P0615 Starter relay circuit
What P0615 means
The engine control unit controls the starter relay on many cars and has detected a fault in that circuit. The engine may crank intermittently or not at all.
P0615 is a generic SAE J2012 code: it means the same on every make. The exact cause still depends on the car, so read the freeze-frame data before replacing parts.
At a glance
- Severity
- Medium
- Typical repair cost
- 30–250 €
- Workshop time
- 0.2–1.5 h
- Repair difficulty
- Easy
- DIY possible
- Yes
- Check engine light
- Yes
- Affects emissions test
- No
Parts and labour at an independent workshop in Europe. Main dealers charge more; the cause decides the bill, not the code.
Symptoms
- Engine does not crank when you turn the key or press start
- Starting works only sometimes
- Starter keeps running briefly after the engine starts (rare)
- Check engine light on
Common causes
- Faulty starter relay
- Blown starter relay fuse
- Damaged wiring or corroded connector in the relay circuit
- Faulty clutch pedal switch or park/neutral switch input
- Low battery voltage
Can I keep driving with P0615?
If the car starts, you can drive, but have it checked within one to two weeks. It may leave you unable to start the engine.
What to check first
- Check the battery voltage and terminals
- Check the starter relay fuse
- Swap or test the starter relay
- Check the clutch or park/neutral switch and the relay control wiring
Related codes
- P0610 Control module vehicle options error
- P0620 Generator (alternator) control circuit
- P0607 Control module performance
- P0606 Control module processor fault
- P0605 Internal control module read only memory (ROM) error
- P0604 Internal control module random access memory (RAM) error
- P0603 Internal control module keep alive memory (KAM) error
- P0627 Fuel pump control circuit/open
Data: TORKO fault-code catalogue, built on OBDex (CC0-1.0) and reviewed against workshop practice. Informational only — it does not replace a diagnosis by a mechanic.
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