P220E: NOx Sensor Heater Control Circuit Range/Performance (Bank 1 Sensor 1)

P220E says the heater of the upstream NOx sensor on bank 1 is not behaving as commanded. Ford's 6.7L and 3.0L diesels bundle several checks under it: an open heater found by the sensor hardware, a short to positive (over 5 V on the heater), a short to ground (0 V), and a duty cycle that differs from the expected one by more than 20 percent. Ford TSBs 24-2136 and 24-2148 cover 2020-2023 F-Super Duty and F-650/F-750 trucks with P220E alongside P2201 and P2209, fixed with a new sensor plus PCM and TCM software. Volvo and Mack state that P220E with failure type 93 usually calls for a new inlet sensor. P2205-P2207 are the plain heater circuit faults, P220F the downstream sensor.

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

Symptoms

• Malfunction indicator lamp on
• Upstream NOx sensor slow to become ready after start
• Often stored with P2201 or P2209

Most likely causes

• Aged heater element in the upstream NOx probe
• Sensor and PCM software (Ford 6.7L 2020-2023, TSB 24-2136/24-2148)
• Heater wiring or ground with high resistance or shorts

What to check, in order

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

1. Read the codes and the NOx data before and after the SCR catalyst
2. Compare the reading with other engine data while varying the engine speed.
3. Check the sensor's connector and wiring
4. Look for exhaust leaks ahead of the sensor
5. Confirm that the AdBlue/DEF is of good quality
6. Replace the sensor only after ruling out power, ground, and leaks

Good to know

• Repair difficulty: medium
• It affects emissions.

What each character of P220E means

• P: Powertrain: engine and transmission
• 2: Generic code: same on every make
• 2: Fuel injection
• 0E: Specific fault in that system

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep driving with code P220E?

You can usually keep driving in the short term, but get it repaired soon: on many diesels, the warning eventually limits starting or engine power.

What causes code P220E?

The most common causes are: aged heater element in the upstream NOx probe; sensor and PCM software (Ford 6.7L 2020-2023, TSB 24-2136/24-2148); heater wiring or ground with high resistance or shorts.

Related codes

• P220FNOx Sensor Heater Control Circuit Range/Performance (Bank 1 Sensor 2)
• P2205NOx Sensor Heater Control Circuit/Open (Bank 1 Sensor 1)
• P2206NOx Sensor Heater Control Circuit Low (Bank 1 Sensor 1)
• P2207NOx Sensor Heater Control Circuit High (Bank 1 Sensor 1)
• P2209NOx Sensor Heater Sense Circuit Range/Performance (Bank 1 Sensor 1)
• P2201NOx Sensor Circuit Range/Performance (Bank 1 Sensor 1)

Sources

• fordservicecontent.com: obd summary diesel 2023
• static.nhtsa.gov: MC 11000738 0001
• static.nhtsa.gov: MC 11000755 0001
• static.nhtsa.gov: MC 10188078 0001

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.