Can I drive with P0237?

Generally yes, gently. The computer drops boost to a conservative default precisely so the engine stays safe without its sensor — you’ll feel the missing power more than any danger. Don’t tow or hot-rod it, and fix it soon: you’re driving without the instrument that protects against real boost problems.

Is this telling me my turbo is failing?

No. P0237 is about the measuring circuit, not the thing being measured — the electrical equivalent of a broken gauge, not a broken engine. Real boost-performance problems set P0299 (underboost) or P0234 (overboost) instead. If one of those appears alongside this code, fix the sensor circuit first so the computer can see again, then re-evaluate.

What does the fix usually cost?

This is one of the friendlier codes on a turbo engine: the sensor itself typically runs $20–80 and replaces with basic hand tools in minutes once you can reach it. A connector cleaning is free. Only a wiring repair adds labor, and even that is usually modest. If a shop quotes turbo money for this code, ask for the diagnosis behind it.

The code returned after I replaced the sensor. Now what?

Then the sensor was never the problem — the circuit is. Recheck the 5-volt reference and ground at the connector, and wiggle-test the harness between sensor and computer while watching live data; a chafed wire near the hot side of the engine is the usual hiding place. Codes that survive a new part are wiring codes.

P0237 — Turbocharger/Supercharger Boost Sensor A Circuit Low

Moderate

Quick answer

P0237 means the boost pressure sensor’s signal is stuck below its normal range, so the computer can’t trust its boost reading and usually limits power to stay safe. This is an electrical code — the sensor, its connector, or the wiring — not a turbo problem, and very often the fix is the inexpensive sensor itself.

What it means

P0237 sets when the boost pressure sensor’s voltage goes below the range the computer considers electrically possible — pinned low — near zero volts, reading a pressure that can’t be real. The computer isn’t saying your boost is wrong; it’s saying it can no longer believe the witness.

The boost sensor is a small MAP-style pressure sensor threaded or clipped into the charge pipe or intake manifold, fed a 5-volt reference and returning a voltage proportional to pressure. Because the computer uses that reading to control the wastegate and protect the engine, losing it usually means a fixed-boost safe mode: the car runs, but soft.

The honest summary for this family: it’s often the cheap sensor or the connector. These sensors live in a hot, vibrating, oil-misted environment, and their connectors collect oil and corrosion. A chafed signal wire touching ground, or the sensor never receiving its 5-volt feed, both pin the signal low. Genuine turbo problems set P0299 or P0234 instead — a circuit code points at electrons, not at the turbo.

P0237 symptoms: what you'll notice

Reduced power or limp mode — the computer falls back to a conservative fixed boost without a trusted sensor
Check engine light, sometimes with no drivability change at all
Lazy or inconsistent turbo response, since closed-loop boost control is suspended
On some vehicles, slightly worse fuel economy while the safe mode is active

Common causes

Ordered from most to least likely.

1.

Connector trouble at the sensor

Oil intrusion, corroded terminals, a bent pin, or a connector not fully seated after other work. The free first check, and a frequent ending to the story.
2.

Failed boost pressure sensor

The most commonly replaced part for this code, and usually one of the cheapest sensors on the engine. Heat and oil mist age them.
3.

Wiring damage — a signal wire shorted to ground, or a missing 5-volt reference

A chafed signal wire touching ground, or the sensor never receiving its 5-volt feed, both pin the signal low.
4.

Oil or carbon fouling the sensor’s port

Crankcase vapors coat the sensing element until readings drift, then fail. Sometimes a careful cleaning revives it; a new sensor is cheap insurance.

How to fix it: diagnosis, step by step

Cheapest and most likely checks first.

1 Unplug and inspect the connector

Look for oil pooled inside (a classic on turbo engines — it wicks down the harness), green corrosion, and bent or spread pins. Clean with electrical contact cleaner, apply dielectric grease, reseat firmly, clear the code, and drive. A real percentage of these codes end right here, for free.
2 Check the sensor’s reading at key-on, engine off

With the engine off, the charge pipe holds plain atmospheric pressure, so the sensor should read roughly barometric — about 14.7 psi / 101 kPa at sea level, and it should match the MAP/baro reading if your scan tool shows one. A sensor reading zero or pinned at maximum against still air has confessed.
3 Verify the sensor’s feed with a multimeter

Back-probe the connector key-on: about 5 volts on the reference wire and a good ground on the ground wire. Both present with a nonsense signal condemns the sensor. Either one missing sends you up the harness — and saves you from replacing a sensor that was never the problem.
4 Replace the sensor and confirm

With power and ground verified, fit the new sensor (a dab of dielectric grease in the connector), clear the code, and confirm the key-on reading is now sane and the code stays away through a few drives with boost.

Parts & tools you may need

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Related codes

Frequently asked questions

What does code P0237 mean?: P0237 means the boost pressure sensor’s signal is stuck below its normal range, so the computer can’t trust its boost reading and usually limits power to stay safe. It’s moderately serious — you can usually keep driving gently, but diagnose it soon.
Can I drive with P0237?: Generally yes, gently. The computer drops boost to a conservative default precisely so the engine stays safe without its sensor — you’ll feel the missing power more than any danger. Don’t tow or hot-rod it, and fix it soon: you’re driving without the instrument that protects against real boost problems.
Is this telling me my turbo is failing?: No. P0237 is about the measuring circuit, not the thing being measured — the electrical equivalent of a broken gauge, not a broken engine. Real boost-performance problems set P0299 (underboost) or P0234 (overboost) instead. If one of those appears alongside this code, fix the sensor circuit first so the computer can see again, then re-evaluate.
What does the fix usually cost?: This is one of the friendlier codes on a turbo engine: the sensor itself typically runs $20–80 and replaces with basic hand tools in minutes once you can reach it. A connector cleaning is free. Only a wiring repair adds labor, and even that is usually modest. If a shop quotes turbo money for this code, ask for the diagnosis behind it.
The code returned after I replaced the sensor. Now what?: Then the sensor was never the problem — the circuit is. Recheck the 5-volt reference and ground at the connector, and wiggle-test the harness between sensor and computer while watching live data; a chafed wire near the hot side of the engine is the usual hiding place. Codes that survive a new part are wiring codes.