P2081: Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor Circuit Intermittent (Bank 1 Sensor 1)

P2081 is set when the signal of exhaust temperature sensor 1 on bank 1 jumps between consecutive readings faster than real exhaust gas can change. GM documents two versions. A diesel in table 18OBDG04 flags a change of more than 10 ohms between two samples taken 100 ms apart and needs 20 such failures out of 40. The 3.0 L LZO (25OBDG04B) looks at the raw temperature step instead, more than 100 °C, in 12 of 25 samples. Both are Type B, so the lamp lights after the second faulty trip. Infiniti lists P2081 with its siblings on the Q50 of 2016–2017 and the Q60 of 2017 (VR30DDTT) and fixes it by reprogramming the ECM. Ford's 2014 petrol code list carries it without a lamp marker. Loose contacts and heat-damaged leads are the classic causes; a steady but wrong value would be P2080.

Medium severity. Can I keep driving?If the light is on steadily, take a highway drive or go to a repair shop soon. If the car is in limp mode or the light is flashing, do not push the engine.

Bank 1 is the side of the engine with cylinder 1. Inline engines only have this bank.

Symptoms

Engine warning lamp on, sometimes only after the second trip
Exhaust temperature value jumping in live data
Regeneration or turbo protection strategy interrupted

Most likely causes

Loose or corroded pin in the sensor connector
Sensor lead chafed or embrittled by exhaust heat, breaking contact on vibration
Cracked sensing element giving unstable resistance
ECM software issue (Infiniti VR30DDTT reprogramming)

What to check, in order

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

Read the soot load and differential pressure with a scanner
Gently move the wiring with the engine running and watch whether the reading changes.
Check the differential pressure sensor's hoses
Check the temperatures before and after the filter
Fix any fuel injection or EGR codes before regenerating
Perform a regeneration while driving or at a repair shop when the diagnosis allows it

Good to know

Repair difficulty: medium
It can trigger limp mode.
It affects emissions.

What each character of P2081 means

P: Powertrain: engine and transmission
2: Generic code: same on every make
0: Subsystem depends on the code range
81: Specific fault in that system

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep driving with code P2081?

If the light is on steadily, take a highway drive or go to a repair shop soon. If the car is in limp mode or the light is flashing, do not push the engine.

What causes code P2081?

The most common causes are: loose or corroded pin in the sensor connector; sensor lead chafed or embrittled by exhaust heat, breaking contact on vibration; cracked sensing element giving unstable resistance.

Related codes

Sources

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.