Intake Air Temperature Sensor
WARNING: This page does not describe the selected car, but rather 33 other vehicles, including the 2002 Saturn Vue, 2002 Pontiac Montana, 2002 Pontiac Aztek, 2002 Oldsmobile Silhouette, and 2002 Oldsmobile Bravada. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
The Intake Air Temperature (IAT) sensor is a thermistor (temperature sensitive resistor). The IAT sensor measures the temperature of the air entering the engine. The PCM supplies 5 volts to the IAT signal circuit. When the IAT sensor is cold, the sensor resistance is high. When the air temperature increases, the sensor resistance lowers. With high sensor resistance, the PCM detects a high voltage on the IAT signal circuit. With lower sensor resistance, the PCM detects a lower voltage on the IAT signal circuit. If the PCM detects an excessively high or low IAT signal voltage, a DTC will set.