P0522: Oil pressure sensor/switch low voltage
The ECU sees too low a voltage from the oil pressure sensor. It is usually electrical, but first make sure the engine actually has oil.
| Code | P0522 |
|---|---|
| System | Engine and transmission |
| Group | P05xx, Speed, idle and auxiliary inputs |
| Type | Generic: it means the same on every make |
| Can you keep driving? | With care |
What P0522 means
The oil pressure sensor sends a voltage that rises with pressure. Low voltage means the ECU sees a value below what should be possible, nearly always an electrical fault: a wire shorting to earth, the connector or the sensor. Even so, genuinely low oil pressure can also cause it.
Most common causes
- Low oil level or genuinely low pressure
- Sensor signal wire shorted to earth
- Oil or moisture inside the sensor connector
- Faulty oil pressure sensor
- Loss of the sensor’s reference supply, sometimes shared with other sensors
Symptoms
- Oil pressure light on
- Oil pressure gauge at zero, if fitted
- Engine warning light on
Can you drive with P0522?
With care If the oil level is correct and the engine sounds normal, it is usually an electrical fault and you can drive carefully to a garage. If the level is low or the engine is noisy, do not carry on.
Open the bonnetthe in-depth explanation
How to check it
Check the oil level first. Then use the scanner to see whether the sensor pressure or voltage reads zero with the engine running: if it reads the same with the sensor unplugged, the problem is in the wiring or supply.
How to read and clear P0522 with Final OBD
Plug an OBD2 scanner in under the steering wheel, switch the ignition on and open Final OBD. Under Faults you’ll see P0522 with its description and whether it’s confirmed, pending or permanent.
If the engine stores it over standard OBD, with FREE you read this code with its explanation for nothing and clear it. With PRO you also read the faults of every control unit and clear them in all of them.
Clearing the code only turns the light off: if the cause is still there, it comes back. Clear it once it’s fixed, and not right before an inspection. It’s all in how to read and clear fault codes and in inspections and OBD.
Similar codes
- P051E The sump pressure sensor fails now and then
- P051F The positive sump ventilation filter restriction is not working properly
- P0520 Oil pressure sensor/switch circuit malfunction
- P0521 Oil pressure sensor/switch range/performance
- P0523 Oil pressure sensor/switch high voltage
- P0524 Engine oil pressure too low
- P0525 The cruise control servo control gives readings outside the normal range
- P0526 The fan speed sensor has an electrical fault
- P0500 Vehicle speed sensor malfunction
- P0501 Vehicle speed sensor range/performance
- P0502 Vehicle speed sensor circuit low input
- P0503 Vehicle speed sensor intermittent, erratic or high
What does code P0522 mean?
The oil pressure sensor sends a voltage that rises with pressure. Low voltage means the ECU sees a value below what should be possible, nearly always an electrical fault: a wire shorting to earth, the connector or the sensor. Even so, genuinely low oil pressure can also cause it.
Can you drive with P0522?
If the oil level is correct and the engine sounds normal, it is usually an electrical fault and you can drive carefully to a garage. If the level is low or the engine is noisy, do not carry on.
How do you clear P0522?
With an OBD2 scanner and an app like Final OBD, which clears it for free if it’s stored by the engine control unit. But clearing it only turns the light off: if the cause isn’t fixed, P0522 comes back.
Read it on your car
Final OBD reads and clears engine faults through standard OBD for free, each one explained in plain English. With PRO it also reads the faults of every control unit, each make’s own codes included, and clears them in all of them.
