P246A
Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor Circuit Intermittent/Erratic Bank 2 Sensor 3
Auxiliary emissions control
Generic OBD-II
Medium
What it means
P246A means the exhaust gas temperature sensor at bank 2, sensor 3 is sending an unstable or dropping signal to the engine computer. This sensor protects the turbo, catalyst, and particulate filter from overheating, so an erratic reading is almost always a wiring, connector, or sensor fault rather than an engine problem.
Medium
Can I keep driving? The engine still runs and starts normally, but the ECM may limit boost or DPF regeneration to protect the exhaust while it can't trust the temperature reading.
Common symptoms
What you'll notice
- Check-engine light on
- Temperature signal that flickers or drops out
- Possible reduced power or limited regeneration during the fault
- No obvious change in how the engine idles or starts
Common causes
Most likely first
- Loose, corroded, or backed-out connector at the exhaust gas temperature sensorLikely
- Chafed or intermittently shorting wiring near the hot exhaustCommon
- Failing EGT sensor (bank 2, sensor 3 position)Common
- Poor ground or high-resistance splice in the sensor circuitLess often
How to diagnose & fix
Work through it in order
- Read freeze-frame data and locate the bank 2, sensor 3 EGT sensor on this exhaust.
- Wiggle-test the connector and harness while watching live data to reproduce the dropout.
- Inspect the connector and wiring for heat damage, corrosion, or chafing against the exhaust.
- Back-probe the signal and ground; compare the reading with the other EGT sensors at the same temperature.
- Replace the EGT sensor if wiring checks out, then clear and road-test.
FAQ
Quick answers
Is it safe to drive with P246A?+
Generally yes for a short time. The engine starts and runs, but the computer may cap boost or skip regen, so have it repaired before long trips.
Can I just clear P246A?+
It clears, but an intermittent fault returns once the loose connector or failing sensor acts up again. Trace the circuit first.
Related codes
Often seen with P246A
Read & clear P246A yourself
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✓ Verified name — SAE J2012 / ISO 15031-6Guidance reviewed by OBD DashX