OBD-II trouble code
P0069: Manifold Absolute Pressure - Barometric Pressure Correlation
SAE J2012: manifold absolute pressure versus barometric pressure. With the key on and the engine off, the manifold is at outside pressure, so the two readings should agree inside the limit this chart prints. A 2007 Monte Carlo procedure uses 5 kPa. That is that car.
Quick facts
- System
- Powertrain
- Category
- Fuel & Air Metering
- Severity
- Medium severity
- Drivable
- Usually safe to drive short-term
- Repair cost range
- $200 – $250 (MAP sensor replacement, parts and labor)
- DIY difficulty
- Intermediate DIY
Browse every code in P0001–P0099, or start from the full code library.
What does P0069 mean?
SAE J2012 APR2002 names P0069 Manifold Absolute Pressure - Barometric Pressure Correlation. The module is comparing manifold pressure with a barometric value. The code is the disagreement. It does not say which sensor is wrong, and it does not say the vehicle has a separate barometric sensor.
With the key on and the engine stopped, the throttle is not pulling a vacuum and the manifold equalizes to outside air. Manifold absolute pressure and barometric pressure should then agree. The amount of disagreement that fails the test is the calibration's, not "a couple of units."
A 2004 GM mode-6 summary (service-info.gm.com, file 2004file4.pdf) sets P0069 when predicted barometric pressure and the barometer differ by more than 5.195313 kPa if predicted baro is MAP, or by more than 60 kPa if predicted baro is calculated. A published 2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo procedure sets the code when BARO and MAP differ by more than 5 kPa with the ignition on before startup, or when BARO and predicted BARO differ by more than 60 kPa with the engine running, for 1 second. Key on, engine off, that Monte Carlo procedure expects MAP and BARO within 5 kPa of each other and of the altitude table. Use 5 kPa on a 2007 Monte Carlo. On any other vehicle, use the difference this chart prints.
Some calibrations store barometric pressure from the MAP sensor at key-on, or update it later. The 2004 GM file says predicted baro is set equal to power-up MAP at the start of the trip. The 2007 Monte Carlo procedure compares a BARO sensor with the MAP sensor, so that car has both. Read which arrangement this engine uses before anyone quotes a barometric sensor. A MAP sensor that has drifted can disagree with a value it stored earlier. A separate BARO sensor is a different part, tested on its own circuit.
Barometric pressure changes with weather and with altitude. Compare the key-on reading with a local station or with the altitude table in the service information. This page does not use a kPa-per-metre rule as a diagnostic limit.
Fuel delivery uses these values. A wrong load signal can change idle, power, and economy. The driveability description for this engine says whether a default is substituted.
Common causes
- A MAP reading and a barometric reading outside the difference this chart prints at key-on, engine off
- The 5 kPa Monte Carlo limit, or the 2004 GM 5.195313 kPa and 60 kPa tests, used on a different calibration
- A MAP hose cracked, blocked, disconnected, or full of oil
- A MAP sensor that has drifted, including on engines that store barometric pressure from that same sensor
- A separate barometric sensor, only when this diagram shows one
- An intake leak that moves the manifold reading after startup
- A wiring fault on either sensor: open, short to ground, or short to the 5-volt reference
- A stale barometric value after an altitude change, on a calibration that updates it infrequently, confirmed in the description
Symptoms
- Check engine light with P0069
- MAP and barometric readings that do not agree at key-on, engine off, by more than this chart allows
- Higher fuel use, less power, or a rough idle, when fueling is using the bad load signal
- The disagreement showing up after a large altitude change, on a calibration that does not update baro often
- MAP or barometric circuit codes stored with it
Diagnostic steps
- 1.Read the description and see whether barometric pressure is a separate sensor or a value stored from the MAP sensor. Do not quote a barometric sensor the diagram does not have.
- 2.Key on, engine off. Compare MAP and barometric pressure with each other and with a local station or the altitude table. On a 2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo the published procedure wants them within 5 kPa. On other vehicles use the difference this chart prints. Do not use "a couple of units."
- 3.Leave the 2004 GM thresholds (more than 5.195313 kPa when predicted baro is MAP, more than 60 kPa when it is calculated) on that file unless this chart repeats them.
- 4.Scan for MAP and barometric circuit codes and test those circuits first.
- 5.Inspect the MAP hose and port for cracks, blockage, and oil. Smoke-test the intake if the running reading is high for the throttle position.
- 6.Watch MAP at idle and on a throttle snap with the vehicle parked. It should move smoothly. Do not load the engine against the brakes.
- 7.Ignition on, sensor unplugged, module still connected: 5-volt reference and ground at each pressure sensor this diagram shows. Ignition off, module disconnected: the signal wire for a short to ground and an open, checked end to end, and resistance between the signal wire and the reference wire for a short between those wires. Unplugging the module removes the 5-volt supply, so a voltage reading with both ends open cannot show a short to that reference. Ignition on, module connected and the sensor unplugged: battery voltage on the signal wire is a short to battery. Use this chart's powered short-to-reference test when it prints one.
- 8.After the repair, key-on compare the two readings again, then drive the enable and confirm the code stays off.
Repair cost
$200 – $250 (MAP sensor replacement, parts and labor)
RepairPal's MAP sensor replacement, updated 3 September 2026, is $201–$242, labor $57–$83, parts $144–$158. The printed $200–$250 pair rounds that job. It does not include a separate barometric sensor, a smoke test, or a vacuum hose. Check-engine diagnosis on RepairPal is $125–$183 and is separate. Quote a barometric sensor only when this diagram has one.
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Open the Repair Cost Estimator with map sensor replacement preselected. Adjust labor rate and vehicle category to fit your situation.
DIY vs shop
This is an intermediate DIY job. It usually involves diagnostic steps, specialty parts, and some careful work in tight spaces. If you have the tools and a service manual or trustworthy video for your specific vehicle, it is achievable in a weekend. Otherwise, a competent independent shop will be faster.