Faulty or contaminated air flow sensor B giving a falsely high signal; Wiring fault on the sensor circuit, such as a signal wire shorted to a voltage supply or to another circuit; Damaged, corroded or loose connector terminals at the sensor or control unit; Fault in the sensor power supply or earth, giving an incorrect reference voltage; Intake airflow disturbance, such as a damaged air filter housing, wrong or misfitted intake pipe, or oil contamination of the sensor element; Internal fault in the engine control unit.

P010D

Mass or Volume Air Flow Sensor B Circuit High.

Generic
Powertrain
Generic code
Medium severity

How this code is built

P: SystemPowertrain
0: Defined bySAE, the same on every car
1: AreaFuel and air metering
0D: FaultThe specific fault in that area

What it means

P010D is the generic code for a high input fault on the Mass or Volume Air Flow Sensor 'B' circuit. The engine control unit saw the signal voltage or frequency from the second air flow sensor sit above its expected range, or higher than the value it expected for the current load and throttle position. Which sensor counts as 'B' depends on the vehicle, and this is usually found on engines with two intake paths or two air flow sensors.

Symptoms

Malfunction indicator lamp on
Poor or hesitant acceleration
Rough idle or unstable idle speed
Engine running rich, with possible black smoke or fuel smell
Hard starting or stalling
Poor fuel economy

Possible causes

Faulty or contaminated air flow sensor B giving a falsely high signallikely
Wiring fault on the sensor circuit, such as a signal wire shorted to a voltage supply or to another circuitlikely
Damaged, corroded or loose connector terminals at the sensor or control unitpossible
Fault in the sensor power supply or earth, giving an incorrect reference voltagepossible
Intake airflow disturbance, such as a damaged air filter housing, wrong or misfitted intake pipe, or oil contamination of the sensor elementpossible
Internal fault in the engine control unitrare

How to diagnose

Read the stored and pending codes and the freeze frame data, noting load, engine speed and temperature when the fault set
Check for other air flow, intake air temperature, throttle or boost related codes that point to a shared cause
Visually inspect the sensor, its connector and the wiring for damage, chafing, water, oil or corrosion
Inspect the air filter, air box and intake pipework for damage, contamination or incorrect assembly, and check the sensor element is clean and undamaged
With the ignition on and engine off, compare the live air flow reading for sensor B against the expected value for your model; it should be near zero or at the specified base value
Check the sensor supply voltage, earth and signal wire for shorts to voltage using the wiring diagram for the vehicle
Compare sensor A and B readings at idle and under load, as the correct relationship depends on the model and engine
Clear the code and road test, watching live data to confirm the fault does not return

How to fix

Replace the air flow sensor B if it reads high or is contaminated beyond safe cleaning
Repair or replace damaged wiring and fix any short to voltage on the signal circuit
Clean, repair or replace corroded or damaged connector terminals
Restore the correct sensor supply and earth by repairing the related circuit fault
Repair or refit damaged intake components so airflow is correct and the sensor is protected from contamination
Only after all other causes are ruled out, diagnose and repair or replace the control unit as the manufacturer directs

Can I keep driving?

Medium severity

The car can usually be driven short distances, but running rich may harm the catalytic converter and cause poor drivability. Have it checked soon, and stop driving if it stalls, runs very rough or loses power.

Guide written by AI from the code's definition. Confirm with a diagnosis before replacing parts.