Cause
Obstruction in the intake ducting
Something blocking the intake tract between the filter and the throttle — a rag or glove left after work, a collapsed duct, a displaced snorkel, or a nest built by a rodent while the vehicle stood.
The engine is throttled by the obstruction rather than by the driver. Airflow falls short of what the module expects for the commanded throttle position, so the codes name airflow or throttle performance while the fault is a physical blockage. The complaint is a severe power limit with an engine that idles normally, because idle needs very little air.
A collapsing duct is the version that hides. A soft or perished duct can be clear at idle and pull shut under the vacuum of full throttle, so it passes inspection completely. Look through the ducting with the engine off, then check it does not collapse under load — and a rodent nest is worth expecting on any vehicle that has stood, since the airbox is a favoured site and the material also blocks the filter.
Typically an easy fix. Often worth checking before paying anyone to look.
Codes this can cause (2)
Codes where this is a likely explanation first, rather than merely a possible one.
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