OBD-II trouble code
P0252: Injection Pump Fuel Metering Control "A" Range/Performance (Cam/Rotor/Injector)
SAE J2012 APR2002: metering control A range/performance. The Chrysler lamp chart that was found is titled P0251, not this row. The printed pair is diagnosis only.
Quick facts
- System
- Powertrain
- Category
- Fuel & Air
- Severity
- High severity
- Drivable
- Usually safe to drive short-term
- Repair cost range
- $125 – $183 (check engine light diagnosis and testing, labor only; the diesel injection pump and the fuel filter are outside this pair)
- DIY difficulty
- Advanced DIY
Browse every code in P0200–P0299, or start from the full code library.
What does P0252 mean?
SAE J2012 APR2002 names P0252 Injection Pump Fuel Metering Control "A" Range/Performance (Cam/Rotor/Injector). Section 3.2 is a result inside the normal range that is still wrong for the operating conditions, including a stuck or skewed control. P0251 is the malfunction row. P0253 and P0254 are low and high. A control that fails a short test is those electrical rows, not this one.
The Chrysler reprints that describe a PWM mismatch, a 20-second lamp flash, less than 10 ohms, and greater than 1 volt are titled P0251. They were not found as a P0252 procedure. Running that lamp test and replacing a pump, or an ECM, answers a different code. A fuel filter is not ordered by those reprints either. RepairPal's filter average of $258–$322 and the diesel-pump average of $2,630–$4,034 were searched on the 3 September 2026 update and are outside the diagnosis pair. The older claim that a filter is the usual fix for this performance code had no document behind it in this pass, and it is withdrawn.
NHTSA MC-10212505's metal-in-the-solenoid inspection is for a 2019–2020 Ram 6.7 list that prints P0087, P008A, and injector circuit codes, not P0252. Do not open the high-pressure side because this performance code is stored. Depressurize before a low-pressure fitting is opened.
Common causes
- A stuck metering control A that still ohms inside the electrical window
- A skewed quantity result while the A circuit is still in range
- The metering circuit in range but not correct for the operating conditions
Symptoms
- P0252 stored
- No circuit-low or circuit-high code, which leaves the electrical shorts on P0253 and P0254
- A quantity error the VIN monitor describes, once that monitor is opened
- P0251 stored instead, which moves the job onto the PWM chart
Diagnostic steps
- 1.Confirm the code is P0252 before the P0251 lamp is connected. That lamp's pump-versus-ECM disagreement is a P0251 problem.
- 2.Open the range/performance monitor for this VIN. Section 3.2 can fail while resistance is still inside whatever window the electrical test uses. Measure resistance only if that performance chart asks, connector off, ignition off.
- 3.Do not replace the filter or the pump from this page. Both prices were searched and neither document ties them to P0252.
- 4.Do not start MC-10212505 unless the stored codes are the ones that bulletin lists. Do not open a high-pressure fitting. Depressurize a low-pressure connection before it is opened.
- 5.The printed pair is diagnosis labor.
- 6.Verify with the performance monitor recorded in the state it names. Do not watch it from the driver's seat.
Repair cost
$125 – $183 (check engine light diagnosis and testing, labor only; the diesel injection pump and the fuel filter are outside this pair)
RepairPal's check engine light diagnosis and testing, updated 3 September 2026, is $125–$183 labor. The printed pair is that figure. Diesel injection pump replacement is $2,630–$4,034 nationally and $3,384–$7,376 on the Ram 3500 line, which also lists other year lines. A fuel filter is $258–$322 nationally and $249–$298 on a Ram 3500. All of those were searched and are outside the pair. The Chrysler reprints that mention a pump are titled P0251.
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DIY vs shop
This is an advanced DIY job. It typically requires specialty tools, scan-tool access, lifting equipment, or careful sequencing to avoid causing new failures. Plan for extended downtime and have a backup vehicle. Most owners are better served by a shop that has done this repair before.