OBD-II Code
P0470
Severity
Not yet reviewed
Nobody on our side has assessed this code yet, so we are not going to guess at how serious it is.
Can you drive it
We cannot say
Treat it as unknown until a shop reads it with live data. If the check-engine light is FLASHING, stop driving as soon as it is safe to — that means an active misfire, whatever the code.
Indicative cost (USD)
$180–$650
From this code's diagnostic notes. Varies by vehicle, diagnosis, parts, and local labor. This is not a repair quote.
P0470 means the ECM sees an exhaust back-pressure (EBP) sensor signal that's electrically present but outside the expected operating window — circuit-level fault on the EBP sensor, which is a piezo-style pressure transducer that taps into the exhaust stream (post-turbo on most diesel applications, mid-exhaust on some gas applications) and reports back-pressure to the ECM for turbo control, DPF regen monitoring, and EGR strategy.
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 follow the diagnostic notes further down this page, in the order they are written.
They are written in the order a shop works this code, cheapest checks first. Where they name a component, inspect its wiring and connector before replacing it.
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
- Check engine light
Read the full diagnostic procedureP0470 means the ECM sees an exhaust back-pressure (EBP) sensor signal that's electrically present but outside the expected operating window — circuit…
P0470 means the ECM sees an exhaust back-pressure (EBP) sensor signal that's electrically present but outside the expected operating window — circuit-level fault on the EBP sensor, which is a piezo-style pressure transducer that taps into the exhaust stream (post-turbo on most diesel applications, mid-exhaust on some gas applications) and reports back-pressure to the ECM for turbo control, DPF regen monitoring, and EGR strategy.
Cheapest-first ladder
- Key-on-engine-off, backprobe the EBP signal wire — gas-engine EBP sensors output 0.5-4.5V scaled at 0-10 psi; diesel turbo EBP sensors output 0.5-4.5V scaled at 0-30 psi (some Cummins/Powerstroke 0-100 psi range). KOEO with no exhaust pressure should sit at the 0.5V baseline; reading 0V or 5V is a wiring fault, not a sensor fault.
- Start engine and watch signal at warm idle — should rise to 0.8-1.2V on gas applications, 0.8-1.5V on diesel applications. Snap throttle and watch the signal climb proportionally to load.
- Verify 5V reference and ground at the sensor harness.
- Pull the sensor and inspect the pressure tube — soot-clogged tubes on diesel applications read low constantly and set P0470 even when the sensor itself is healthy. Before condemning the EBP sensor, clean the pressure tube and tap fitting first — a $0 cleaning fix on a Ford 6.0L Powerstroke saves a $200 sensor + 1.5 hr labor, and the soot just packs back into the new sensor's tube anyway if you skip the cleaning.
Vehicle-specific patterns2003-2007 Ford 6.0L Powerstroke is the king of P0470 — the EBP sensor sits at the turbo outlet and the pressure tube clogs with soot every 60-80k mil…
- 2003-2007Ford 6.0L Powerstroke is the king of P0470 — the EBP sensor sits at the turbo outlet and the pressure tube clogs with soot every 60-80k miles; Ford TSB territory and there's an aftermarket dual-tube delete kit that resolves it permanently.
- 2008-2010Ford 6.4L Powerstroke shares the issue but with an even higher failure rate due to the twin-turbo design's exhaust temps.
- 2007-2010Duramax LMM (6.6L) and 2011-2016 Duramax LML throw P0470 from EBP sensor connector corrosion at the rear of the engine valley where coolant weep collects.
- 2007-2018Duramax L5P pattern continues but with improved sensor sealing.
- 2007-2018RAM Cummins 6.7L throws P0470 from soot-clogged EBP tube similar to the Powerstroke.
- 2009-2014VW 2.0 TDI (CBEA/CJAA) throws P0470 from sensor failure at the DPF inlet.
Estimated repair$180 to $650.
Look up another code
More free tools