P0184: Fuel Temperature Sensor A Circuit Intermittent

Fuel temperature sensor A is an NTC thermistor: the hotter the fuel, the lower its resistance and signal voltage. On diesels it sits in the injection pump, rail or return line; on Ford petrol direct-injection engines it is built into the rail pressure sensor, and GM uses digital rail temperature sensors on its direct-injection engines. P0184 covers jumps in the signal: fuel cannot heat up or cool down that fast, so a sudden change points to a loose contact. GM diesels check every new value against an exponentially filtered window around the last good value and set the code when 10 of 15 samples (100 ms each) fall outside; two trips, blocked while a circuit fault is active. GM still writes 'Circuit Intermittent' in 2016 and 2018 – a change to 'Intermittent/Erratic' is not documented. No source was found for petrol engines.

Symptoms

• Check engine light on
• Fuel temperature in scan data jumps
• Usually no change in driving

Most likely causes

• Loose contact or weak terminal tension in the connector
• Wire break or chafing from vibration
• Sensor with internal dropouts
• Corrosion from moisture

What to check, in order

Start with the simplest. You can tick off each step.

1. Check the connector and wiring
2. Gently move the wiring with the engine running and watch whether the reading changes.
3. Use live data to compare the reading with actual conditions
4. Measure power, ground, and signal
5. Replace the sensor if the circuit is good

Good to know

• Repair difficulty: medium
• It affects emissions.

What each character of P0184 means

• P: Powertrain: engine and transmission
• 0: Generic code: same on every make
• 1: Air and fuel
• 84: Specific fault in that system

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep driving with code P0184?

You can normally keep driving. If it affects the fuel level, do not trust the gauge and refuel earlier than usual.

What causes code P0184?

The most common causes are: loose contact or weak terminal tension in the connector; wire break or chafing from vibration; sensor with internal dropouts.

Related codes

• P0181Fuel Temperature Sensor A Circuit Range/Performance
• P0182Fuel Temperature Sensor A Circuit Low
• P0183Fuel Temperature Sensor A Circuit High
• P0189Fuel Temperature Sensor B Circuit Intermittent

Sources

• law.cornell.edu: 13 CCR 1968.2
• gsi.ext.gm.com: 18OBDG04 Engine Diagnostics
• gsi.ext.gm.com: 16OBDG04 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.