P0463: Fuel level sensor "A" circuit high
An OBD-II trouble code meaning the fuel level sensor’s circuit is sending a signal higher than the engine computer expects.
How to read it
P0463 is one of the standard OBD-II trouble codes stored when the check engine light comes on. SAE J2012, the standard that defines the codes, names it “Fuel Level Sensor “A” Circuit High”; a code table filed in NHTSA’s 2024 investigation of Alfa Romeo Giulia fuel pumps gives the same name, writing the code as P0463-00.
Also searched as: code P0463, P0463 code.
Code names follow SAE J2012. Manufacturers add codes of their own, and the same code can have several causes: the vehicle’s service information or a qualified mechanic can say what it means for a particular car.
What the monitor checks
The federal rule’s catch-all covers any other electronic powertrain component that sends input to or takes commands from the on-board computer and has a measurable effect on emissions.
What the manual says to do
Ford’s F-150 manual says that if the indicator stays on, the vehicle should be serviced at the first available opportunity, and that continued driving with it on can mean higher emissions, lower fuel economy, rougher running and more costly repairs.
How the light goes out
Under the federal rule, the check engine light may go out once the fault has not come back during three trips in a row in which its monitor runs without finding it. The system may erase the stored code if the same code has not been registered again in at least 40 engine warm-up cycles.
Read next
- Next in OBD-II trouble codesP0451: Evaporative emission system pressure sensor/switch range/performanceAn OBD-II trouble code meaning the evaporative emission system’s pressure sensor is reading outside the range the engine computer expects, or isn’t behaving as it should.
- The same shape in Accessibility symbolsClosed captioning symbol (CC)CC means closed captioning: the dialogue and other sounds of a programme shown as text on screen, which viewers can turn on or off. It is mainly for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
More OBD-II trouble codes
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with letters and numbers or squares and rectangles.
Sources
- SAE J2012: Diagnostic Trouble Code Definitions (2002), SAE J2012, April 2002 (technically equivalent to ISO/DIS 15031-6), SAE International; published by Public.Resource.Org on the Internet Archive, Appendix B (powertrain DTCs)
- Diagnostic trouble code table, NHTSA investigation PE24003 (2024), PE24003 (2017–2019 Alfa Romeo Giulia low-pressure fuel pump), NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, DTC table
- 40 CFR 86.1806-05, On-board diagnostics (2012 edition), 40 CFR 86.1806-05, US Government Publishing Office (Code of Federal Regulations), § 86.1806-05(b) and (c)
- 2020 F-150 Owner's Manual, Ford Motor Company, Instrument Cluster; On-Board Diagnostics (OBD-II)
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed October 9, 2026. How we research
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