P2081: Exhaust gas temperature sensor circuit intermittent (bank 1, sensor 1)

What P2081 means

The exhaust gas temperature sensor watches exhaust heat to protect the turbo, catalyst or particulate filter, and to manage regenerations on diesels. The ECU sees the reading come and go or jump in impossible ways. That usually points to a poor contact rather than a dead sensor. Sensor 1 is the one closest to the engine; exhaust temperature sensors are numbered by their order along the pipe, and what sits between them (turbo, catalyst, filter) is up to each manufacturer.

Most common causes

• Sensor connector with poor contact or corrosion
• Wire chafed or cooked by exhaust heat
• Wiring that moves with engine vibration
• Sensor with an intermittent internal fault

Symptoms

• Engine warning light on
• Particulate filter regenerations may stop taking place
• Possible loss of power or limp mode

Can you drive with P2081?

With care You can drive with care, but without this reading the engine may limit power or skip particulate filter regenerations, leading to a clogged filter. Get it fixed soon.

How to check it

With the engine idling and the sensor temperature on live data, gently move the wire and connector (without touching the hot exhaust). If the reading jumps, you have found the poor contact.

How to read and clear P2081 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 P2081 with this same explanation and whether it’s confirmed, pending or permanent.

With Free you read this code with its short description for nothing, and clear it if the engine stores it over standard OBD. With Pro you get the full explanation, how the car was running when it was logged (revs, temperature, load) and clearing in every control unit.

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 the ITV. It’s all in how to read and clear fault codes and in the ITV and OBD.

Similar codes

• P2047 AdBlue injector circuit open or faulty (bank 1, unit 1)
• P204F Reductant (AdBlue) system performance (bank 1)
• P207F Reductant (AdBlue) quality performance
• P2080 Exhaust gas temperature sensor reading out of range (bank 1, sensor 1)
• P2084 Exhaust gas temperature sensor reading out of range (bank 1, sensor 2)
• P2088 Camshaft position actuator A control circuit low (bank 1)
• P2089 Camshaft actuator A control circuit high (bank 1)
• P2090 Camshaft actuator B control circuit low (bank 1)
• P2002 Diesel particulate filter efficiency below threshold (bank 1)
• P2003 Diesel particulate filter efficiency below threshold (bank 2)
• P2004 Intake manifold runner control stuck open (bank 1)
• P2005 Intake manifold runner control stuck open (bank 2)

P2081 is a generic code, so it means the same on any make, for example on Alfa Romeo, Cupra, Dacia, Jeep, Nissan, Škoda. See what Final OBD does on your car in makes and models.