Chassis, generic

C0606 Steering Wheel Angle Sensor Circuit Low

Check engine lightUsually off
EmissionsNot relevant
Drive cycleNot required
Limp modePossible

C0606 flags a steering angle signal or sensor supply that reads too low, as caused by a short to ground, a sagging supply or an output stuck at the bottom of its range. In the Kelsey-Hayes design the two phase lines swing between roughly 0.6 V and 4.4 V on a 5 V feed, and anything below the lower band is a fault; Bosch's PWM sensor maps −720° to +720° onto 10–90 % duty cycle, so a line pinned to ground leaves that window, and the patent lists a short to ground as detectable. Sensors that talk over CAN, such as the Bourns type 6002 running on 8–18 V, report their errors on the bus instead. No maker documents C0606 publicly. Stability control shuts down; after repair the centre position may need relearning.

Likely causes

Signal wire chafed against the steering column and shorted to ground
Low sensor supply from a weak battery or a damaged feed circuit
Sensor output stage failed low

Symptoms

  • ESC warning lamp on and stability control unavailable
  • Steering angle in scan data pinned at one end value
  • Driver assistance messages about limited function

Repair estimate

DifficultyMediumWorkshop job
Parts and labour€40–500
Time0.5–2 h

Typical range across vehicles; the real cost depends on what the testing finds.

Parts involved

steering angle sensorabs control module

Related codes

C0605C0607C0608C0526

References: patents.google.com, patents.google.com, bourns.com.