P0223: Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch B Circuit High Input

What does P0223 actually mean?

This code sets when sensor B's signal voltage reads above the maximum expected value across the throttle's travel, which usually points to an open circuit or a short to the sensor's reference voltage rather than a mechanical problem. The computer treats this the same as a missing sensor and falls back on sensor A.

The code sits in the throttle position sensing area and is reported by the comprehensive component monitor. It names the circuit or the condition where the computer saw a reading outside its expected range. It does not name a failed part, and several genuinely different faults set this same code, which is the whole reason the causes below are ordered rather than listed.

What people usually notice

• Reduced power mode
• Throttle response that feels flat or capped
• Check engine light
• Idle that hunts slightly
• No response to sudden throttle input

Why does P0223 set?

The causes below are ordered by how often they turn out to be the answer, cheapest and most common first. That order matters more than the list itself: the expensive component named in the code text is very rarely the first thing to replace, and working down from the top is what stops a throttle position sensing fault becoming an expensive guess.

Open circuit or broken wire in the sensor B signal path is the one to rule out before anything else. A broken wire is the most direct cause of a signal stuck high.

The order worth checking on P0223

Start with freeze frame. Throttle position at the fault shows whether the high reading appeared at idle or partway through the pedal's travel. That snapshot is taken at the instant the code set, and it is the single most useful piece of evidence you have, which is also why clearing the code before reading it is such a costly habit.

This code is diagnosed by watching values change rather than by reading the number again, so the tool has to stream live data and hold freeze frame. Checking live sensor B voltage at rest and through the pedal's travel confirms whether the signal is pinned high or missing entirely.

The order worth working in

• 1. Open circuit or broken wire in the sensor B signal path: A broken wire is the most direct cause of a signal stuck high.
• 2. Wire shorted to the 5 volt reference supply: A chafed wire touching the reference wire pushes the signal to the supply voltage.
• 3. Failed sensor B element with an open circuit: The sensor element itself can open internally with age.
• 4. Corroded ground connection at the throttle body: A poor ground can push all the throttle body's sensor readings high.
• 5. Failed accelerator pedal sensor module: On drive-by-wire pedals the sensor pair lives inside the pedal assembly itself.

Is it safe to drive with P0223?

Drivable in limp mode for a short trip, but arrange a repair soon since the car is running on a single throttle sensor.

This is a severity 2 of 4 code. It will not usually strand you, but it will fail an emissions test while it is present, and the underlying fault rarely gets cheaper by being left alone.

What does it cost to ignore P0223?

Running on a single throttle sensor removes a layer of safety redundancy, and the reduced power mode it triggers costs real drivability until repaired.

There is also the diagnostic cost of waiting. Freeze frame data, pending code history and the readiness monitor state all describe the fault as it was when it set, and all of it is lost the moment somebody clears the code to make the lamp go out.