CarScan
P0380Powertrain

Glow plug circuit — malfunction

Where to start

Glow plugs. In winter this is the most common reason a diesel starts hard and smokes white for the first few seconds. Check the glow relay and the plugs themselves — they are a wear item, and by this point usually half of them are dead, not one.

A code is not a diagnosis. It says which check failed, not which part to replace. Clearing it without repair only means the car will report it again in a few trips.

How to put together a report a mechanic will actually read

How the code is built

Letter — the systemPowertrain: engine and transmission
Common or the maker's ownGeneric code: the same on every car
Which part of the engineIgnition system and misfires
Number of the faultThe serial number inside that group — it does not say how serious the fault is

All codes in «Ignition system and misfires»

How the app helps

CarScan reads this code from your car through an OBD-II adapter, shows whether it is active now or only stored, names the module that reported it, and puts it into a plain-text report for your mechanic.

See what the app does

Unfamiliar word? Open the glossary

What the letter and the four digits mean