The Intake Air Temperature sensor in your 5.3 liter Chevy truck is also known as the Silverado IAT Sensor. This sensor is integrated into your pass through mass air flow meter, and reads the temperature of the air that’s passing through it. By reading this signal your Chevy engine computer can properly adjust the fuel trims to ensure maximum efficiency during closed loop operation.
When the intake air temp sensor in your Chevy truck starts acting up, the symptoms can be hard to diagnose or even notice. Of course one of the obvious early warning signs is your Silverado check engine light. When you see your OBDII check engine light on in your Chevy Silverado, you’ll need the right scan tool to read the codes. The diagnostic trouble codes will indicate an issue with your Silverado IAT sensor. Some of the most common Silverado DTC trouble codes include P0112 or P0113 for your intake temp sensor.
Today I’ll be showing you how to test the Silverado IAT sensor in a 2005 Chevy with the 5.3 liter engine in it. In order to test this part properly, you’ll need the use of a digital multimeter. You’ll be testing the operation of your mass air flow meter to see if your intake air temperature sensor is any good or not.
This generation of Chevy Silverado comes with the 5.3 liter Vortec as well as many other GEN III GM engines. Testing your Silverado IAT sensor does not require your engine to be turned on.
Where is the Silverado IAT sensor located?
This sensor is integrated into the Chevy mass air flow meter. This MAF is mounted inline with your air intake. To find this air flow meter, simply find your air box and follow it back to find the five pin MAF unit. Your Silverado IAT sensor reads the temperature of the incoming air, and your Chevy engine computer uses that data. This is because as your air temperature varies so does the density of the air. The colder the air charge, the denser the air and thus more fuel must be delivered to your engine.
To begin this guide you’ll be measuring the resistance between the pins of your Silverado IAT sensor. In order to do this you will need to turn the dial on your digital multimeter to read resistance or OHMS Ω.
Disconnect your Vortec mass air flow sensor and using the Silverado IAT sensor wiring diagram below, you’ll be testing the intake air temperature sensor.
You won’t need to worry about which pins need to go where on your multimeter. Simply probe the two pins shown above with the multimeter leads. In this position if you see your Silverado IAT sensor read between 0 – 47 OHMS Ω of resistance, it’s gone bad and you’ll need a replacement mass air flow unit.
If your IAT sensor reads around 100.7 K Ohms Ω of resistance or more, it’s another sign that your temp sender has burned out. The correct voltage of resistance should fall between 177 and 332 Ohms Ω. If your Silverado IAT sensor checks out, you may have another issue that’s causing your IAT failure. Check the wiring of your Silverado mass air flow sensor for any exposed wiring or damage.
Common Silverado issues of a bad IAT
When your intake temperature sensor fails, you’ll see a check engine light turn on accompanied by several symptoms. These Silverado problems can include but are not limited to;
- Bad gas mileage
- Inconsistent performance
- Engine pinging
- Detonation
To test the intake air temperature sensor, use the instructions above to check the part. When your Silverado IAT sensor falls outside of the range of resistance, you’ll need a replacement mass air flow sensor.
Silverado Mass Air Flow Sensor Wiring Diagram
PIN 1 of your Silverado MAF is usually a black wire, and it’s the ground circuit.
PIN 2 the mass air flow sensor is the 5 volt reference wire for your Silverado IAT sensor. This wire is typically TAN or light brown.
The middle wire of your Vortec MAF sensor is a BLACK wire with a WHITE stripe in it. This wire is the ground circuit for your Silverado MAF sensor.
The next wire is a PINK wire that’s the MAF sensor voltage, this wire should have a switched power signal with your ignition turned to the ON position.
The last wire is a YELLOW one that represents the mass air flow signal wire. Have any questions about our DIY guide to testing your Silverado IAT sensor? Want more guides on your Chevy Silverado? Leave us a comment below and let us know!
