OBD-II Code · Sensors
P0462
Fuel Level Sensor Low
Severity
low
Lowest on our scale. Fix it when convenient.
Can you drive it
Only if running normally
A short trip to a shop may be reasonable if the light is steady and the car runs normally. Stop safely for a flashing light, severe shaking, overheating, loss of power, or another urgent warning. The code alone cannot confirm safety.
Indicative cost (USD)
$300–$800
Varies by vehicle, diagnosis, parts, and local labor. This is not a repair quote.
Fuel level sensor voltage low.
How a shop works this
Work from evidence to part, not the other way round. A code names a circuit or a symptom; it does not name the part that failed.
Note every code that is set, not just this one.
Codes that appear together usually narrow the cause faster than any one of them read alone.
Read the freeze frame — the conditions the fault was recorded under.
Cold or warm, idle or load, road speed and engine speed. A fault that only appears cold is a different fault from one that only appears under load, even with the same code on the scanner.
Confirm the fault is current rather than history.
Clear the code and see whether it returns under those same conditions. A code that does not come back may have been logged during a repair, a flat battery, or a bad connection that has since been disturbed.
Then work the likely-causes list in the order shown.
That order is what a shop checks first for this code — wiring and connections before the component they run to, because a connector costs nothing to inspect and is a common answer.
If the code comes back after a repair, the underlying fault is still there. That is the point to bring in a scanner with live data and freeze-frame, or a shop that has one.
Common symptoms
- Gauge reads empty
Likely causes
- Failed senderMost common
- Short to ground
Read the full diagnostic procedureP0462 indicates the fuel level sensor signal voltage has dropped below the PCM's low threshold, typically under 0.15 to 0.25 volts, for longer than t…
P0462 indicates the fuel level sensor signal voltage has dropped below the PCM's low threshold, typically under 0.15 to 0.25 volts, for longer than the calibrated window (often 30 seconds continuous). The signal wire is either shorted to ground, the sender is open at its high-resistance end, or the float is mechanically stuck at empty.
Cheapest-first
- back-probe the sensor signal pin at the tank-top connector with the key on and compare to the PCM reading on a scan tool.
- If the scan tool shows 0.0 volts but your meter reads a normal 1.5 to 4.0 volts at the connector, the wire between the connector and the PCM is shorted to ground (look for rub-throughs at body-to-frame transitions).
- If both read near zero, unplug the sender and check resistance across its terminals; an open card reads infinite, a shorted float reads near 0 ohms regardless of position.
- Expensive misdiagnosis: replacing the PCM for a chafed harness, or condemning a good sender when the actual fault is a corroded ground splice shared with the EVAP vent solenoid.
Vehicle-specific patterns2005-2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee WK has a known signal wire chafe point where the rear body harness crosses the unibody rail above the tank, often trigg…
- 2005-2010Jeep Grand Cherokee WK has a known signal wire chafe point where the rear body harness crosses the unibody rail above the tank, often triggered after a tank drop for pump service.
- 2001-2007Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Caravan saddle-tank vans short the secondary float wire to the transfer pump housing when the rubber grommet on top of the tank deteriorates.
- 2007-2014Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban develop a corroded C305 body connector under the driver seat that drops level-sensor signal to ground after road salt intrusion.
- 2004-2009Toyota Prius (NHW20) sees the level sensor wire pinched by the rear seat-belt buckle bolt during interior service.
Estimated repair$120 to $560.
Look up another code
P0462 — frequently asked
What does a P0462 code mean?
Fuel level sensor voltage low.
What causes a P0462 code?
Common causes: Failed sender; Short to ground.
What are the symptoms of a P0462 code?
Typical symptoms: Gauge reads empty.
Is it safe to drive with a P0462 code?
Only if running normally. A short trip to a shop may be reasonable if the light is steady and the car runs normally. Stop safely for a flashing light, severe shaking, overheating, loss of power, or another urgent warning. The code alone cannot confirm safety. Estimated repair: $300-$800.
How do I diagnose a P0462 code?
Work from evidence to part, not the other way round. A code names a circuit or a symptom; it does not name the part that failed. 1. Note every code that is set, not just this one. 2. Read the freeze frame — the conditions the fault was recorded under. 3. Confirm the fault is current rather than history. 4. Then work the likely-causes list in the order shown.
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