OBD-II trouble code
P0192: Fuel Rail Pressure Sensor Circuit Low
SAE J2012 APR2002: fuel rail pressure sensor circuit low. Low is the signal voltage. Actual rail pressure that is too low is P0087. A short to ground can set P0192 with the rail full of pressure.
Quick facts
- System
- Powertrain
- Category
- Fuel & Air
- Severity
- Medium severity
- Drivable
- Usually safe to drive short-term
- Repair cost range
- $350 – $650 (fuel rail pressure sensor replacement, parts and labor, YourMechanic 2013 Chevrolet Malibu through 2016 Buick LaCrosse; a shorted wire and a fuel pump are outside this pair)
- DIY difficulty
- Advanced DIY
Browse every code in P0100–P0199, or start from the full code library.
What does P0192 mean?
SAE J2012 APR2002 names P0192 Fuel Rail Pressure Sensor Circuit Low. The APR2002 row does not add the word Input. SAE J2012 measures circuit low with the sensor connected. It is an electrical result. P0087 is Fuel Rail/System Pressure - Too Low. A pump, a filter, or a regulator that cannot make pressure sets P0087 when the sensor is still reporting. They do not, by themselves, drag the signal wire to ground.
A signal shorted to ground, a failed sensor pulling the line down, or a missing reference that this chart scores as low will store P0192 while the mechanical pressure is whatever it is. Unplug the sensor, key on, engine off. If the signal rises off ground, the sensor was holding it down. If it stays low, the short is in the harness. Check the published reference before that test. Many of these sensors use 5 volts. The diagram decides.
Do not prove the pressure with a gauge screwed into a direct-injection or common-rail high-pressure rail. Those rails may have no service port, they hold pressure after shutdown, and an opened joint can inject fuel through skin. Use commanded pressure, the scan-tool value, and the low-pressure supply reading.
YourMechanic's replacement, read 31 October 2026, is for the rail sensor after the test condemns it: bleed pressure, disconnect the battery, remove the sensor, install the new one, reconnect, road-test. The bleed is this engine's procedure, not a cracked union.
Common causes
- Signal wire shorted to ground
- Sensor pulling the signal down, isolated by the unplug test
- Reference missing, where this chart stores that result as circuit low
- Fuel bridging the signal pin to ground in the connector
- P0087's low pressure mistaken for this voltage fault and a pump installed
- A gauge tapped into a high-pressure rail
Symptoms
- P0192 stored
- Rail-pressure voltage on the floor of the sensor's range
- The voltage recovers when the sensor is unplugged
- The voltage stays low with the sensor unplugged
- P0087 stored as well only when pressure is also low
- A pump that did not fix a shorted signal wire
Diagnostic steps
- 1.Read P0192 as circuit low. Read P0087, if it is stored, as low pressure. Test both. Do not collapse them into one part.
- 2.Key on, engine off, measure the published reference and the signal at the rail sensor.
- 3.Unplug the sensor. If the signal rises, the sensor is the low source. If it stays low, find the short in the harness with the ignition off and both ends disconnected.
- 4.Compare commanded pressure with the low-pressure supply data. Do not install a gauge on the high-pressure rail.
- 5.Replace the rail sensor, when the unplug test condemns it, in YourMechanic's order: this engine's bleed-down, battery disconnected, sensor replaced, battery on, road test.
- 6.A wiring repair does not use the sensor price below.
- 7.Verify the signal is off the floor and that actual pressure follows the command.
Repair cost
$350 – $650 (fuel rail pressure sensor replacement, parts and labor, YourMechanic 2013 Chevrolet Malibu through 2016 Buick LaCrosse; a shorted wire and a fuel pump are outside this pair)
YourMechanic examples read 31 October 2026: 2013 Chevrolet Malibu $346 (parts $68.40, labor $277.38) and 2016 Buick LaCrosse $652 (parts $141.47, labor $510.96), rounded to $350–$650. That is the rail sensor after a bleed-down. A signal wire shorted to ground is not in the pair. A fuel pump bought because the title says low is not in the pair. The 2018 Ford F-150 3.5L turbo estimate of $928.43 is above the pair. Diagnosis is $125–$183 and is separate.
Estimate your repair
Run the numbers for your vehicle
Open the Repair Cost Estimator with fuel rail pressure sensor replacement preselected. Adjust labor rate and vehicle category to fit your situation.
DIY vs shop
This is an advanced DIY job. It typically requires specialty tools, scan-tool access, lifting equipment, or careful sequencing to avoid causing new failures. Plan for extended downtime and have a backup vehicle. Most owners are better served by a shop that has done this repair before.