P2046: Reductant Temperature Sensor A Circuit Intermittent
What to do
Worth catching earlier than an intermittent fault usually deserves, because the repeated interruptions to dosing leave deposits that build up. Mention whether it seems worse on rough roads.
What this code means
The reductant temperature signal drops out or jumps briefly. Because dosing is gated on this reading, each dropout suspends and resumes it — and as with P2041, every interruption leaves a little undispersed fluid behind to crystallise.
Vibration is the usual trigger on an underfloor installation, which points at the connector rather than the sensing element.
Likely causes
Start here
- Corroded or loose connector · easy
- Road damage to underfloor wiring · moderate
- Faulty reductant temperature sensor · moderate
Less common
- Faulty reductant tank heater · moderate
Symptoms
Components involved
Information, not instruction
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Have anything you intend to act on checked by a trained person against the manufacturer's own procedure for your vehicle. Nothing here replaces that procedure.
Community experience
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What makes one worth reading:
- The car — make, model, year and engine. The same fault behaves differently on each.
- What you measured, not only what you replaced.
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