SQ5 models, do not use unapproved cleaners or additives; follow the owner manual and use only Audi-approved petrol additives. On 2014-2017 supercharged SQ5 models, Audi's bulletin allows its gasoline additive G 001770A2 to remove existing injector and combustion-chamber deposits. Routine walnut blasting or a catch can is not part of Audi's guidance.
Sources for this issue (2)
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P1136 code reference
General diagnostic-code context. The code alone does not confirm a cause for your vehicle; use the applicable issue card and its sources.
Frequently asked questions
What does P1136 mean?
P1136 stands for "Intake Valve Timing Control Solenoid Valve Circuit, Bank 2." A Nissan/Infiniti manufacturer-specific code. The ECM pulses the intake valve timing (VVT) control solenoid with an on/off duty signal to route oil that advances or retards intake cam timing, and this code sets when it sees an abnormal electrical condition in that solenoid circuit on Bank 2. Symptoms are usually a check engine light with mild rough idle, reduced low-end power, or slightly worse fuel economy. On these engines the fault is very often oil-related rather than a bad part, so change the oil and filter (and try cleaning the solenoid) before condemning it. Other makes use P1136 differently - VW/Audi assign it to a Bank 1 lean additive-mixture fuel trim fault.
What are the most common causes of P1136?
The most common causes of P1136 are: Dirty or degraded engine oil clogging the intake valve timing solenoid, Low engine oil level or the wrong viscosity, Failed intake valve timing control solenoid valve (Bank 2), Open, shorted, or chafed wiring in the solenoid circuit, Corroded or loose solenoid connector, Failed ECM (rare). The specific cause varies by vehicle.
How much does it cost to fix P1136?
Repair costs vary widely depending on the root cause and vehicle.
Which vehicles are affected by P1136?
Au7o has documented P1136 across 3 vehicle models from 1 manufacturers: Audi.
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Content compiled with AI assistance using NHTSA complaints, TSBs, and owner reports. May contain errors. Always verify with your vehicle's service manual.