Code Definition

P1179 — Heated Oxygen Sensor 1 bank 1 pump current shorted to ground

System: Powertrain  |  Type: Manufacturer-Specific  |  Make: Audi

About P1179

P1179 is a manufacturer-specific powertrain diagnostic trouble code recorded for Audi vehicles. It belongs to the P-prefix family of codes, which covers engine, transmission, emissions, or fuel-system faults.

When P1179 is stored, the module has detected a short-circuit (voltage pulled to ground or to supply) in the monitored circuit; a bank-specific fault, meaning it applies only to one cylinder bank of a multi-bank engine; and a sensor-related fault — the reported value from the named sensor is out of spec.

Scanning & clearing: A generic OBD-II scan tool will usually read and clear powertrain (P) codes. For live data, freeze-frame capture, and bi-directional tests you may need a more capable scan tool that supports the vehicle's ECM protocol.

P1179 is a manufacturer-specific code. The same code string on a different make may have a different meaning. Always confirm the code's definition against the vehicle's service information for the specific make and model under test.

Code Information

The bank 1 upstream lambda sensor on these engines is a wideband or broadband type containing a Nernst measuring cell and an oxygen pump cell. The Engine Control Module (ECM) passes a controlled current through the pump cell to hold the Nernst cell at its reference value, and the size and direction of that pump current is the quantity the ECM actually reads as air fuel ratio. DTC P1179 is stored when the ECM detects that the pump current circuit for bank 1 sensor 1 has shorted to ground, so the current it is driving no longer flows through the sensor cell as intended. With the pump current pat...

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