P2146 = injector failure ?

[JHardwick]

A search of this code only reveals problems with boxes and connectors. Is it a connector or solenoid? My Quad is at home.



After bragging so much that I've never had an injector removed @ 280,000 miles IT HAPPENED!



Sleeping the other morning in a truck stop I was awaken when my truck dropped a cylinder and I thought I had fallen asleep at the wheel and woke up on the rumbles strips



I reved it a couple of times and it cleared up, but came back. So I shut it down and got a bottle of PS and dumped the entire bottle in a 1/2 tank of fuel. I went ahead and ran that 1/2 tank before adding more fuel. I made it from upstate NY to the I-79/I-70 interchange south or Pitts. and it dropped a cylinder again heading up the I-70 west entrance, but came back after a down shift.



Since I was heading through my neck of the woods on my way to W. KY. , C. SC, E. NC, E. V, W. WV and back to S. OH, I called my local diesel guru and he said it could completely loose the cylider in 2 miles or it could run another 200,000 :{



Anyway, here I am in NC, heading to VA, WV and back to Ohio and can't get injectors there waiting on me when I return.



I attempted to have some F1's waiting for me when I get home tomorrow, but that aint gonna happen and I need to leave again next week! I have some down time at the middle of April to the first of May, but I have 7,000-8,000 miles to cover by then. Are these injectors worth the wait?



I'm *thinking* I can get home tomorrow and pull all injector connections, ECM connections etc and hit them with contact cleaner, compressed air and dialectric grease to get me through.



waddya y'all think?

 

[rbattelle]

Yikes, Jeff. On the one hand I want to say "280k is good mileage running a pressure box and not losing a single injector". On the other hand, it sucks to be out on a job and have an equipment failure.



P2146 indicates bank 1 (cylinders 1-3) are shorted. The good news is that it doesn't necessarily indicate any mechanical problem with the injector itself. That's good, because it means the injector probably isn't stuck open and killing the engine.



I think your idea of an aggressive cleaning of the electrical contacts is excellent. Furthermore, I suggest pulling the valve cover and inspecting the electric connections atop each injector to be sure none have broken.



The fact that the cylinder comes and goes when you "shock" the system implies to me that there's a short somewhere in the electrics. When you give a nice jolt to the engine, the short fixes itself and the engine runs normally again.



What exactly are your options? The way I read your post,

1. Order the F1's and continue to operate the truck until mid-April.

2. Order stock injectors and install them this weekend.



Given these options, I'd get the stockers. But I'm probably not a good person to ask because I tend to prefer stock parts when it comes to the high-pressure fuel system. I don't know if F1's are more reliable than the stock injectors.



Ryan

 

[APacitti]

I got the same code on the first part of a 400 mile drive, after limping a few miles with the down cylinder condition i got out and started messing with the injector harnesses. I got lucky and the truck started back up and ran smooth. As soon as i got it running i headed back home and dumped the truck at the dealer, anyway long story short they tried swapping around injectors and had the same cylinders go down. In the end they ordered a whole new harness which i believe was something like $1000 but that has completely fixed the problem. I've since run to AZ from MN and back with no more codes, lost cylinders or stutters. I hope this helps, let me know if i can help further.

 

[JHardwick]

Well, I made it home from this trip Oo.



I agree Ryan, it's probably a connection or chaffed wire, but it could be a solenoid shorting out as well. Either way, it's better than an injector pumping gallons of fuel into the crank case.



The only problem I've encountered to date was the relief valve. I replaced the FCA and then stuck a bolt in the fuel manifold. But, I came to my senses and took the bolt out and replaced it with a good relief valve.



I'm gonna guess that 230,000 were run with a pressure box, either Edge or Quad, plus my stint with SP Diesel.



At any rate, the guy who hangs his shingle as the best injector is out of reach for a week or two.



I had already made my mind up that I was gonna go aftermarkart if/when I ever needed an injector pulled for any reason. I just didn't realize that it was so hard to get an EDM injector.



At any rate, I'll do all of the connections and schedule an appointment with F1 for the middle of April.

 

[robertyoke]

The only problem I've encountered to date was the relief valve. I replaced the FCA and then stuck a bolt in the fuel manifold. But, I came to my senses and took the bolt out and replaced it with a good relief valve.





just out of curiosity why did you replace the fca if you had a problem with the relief valve?



did you also have a problem with the fca?



if so what were the symptoms of the bad fca?



-robert

 

[JHardwick]

just out of curiosity why did you replace the fca if you had a problem with the relief valve?

I replaced the FCA because of an erratic idle



did you also have a problem with the fca?

it didn't fix anything



if so what were the symptoms of the bad fca?

dunno, i just tried it to fix the erratic idle. it still idles up and rattles the injectors from time to time ... ... ... . this is not the cold weather high idle

 

[robertyoke]

ok!

I have a problem with my truck and wanted to know about the fca. and if it fixed anything. Thanks

-robert