P0113 Code: Intake Air Temperature Sensor Circuit High

What happens if you don't fix it

Symptoms you can actually notice

• Check engine light
• Slightly poor cold-start behavior

What the computer is actually complaining about

The intake air temp sensor is a thermistor threaded into the intake path. Its resistance falls as air warms, so the signal voltage falls with it. A high reading tells the ECU the incoming air is cold when it is not. The ECU then adds a little extra fuel. An open wire drives the voltage to the top of the range, and the code sets when it stays there.

Most likely causes, cheapest check first

What you need in your hands

• OBD-II scanner with live data

  Any $25 Bluetooth reader plus a free phone app shows intake air temp in degrees. You do not need a shop tool for this.

• Digital multimeter Optional

  A $12 meter is enough to ohm the sensor and check the 5V reference at the plug.

• Contact cleaner and nylon brush Optional

  A $6 can of contact cleaner and a small brush handle green crust inside the connector.

• Replacement intake air temp sensor Optional

  Runs $15 to $45, depending on whether it is sold alone or built into the MAF housing.

Test it yourself, step by step

Do these in order. Each step tells you what to do, what to look at, what counts as fine, what counts as broken, and what you will actually see.

1. 1 Plug the scanner into the trapezoid port under the dash on the driver side, above your left knee. Key to ON with the engine cold, then open live data and find intake air temp.

   Look at

   Compare the intake air temp number against the real outdoor temperature from a weather app on your phone.

   Fine if

   The two numbers sit within 5F of each other after an overnight cold soak. That means the sensor and its wiring are both alive.

   Broken if

   The reading shows minus 40F, or a fixed number that never moves as the engine warms. Both point at an open circuit, not a lazy sensor.

   What you'll see A degree number on the screen that creeps up slowly once the engine bay heat soaks in. A hard number that never moves means a dead circuit.

2. 2 Open the hood and look at the plastic intake tube between the air filter box and the throttle body. The sensor sits on top of that tube or inside the air box lid, a black plastic body about the size of your thumb with a two-wire plug on one side.

   Look at

   Pull the plug straight back and look inside both halves for green or white crust, water, or a pin that has pushed back into the shell.

   Fine if

   Clean metal pins, a soft rubber seal, and a plug that clicks when you push it back on.

   Broken if

   Green or white corrosion on the pins, or a pin that slides backward when you poke it. That is a free fix, and it causes a lot of these codes.

   What you'll see Two shiny flat pins in a row, a rubber seal still soft to the touch, and a soft click when the latch snaps shut.

3. 3 With the plug off, spray contact cleaner into both halves while the sensor sits on the top of the intake tube. Work the pins with a nylon brush, then push the plug back on until it clicks.

   Look at

   Read intake air temp again with the key on and move the harness by hand while you watch the number on the screen.

   Fine if

   The reading holds within 2F while you move the wires. No jump means the connection is solid now.

   Broken if

   The number jumps or drops to minus 40F when you tug the harness. The wire is broken inside the insulation, not at the plug.

   What you'll see A steady number on the screen while your hand shakes the loom. Any twitch in the reading is the wire, and you found where it bends.

4. 4 Unplug the sensor under the hood and probe its two pins with the meter set to ohms. Then key to ON and probe the two pins inside the harness plug for the 5V reference and ground.

   Look at

   The resistance across the sensor pins, and the voltage present on the harness side with the key on.

   Fine if

   The sensor reads a few hundred to a few thousand ohms, and the harness shows about 5V on one pin and ground on the other.

   Broken if

   The sensor reads open, or a harness pin shows 0V. A dead reference means the wire is open between the ECU and the plug.

   What you'll see A resistance number on the meter that falls when your fingers warm the plastic tip. Open or infinite means the thermistor is cracked inside.

5. 5 Unplug the connector and pull the sensor out of the intake tube. Some sit in a rubber grommet on the air box lid; others are held by two small screws on the top of the tube. Twist and pull, then seat the new one the same way.

   Look at

   Whether the new sensor tracks ambient air temp from cold and whether the code returns after a few drive cycles.

   Fine if

   Intake air temp matches ambient within 5F on a cold engine, and P0113 stays off through two cold starts.

   Broken if

   The code returns within 20 miles with the new sensor in. Stop buying parts and chase the wire from the plug back toward the ECU.

   What you'll see The old sensor comes out with a light twist. The new one seats flush with its seal, and the scanner number follows the morning air again.

What the repair costs

Reference range compiled from 2 source type(s), as of 2026-11. This is not a quote — actual cost depends on your vehicle, region, and which part turns out to be the real cause.

Basis: editorial reference range, not a live parts quote · Data as of 2026-11

How to confirm it's really fixed

✓ Clear the code and let the car sit overnight. On the first cold start, watch intake air temp against the outdoor temperature. If the two track within 5F and P0113 stays off through two cold-start cycles and about 40 miles, the repair held.

Common questions