What is a turbo pressure sensor and what is its role?
The turbo pressure sensor is a part of the turbine engine that measures and regulates the air pressure in the intake manifold and controls the boost level (pressure) of the engine. It monitors the speed and pressure of the air flow in the intake manifold and ensures that the engine is running optimally and receives the required amount of air and fuel.
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An engine without a turbo pressure sensor will generate enough power, but will be adversely affected by high temperatures. The turbo pressure sensor is located between the intake manifold and the throttle valve.
Symptoms of a faulty turbo pressure sensor
The symptoms of a faulty turbo pressure sensor vary depending on the engine type and car model. However, in most cases, the main symptoms are the on-board warning light, the on-board Check Engine and the OBD2 error codes: P0235, P0236 and P0238. These codes do not show the exact component that is faulty, but rather the area in which to look for the problem, i.e. problems with the turbo system.
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Apart from the emergency warning light, the most noticeable symptoms of a faulty turbo pressure sensor are low engine power and poor acceleration. These occur when the engine control unit disables the turbo boost to protect the engine. Other symptoms include a strange idling and startup problems.
One of the most common problems is error code P0236. In this case, the engine control unit detects abnormal values from the turbo sensor.
Another cause of the appearance of this code is the contamination with dust and residues of the turbo sensor. Normally, the control unit compares the values of the turbo sensor with those of the barometric sensor, when the car is idling and before starting the engine.
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If the control unit detects values outside the normal limits of the turbo sensor, it will activate the emergency light and code P0236.
If you think the turbo sensor is dirty it can be taken down and cleaned like any other sensor.
When the code P0236 is activated, you may experience symptoms such as the ignition of the hazard warning light, the on-board warning light, weaker engine power or rounds in which the car accelerates difficult, in steps, the ascent is gradual or in steps due to pressure loss.
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Regarding code P0235, all vehicles with this problem have one thing in common. It refers to an unacceptable variation between the programmed percentage of the engine control unit at a certain value of revolutions per minute and the value of the signal given by the turbo pressure sensor. These two values must be within extremely close limits.
A faulty turbo pressure sensor can cause the following symptoms: poor acceleration, strange vibrations and sounds in the turbocharger, poor overall engine power, exhaust pipe smoke, defective spark plugs, unusually high engine temperature.
Code P0238 occurs when the engine control unit detects an anomaly in the turbo pressure sensor input circuit, namely an open circuit or a very high voltage in the circuit. The most common symptoms of this code are the ignition of the emergency light, the decrease of the engine power. Also, when this error code appears, the engine may stall or not start at all.
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Causes of faults that may occur with the turbo pressure sensor
The main causes of damage to the turbo pressure sensor are contamination and normal wear. If the hazard warning light came on in the dashboard, it may also mean that the sensor responds too slowly and needs to be replaced. At this point, the sensor is still working, but not for long. Thus, it needs replacement.
The turbo pressure sensor is exposed to the intake process, so that, over time, it will be affected by dust, mud and other substances. If the sensor is covered with a thick layer of dust, it will no longer be able to measure the volume of air in the intake manifold.
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When this happens, the emergency light on the dashboard may also light up. If the sensor still works or the values are within normal limits, the problem can be solved by manually removing and cleaning the sensor.