P042C
Catalyst Temperature Sensor Circuit Low (Bank 1 Sensor 2)
Catalyst temperature sensor at bank 1 sensor 2 below lower plausibility — short to ground. Wiring faults of this kind typically come from chafing, water ingress at connector seals, or pin push-back — a wiggle test on the harness while the code is active often confirms the location.
- Check engine light: Yes
- Emissions related: Yes
- Repair difficulty: medium
Symptoms
- Check engine light on
- Failed emissions inspection
- Possibly slightly increased fuel consumption
- Sulfur (rotten egg) smell from exhaust under load
Common causes
Ordered by how often each turns out to be the cause.
- Short to groundCommon
- Connector pins corroded - high contact resistanceLess likely
- Harness chafing through insulationLess likely
Parts involved
- Exhaust Temperature Sensor
P042C is a generic OBD-II code defined by SAE J2012. Exact wording and diagnostic procedure vary by manufacturer and model. Code definitions are drawn from the public-domain OBDex dataset; the workshop notes are our own.