What does intake air temperature high input mean?

It means the sensor's signal voltage is at the top of its range, which on a thermistor circuit corresponds to the coldest temperature the scale allows, usually around minus forty degrees. That is not a real reading — it is what the control unit sees when the circuit is open. A disconnected plug, a broken wire or a sensor that has failed internally all produce it.

Can P0113 cause high fuel consumption?

Yes, and it is the main reason to fix it. The engine control unit uses intake air temperature to calculate air density, and cold air is denser, so it adds fuel to match. Told the air is permanently freezing, it enriches the mixture continuously. On a warm day that means noticeably worse economy, a rich exhaust smell and sometimes difficult hot starting.

Will P0113 fail an MOT?

Yes. The lamp it lights is a major defect for petrol cars first used from 1 July 2003 and diesels from 1 July 2008, with 371,859 recorded failures against it in the DVSA data behind this site. There is also a real chance of failing the emissions element, because the over-rich mixture raises carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon readings on a petrol car and produces visible smoke on a diesel.

Where is the intake air temperature sensor?

It depends on the engine. On many cars it is a small two-wire sensor screwed into the intake pipe or the inlet manifold between the air filter and the throttle. On a great many modern engines it is not a separate part at all: the temperature element is built into the mass airflow meter, so what looks like a sensor fault is a meter replacement. Check which arrangement your car uses before ordering parts.

Powertrain code · standard

P0113Intake air temperature sensor reading too cold

Standard definition: Intake Air Temperature Sensor High Input

Last updated 27 July 2026

Quick answer

The intake air temperature circuit has gone high, which means the engine control unit is being told the incoming air is impossibly cold — very often the bottom of the scale, around minus forty. It normally means an open circuit or a disconnected sensor.

How the car works this out

The sensor is a thermistor whose resistance rises as it cools, so a high signal voltage means cold air. If the circuit is broken, the voltage goes all the way up to the reference value and the control unit reads the coldest temperature its scale allows. P0113 is set when that reading persists, particularly when it disagrees with the coolant temperature on a car that has just been running. An open circuit and a genuinely freezing morning look identical to the sensor, which is why the control unit cross-checks against coolant temperature before deciding.

What you might notice

Over-fuelling, with a rich smell and possibly black smoke
Poor fuel economy
Rough running when the engine is warm
Hard starting when hot
Reduced power on turbocharged engines, where intake temperature affects boost control

What causes it

Most likely first. A code names the check that failed, not the part that failed it, so more than one of these can produce the same number.

1The sensor unplugged, or a connector that has worked looseCommon
How to check: The simplest check on this page: look at the sensor and make sure it is actually connected. It is a frequent leftover after air filter changes and intake work.
2A broken signal or earth wire, or a corroded terminal making an intermittent open circuitCommon
How to check: Bridge the two sensor pins in the connector with a paperclip, ignition on. The reading should immediately jump to the hottest end of the scale; if it does not, the fault is in the wiring back to the control unit.
3A failed sensor gone open circuit internallyPossible
4On engines where the sensor is integral to the airflow meter, a failure inside the meterPossible
5A damaged or badly repaired loom near the intake, where heat cycling breaks brittle old insulationLess common

What to do about it

1Check the plug is connected and undamaged. This code follows air filter changes and induction kit fitting more than any other cause.
2Do the bridge test. Shorting the two pins together with the ignition on should peg the reading at maximum temperature, which proves the wiring and the control unit are fine and the sensor is the culprit.
3Look at the intake temperature reading after the engine has been off for hours. It should agree with the coolant reading and with the weather outside; a value stuck at the bottom of the scale confirms the code.
4Fix it rather than living with it. An engine constantly told the air is freezing adds fuel it does not need, which costs you at the pump and eventually at the emissions test.

Can you keep driving?

Yes

The car remains perfectly driveable. The practical cost is fuel, because the control unit enriches the mixture for air it believes is far colder than it is, and on a warm day that shows up as poor economy and occasionally a stubborn hot restart. Fix it before the MOT rather than before the next journey.

Will it fail an MOT?

An illuminated engine management lamp is a major defect for petrol cars first used from 1 July 2003 and diesels from 1 July 2008, and there are 371,859 recorded failures against it. P0113 carries more emissions risk than its opposite number P0112, because a permanently cold intake reading enriches the mixture, and excess carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons are exactly what the petrol emissions check measures. On a diesel, the extra fuelling shows up as smoke.

The light this turns on

Engine management lightThe engine management system has found a fault it cannot correct and has stored a code for it. The car will usually still drive, but an illuminated engine light is an automatic MOT failure on petrol cars first used from 1 July 2003 and diesels from 1 July 2008.

Common questions

What does intake air temperature high input mean?: It means the sensor's signal voltage is at the top of its range, which on a thermistor circuit corresponds to the coldest temperature the scale allows, usually around minus forty degrees. That is not a real reading — it is what the control unit sees when the circuit is open. A disconnected plug, a broken wire or a sensor that has failed internally all produce it.
Can P0113 cause high fuel consumption?: Yes, and it is the main reason to fix it. The engine control unit uses intake air temperature to calculate air density, and cold air is denser, so it adds fuel to match. Told the air is permanently freezing, it enriches the mixture continuously. On a warm day that means noticeably worse economy, a rich exhaust smell and sometimes difficult hot starting.
Will P0113 fail an MOT?: Yes. The lamp it lights is a major defect for petrol cars first used from 1 July 2003 and diesels from 1 July 2008, with 371,859 recorded failures against it in the DVSA data behind this site. There is also a real chance of failing the emissions element, because the over-rich mixture raises carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon readings on a petrol car and produces visible smoke on a diesel.
Where is the intake air temperature sensor?: It depends on the engine. On many cars it is a small two-wire sensor screwed into the intake pipe or the inlet manifold between the air filter and the throttle. On a great many modern engines it is not a separate part at all: the temperature element is built into the mass airflow meter, so what looks like a sensor fault is a meter replacement. Check which arrangement your car uses before ordering parts.

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