The manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor measures the pressure behind the throttle; on vehicles without a separate barometric sensor it also supplies the ambient pressure, read at key-on or wide-open throttle – hence 'MAP/BARO'. It is a three-wire sensor with 5 V reference, ground and signal. P0106 is a plausibility fault: the signal is electrically valid but implausible – stuck, offset or drifting. Two tests are common. With the engine stopped, all pressures equalise, so MAP must match ambient (and boost) pressure; Ford allows 1.5–3 inHg. While running, MAP is compared with a value modelled from air mass, throttle and speed – GM blames the MAP sensor above about 23–30 kPa error, with two trips on petrol and one on diesel. Turbo engines with three sensors find the odd one out by majority. Besides the sensor, intake or boost leaks often cause it.
Medium severity. Can I keep driving?You can drive to a repair shop without pushing the car, with a possible loss of power and higher fuel consumption. On a turbo or diesel engine, avoid flooring the accelerator, and stop if the car goes into limp mode on a highway.
Symptoms
- Check engine light on
- Rough idle, hesitation, poor response
- Higher consumption, black smoke possible on diesels
- Loss of power or limp mode on turbo engines
Most likely causes
- Vacuum leak at the intake manifold or boost leak (hose, clamp, charge air cooler)
- Sensor oiled or sooted, port blocked (EGR soot), characteristic drifted
- High resistance in signal, reference or ground wire
- Comparison sensor wrong, or mechanical cause (dirty throttle, EGR stuck open)
What to check, in order
Start with the simplest. You can tick off each step.
Good to know
- Repair difficulty: medium
- It can trigger limp mode.
- It affects emissions.
What each character of P0106 means
- P: Powertrain: engine and transmission
- 0: Generic code: same on every make
- 1: Air and fuel
- 06: Specific fault in that system
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep driving with code P0106?
You can drive to a repair shop without pushing the car, with a possible loss of power and higher fuel consumption. On a turbo or diesel engine, avoid flooring the accelerator, and stop if the car goes into limp mode on a highway.
What causes code P0106?
The most common causes are: vacuum leak at the intake manifold or boost leak (hose, clamp, charge air cooler); sensor oiled or sooted, port blocked (EGR soot), characteristic drifted; high resistance in signal, reference or ground wire.
Related codes
- P0105Manifold Absolute Pressure/Barometric Pressure Sensor Circuit
- P0107Manifold Absolute Pressure/Barometric Pressure Sensor Circuit Low
- P0108Manifold Absolute Pressure/Barometric Pressure Sensor Circuit High
- P0069Manifold Absolute Pressure - Barometric Pressure Correlation
- P2227Barometric Pressure Sensor A Circuit Range/Performance
- P0236Turbocharger/Supercharger Boost Sensor A Circuit Range/Performance
Sources
- law.cornell.edu: 13 CCR 1968.2
- fordservicecontent.com: OBD Operations Summary Gasoline 2020 2023
- newtonnet.co.uk: fordobd2012
- gsi.ext.gm.com: 18OBDG03A Engine Diagnostics
Values and procedures vary by manufacturer. If it affects brakes, steering, fuel or high voltage, see a professional. Updated: 2026-11-04. How we build these pages.