P0461 — Fuel Level Sensor Circuit Range/Performance

P0461: Fuel Level Sensor Circuit Range/Performance — what it means, the affected system and what to check before replacing parts.

Meaning, symptoms, causes and checks

The monitored response of the fuel-level sensor circuit is outside the expected range or performance relationship. This is not the same as an explicitly low or high electrical input, and it does not establish that the physical pressure or level is abnormal. The plausibility criteria are specific to the vehicle and its controller.

Affected system: Fuel level sensing

Symptoms

  • Stuck or fluctuating fuel gauge.

Possible causes

  • Stuck float, faulty sender, oxidised contacts or poor ground.

What to check

  • Check level-sender wires, connectors and ground.

Also written as: P0461-00, P046100, PO461 (some scan tools add the fault-type byte, e.g. -00).