P0676
Cylinder 6 Glow Plug Circuit/Open
Diesel glow plug / preheat
Generic OBD-II
High
What it means
P0676 is a diesel code indicating an open circuit on the cylinder 6 glow plug — usually a burned-out glow plug or a broken wire. Glow plugs preheat the cylinder for starting, so the main effects are hard cold starts, rough warm-up, and white smoke rather than a no-start in warm conditions.
High
Can I keep driving? Usually yes, but expect hard cold starts and rough cold running until the cylinder 6 glow plug circuit is repaired.
Common symptoms
What you'll notice
- Hard starting, especially in cold weather
- Rough idle or a miss until the engine warms up
- White or grey exhaust smoke on a cold start
- Check-engine or glow-plug warning light on
Common causes
Most likely first
- Failed cylinder 6 glow plug with an open elementLikely
- Open or broken wiring in the glow plug circuitCommon
- Loose or corroded connector at the glow plug or moduleCommon
- Faulty glow plug control moduleLess often
How to diagnose & fix
Work through it in order
- Scan and confirm the open-circuit fault is on cylinder 6.
- Measure the glow plug's resistance; an open reading means it needs replacing.
- Inspect and repair the wiring and connector between the module and the cylinder 6 glow plug.
- Verify the glow plug control module output, then clear and re-test on a cold start.
FAQ
Quick answers
Is it safe to drive with P0676?+
Generally yes in mild weather. One open glow plug mainly causes hard cold starting and rough warm-up; fix it before winter.
Can I just clear P0676?+
It will come back on the next cold start unless the open glow plug or wiring is repaired.
Related codes
Often seen with P0676
Read & clear P0676 yourself
Scan your car, confirm the code, and clear it once it's fixed — with OBD DashX on your phone.
✓ Verified name — SAE J2012 / ISO 15031-6Guidance reviewed by OBD DashX