P0200: Injector circuit malfunction
The engine computer has found a fault in the electrical circuit of a fuel injector: open, shorted or out of range. Many engine computers then switch that injector off, so its cylinder misfires.
Updated
What P0200 means
Each cylinder has a fuel injector: a valve the engine computer opens electrically for every injection. The computer watches each injector’s circuit, and on many engines it also compares how much each cylinder adds to the engine’s speed.
P0200 means a fault in an injector circuit, without naming the cylinder. Many engine computers switch an injector off when its circuit fails, so that cylinder stops firing and the engine runs rough.
P0201 to P0284: the injector of one cylinder
P0201 to P0208 name the cylinder whose injector circuit is open: the last digit is the cylinder number. From P0261 to P0284 the codes come in threes per cylinder, for cylinders 1 to 8: circuit low, circuit high, and contribution/balance. Where cylinder 1 is depends on the engine; the service information for your car shows the numbering.
A contribution/balance code (P0263, P0266 and so on) isn’t an electrical fault: that cylinder adds more or less to the engine’s power than the others. It’s mostly seen on diesels and points to the injector or the cylinder’s compression. Its own meaning and causes are shown below.
P0201: Cylinder 1 Injector A Circuit/Open
P0202: Cylinder 2 Injector A Circuit/Open
P0203: Cylinder 3 Injector A Circuit/Open
P0204: Cylinder 4 Injector A Circuit/Open
P0205: Cylinder 5 Injector A Circuit/Open
P0206: Cylinder 6 Injector A Circuit/Open
P0207: Cylinder 7 Injector A Circuit/Open
P0208: Cylinder 8 Injector A Circuit/Open
P0261: Cylinder 1 Injector A Circuit Low
P0262: Cylinder 1 Injector A Circuit High
P0263: Cylinder 1 Contribution/Balance
One cylinder adds more or less to the engine’s power than the others, judged by the crankshaft’s speed. Mostly seen on diesels, it usually points to that cylinder’s injector or its compression.
Common causes: worn, clogged or leaking injector, low compression in that cylinder, replacement injector not coded to the engine computer, out-of-date engine software, on some engines.
P0264: Cylinder 2 Injector A Circuit Low
P0265: Cylinder 2 Injector A Circuit High
P0266: Cylinder 2 Contribution/Balance
One cylinder adds more or less to the engine’s power than the others, judged by the crankshaft’s speed. Mostly seen on diesels, it usually points to that cylinder’s injector or its compression.
Common causes: worn, clogged or leaking injector, low compression in that cylinder, replacement injector not coded to the engine computer, out-of-date engine software, on some engines.
P0267: Cylinder 3 Injector A Circuit Low
P0268: Cylinder 3 Injector A Circuit High
P0269: Cylinder 3 Contribution/Balance
One cylinder adds more or less to the engine’s power than the others, judged by the crankshaft’s speed. Mostly seen on diesels, it usually points to that cylinder’s injector or its compression.
Common causes: worn, clogged or leaking injector, low compression in that cylinder, replacement injector not coded to the engine computer, out-of-date engine software, on some engines.
P0270: Cylinder 4 Injector A Circuit Low
P0271: Cylinder 4 Injector A Circuit High
P0272: Cylinder 4 Contribution/Balance
One cylinder adds more or less to the engine’s power than the others, judged by the crankshaft’s speed. Mostly seen on diesels, it usually points to that cylinder’s injector or its compression.
Common causes: worn, clogged or leaking injector, low compression in that cylinder, replacement injector not coded to the engine computer, out-of-date engine software, on some engines.
P0273: Cylinder 5 Injector A Circuit Low
P0274: Cylinder 5 Injector A Circuit High
P0275: Cylinder 5 Contribution/Balance
One cylinder adds more or less to the engine’s power than the others, judged by the crankshaft’s speed. Mostly seen on diesels, it usually points to that cylinder’s injector or its compression.
Common causes: worn, clogged or leaking injector, low compression in that cylinder, replacement injector not coded to the engine computer, out-of-date engine software, on some engines.
P0276: Cylinder 6 Injector A Circuit Low
P0277: Cylinder 6 Injector A Circuit High
P0278: Cylinder 6 Contribution/Balance
One cylinder adds more or less to the engine’s power than the others, judged by the crankshaft’s speed. Mostly seen on diesels, it usually points to that cylinder’s injector or its compression.
Common causes: worn, clogged or leaking injector, low compression in that cylinder, replacement injector not coded to the engine computer, out-of-date engine software, on some engines.
P0279: Cylinder 7 Injector A Circuit Low
P0280: Cylinder 7 Injector A Circuit High
P0281: Cylinder 7 Contribution/Balance
One cylinder adds more or less to the engine’s power than the others, judged by the crankshaft’s speed. Mostly seen on diesels, it usually points to that cylinder’s injector or its compression.
Common causes: worn, clogged or leaking injector, low compression in that cylinder, replacement injector not coded to the engine computer, out-of-date engine software, on some engines.
P0282: Cylinder 8 Injector A Circuit Low
P0283: Cylinder 8 Injector A Circuit High
P0284: Cylinder 8 Contribution/Balance
One cylinder adds more or less to the engine’s power than the others, judged by the crankshaft’s speed. Mostly seen on diesels, it usually points to that cylinder’s injector or its compression.
Common causes: worn, clogged or leaking injector, low compression in that cylinder, replacement injector not coded to the engine computer, out-of-date engine software, on some engines.
Can I keep driving?
Drive gently
Avoid hard driving and have it checked soon. It can damage the engine or catalytic converter. If the check engine light flashes, stop when it’s safe to do so.
General guidance based on the code alone, not on the car’s actual condition. If in doubt, stop and ask a mechanic.
A cylinder that gets no fuel, or too much, makes the engine run rough, and unburnt fuel can overheat the catalytic converter. If the check engine light flashes, stop when it’s safe to do so.
An injector that sticks open is worse: fuel can wash past the piston into the engine oil, and on some engines liquid fuel in a cylinder can stop the engine from turning. If you smell fuel, or the engine runs very rough, don’t drive on.
Symptoms
- Rough running, shaking or misfiring, often with a misfire code (P0300 to P0312) for the same cylinder.
- Less power, and on some cars limp mode.
- Hard starting, or smoke from the exhaust on some diesels.
- A smell of fuel, if an injector leaks.
Common causes
- Faulty injector. An injector’s coil can burn out or short, which the engine computer sees in the circuit.
- Wiring or connector fault at the injector. Often the cause: the plugs sit on the engine, where heat and oil age them. Look for damaged wires and corroded pins.
- Fault in the injector driver inside the engine computer. Less common. Rule out the injector and its wiring first.
Typical fixes
- Note which cylinders the codes name, and any misfire codes stored with them.
- Check the injector plugs and wiring of those cylinders for damage, oil and corrosion.
- Have the injector and its signal from the engine computer measured, as the service information describes.
- For contribution/balance codes, have the injectors and the compression tested. On many diesels a replacement injector has to be coded to the engine computer with a tool for your make.
- Clear the codes after the repair and check that the engine runs evenly.
Questions
Can I drive with P0200?
Gently, and not far. The app’s advice is to avoid hard driving and have it checked soon, because a cylinder that isn’t fuelled properly can damage the engine or the catalytic converter. If the check engine light flashes, or you smell fuel, stop when it’s safe to do so.
What does the number in P0201 to P0208 mean?
The last digit is the cylinder whose injector circuit has the fault: P0201 is cylinder 1, P0204 cylinder 4. Where cylinder 1 is depends on the engine, so check the service information for your car.
Is P0263 a misfire code?
Not exactly. It means cylinder 1 adds more or less to the engine’s power than the others, and a cylinder can be weak without misfiring. The injector and the compression are the first things to check.