P0332 Code on a Cadillac: Knock Sensor Circuit Low, Bank 2 (Cadillac Guide)

P0332 on a Cadillac is "Knock Sensor Circuit Low, Bank 2." It only applies to Cadillacs with a second knock sensor circuit, and GM's own tables show that list is not as simple as "every V6 and V8." The CTS, STS, SRX and later V6s carry a P0332 test from 2004 on; so does the Escalade V8. But GM's tables for the 1997–2003 Northstar in the DeVille, Seville and Eldorado list knock codes for one circuit only, and the 2004–2006 Northstar in the STS, SRX and XLR reports bank 2 knock faults as P0330 instead. Whatever the engine, P0332 is an electrical code, not proof your engine is knocking — and GM's best-known Cadillac fix for it is a harness that rubs on the Escalade's vacuum pump pulley.

What Does P0332 Mean on a Cadillac?

A knock sensor is a piezoelectric sensor bolted to the engine. It listens for detonation, and the engine computer pulls spark timing back when it hears it. Engines with two sensors use one per bank. GM's codes for the second sensor are:

• P0330 — Knock Sensor Circuit, Bank 2
• P0331 — Knock Sensor Performance, Bank 2
• P0332 — Knock Sensor Circuit Low, Bank 2
• P0333 — Knock Sensor Circuit High, Bank 2

Their bank 1 mirrors are P0325 through P0328 — see our P0325 Cadillac guide. "Low" means the computer saw the bank 2 circuit voltage, or the learned background noise, fall below what it expects. That usually means a wire shorted toward ground, a damaged connector or a pinched harness — and only sometimes the sensor itself.

While the circuit is faulted, the computer cannot trust that sensor, so it typically runs more conservative spark timing. That is the sluggish feel and lost economy some owners notice.

Which Cadillacs Have a P0332 Test

If your Cadillac is on a "No" line and a scan tool shows P0332, re-check the code and the tool before diagnosing.

What GM's Monitor Checks

The code number is the same, but GM's test has changed. Knowing which version your engine uses tells you what to look for.

The common thread: every version is a circuit check. None measures actual engine knock.

Escalade: The Vacuum Pump Pulley

GM's PIT5307F covers the 2015–2019 Escalade (and the Chevrolet and GMC trucks with the same engines). The owner complaints are broad: check engine light, ABS light, "Service Suspension System," misfire, hesitation, low power, erratic shifting, no crank, A/C inoperative, and blown starter or A/C clutch fuses. The DTC list includes P0327, P0328, P0332 and P0333 along with dozens of others. The cause is one point: the engine harness rubbing on the engine vacuum pump pulley.

GM's repair is to fix any damaged circuits and re-secure the harness away from the pulley. No knock sensor is listed. That fits the way the newer monitor works: a chafed knock sensor wire touching a grounded part pulls the circuit low — exactly what P0332 reports.

Two related Escalade documents point the same way:

• 20-NA-207 (2015–2020 Escalade 6.2L L86 and 2016–2019 CTS-V LT4): P0333, the opposite code, when shifting out of Park. GM's cause is voltage from the transmission park/neutral signal circuit bleeding into the knock sensor circuits; if service information does not find it, inspect the ECM's X2 connector for debris and terminal problems.
• 02-06-04-023A: NHTSA's index lists this revision for the 2002 Escalade and Escalade EXT, describing mild to severe spark knock and a check engine light. GM's original 02-06-04-023 for the trucks with the same Gen III V8 traces P0332 to water corroding the rear knock sensor in the engine valley under the intake manifold, according to the reproduced copies we reviewed for our Chevrolet guide. For the Cadillac revision we have read only NHTSA's index entry.

CTS, XT5 and XT6 V6

We found no GM bulletin naming P0332 on a Cadillac V6. The closest is PIP5836A for the 2022 XT5 and XT6 3.6L LGX: P0331 (bank 2 performance) at low mileage, where replaced knock sensors "have not tested bad." GM's steps are worth knowing for any bank 2 knock code on these engines:

1. Disconnect the sensor connector — GM says do not skip this, because the connector needs to be cycled at least once.
2. Remove the sensor bolt and check for block "ashing" — excess block material or plastic where the boss meets the sensor's black plastic.
3. If present, remove it so nothing but the proper mounting face touches the sensor, and replace the sensor.
4. If not, reinstall the sensor at 25 ± 4 N·m and reconnect it.

That P0331 is a performance code, not P0332, but it shows how much a connector and a mounting surface matter on the Gen 2 V6.

Which Side Is Bank 2?

On GM V6 and V8 engines, bank 1 contains cylinder 1 and bank 2 is the other bank.

• Longitudinal V6 (CTS, STS, ATS, CT6, first-generation SRX): bank 1 is the right bank seen from the flywheel end — the passenger side — so bank 2 is the driver side.
• Transverse V6 (2010–2016 SRX, XTS, XT5, XT6): bank 1 is the rear, firewall-side bank, so bank 2 is the front bank, toward the radiator.
• Escalade V8: GM V8 bank 1 is the driver side, so bank 2 is the passenger side. On the Gen III 6.0L, GM's truck bulletin calls it the rear sensor because both sit in the valley.
• Northstar: we could not confirm the bank 2 side or sensor location in a GM document. Use the service information for your model.

Finding the right sensor matters: one is often far easier to reach than the other, and replacing the wrong one costs labor and fixes nothing.

Symptoms of P0332 on a Cadillac

• Check engine light on
• Reduced power or sluggish acceleration from conservative timing
• Lower fuel economy
• Unrelated warnings at the same time — ABS, suspension, A/C, no crank — on a 2015–2019 Escalade
• Audible spark knock in some cases, especially on lower-octane fuel
• P0327 alongside if wiring shared by both sensors is damaged

Causes and How to Confirm Each

How Is P0332 Diagnosed on a Cadillac?

1. Confirm your engine has a P0332 test. A 1997–2003 DeVille, Seville or Eldorado, or a 2004–2006 STS, SRX or XLR Northstar, uses other codes.
2. Record all codes. P0332 alone points to sensor 2's circuit; P0327 and P0332 together point to shared wiring; P0332 with ABS and suspension codes on an Escalade points to PIT5307F.
3. Identify bank 2 on your engine using the notes above and service information.
4. Ask about recent work — intake removal, rear plugs or harness repairs.
5. Inspect the harness from the sensor to the ECM; on an Escalade, at the vacuum pump pulley.
6. Test signal and return circuits for a short to ground and for continuity.
7. Replace the sensor only after the wiring tests good, and torque it to specification.
8. Clear the code and drive under the monitor's conditions; many versions need engine speed above 2,000 rpm.

Parts and Cost

GM Documents for P0332 on Cadillac Models

Have a dealer check your VIN against current bulletins rather than relying on any article, including this one.

What Other P0332 Pages Get Wrong

• "P0332 means your engine is knocking." Every version of GM's test checks the circuit.
• "Every V8 Cadillac has a P0332 test." GM's 1997–2003 DeVille and Seville Northstar tables list one knock circuit, and the 2004–2006 STS, SRX and XLR Northstar uses P0330 for bank 2.
• Replacing the sensor first on an Escalade. GM's PIT5307F fix is the harness at the vacuum pump pulley.
• Getting bank 2 backwards on a V6. It is the driver side on a CTS but the front bank on an XT5.
• Skipping torque and the mounting face. GM's XT5/XT6 document shows that a contaminated boss or loose bolt can set knock codes on good sensors.

For other GM brands, see our Chevrolet P0332 guide, the Buick P0332 guide and our GM V8 knock sensor guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to drive with P0332?

Usually yes in the short term — the computer typically retards timing when it cannot trust a knock sensor. Expect reduced power and economy, use the fuel your owner's manual specifies, and avoid heavy loads until it is fixed.

My Escalade has P0332 plus ABS and suspension warnings. Is that related?

Very likely. GM's PIT5307F covers that mix on 2015–2019 Escalades: the engine harness rubbing on the vacuum pump pulley. Repair and re-secure the harness.

Which side is bank 2 on my XT5?

On the transverse 3.6L, bank 1 is the rear, firewall-side bank, so bank 2 is the front bank. On a CTS or CT6, bank 2 is the driver side.

Can my 2001 DeVille set P0332?

GM's 1997–2003 Northstar tables for the LD8/L37 list knock codes for one circuit only, with no P0332. If a scan tool shows it, re-check the code and the tool.

Why do I have P0327 and P0332 together?

Both sensor circuits are low at once. That points to damage in wiring both share, or a connector problem, rather than two sensors failing together.

Does premium fuel fix P0332?

No. P0332 is an electrical fault. Using the fuel grade GM specifies is still wise while the knock system is impaired.