OBD-II trouble code
P0260: Injection Pump Fuel Metering Control "B" Intermittent (Cam/Rotor/Injector)
SAE J2012 APR2002: metering control B intermittent. The lamp-flash disagreement is about a P0251 chart for one actuator. The printed pair is diagnosis only.
Quick facts
- System
- Powertrain
- Category
- Fuel & Air
- Severity
- High severity
- Drivable
- No — stop driving until repaired
- Repair cost range
- $125 – $183 (check engine light diagnosis and testing, labor only; the diesel injection pump and a connector reseat are outside this pair)
- DIY difficulty
- Advanced DIY
Browse every code in P0200–P0299, or start from the full code library.
What does P0260 mean?
SAE J2012 APR2002 names P0260 Injection Pump Fuel Metering Control "B" Intermittent (Cam/Rotor/Injector). Section 3.9 is a signal that drops out, a fault too brief to count as an open or a short, or a rate of change that is excessive. P0255 is letter A's intermittent row. P0258 and P0259 need the low or high fault to remain in the state their tests use.
A bright incandescent lamp, about 20 seconds after it is connected across an actuator, is argued in two P0251 reprints: one replaces the pump, the other enters an intermittent procedure. That argument is about one actuator's chart. It does not become channel B's intermittent test, and it does not price a connector reseat at zero. No parts-and-labor figure for a B connector was found. Diagnosis labor is the printed pair. The pump average of $2,630–$4,034 was searched and is outside it.
If the diagram shows a B control, record its return while that harness is moved, key on, engine off, in park. Do not watch the tool from the driver's seat. A still check misses section 3.9. When the dropout is present, an open and a short are two measurements, and only the VIN chart can say whether B uses a 10-ohm line at all. Do not open a high-pressure fitting to move a harness. Depressurize before a low-pressure connection is opened.
Common causes
- A dropout on control B too brief to count as an open or a short
- A connector on control B that opens only when the harness moves
- A rate of change on that circuit that section 3.9 calls excessive
Symptoms
- P0260 stored
- A miss that is gone when B's harness, if the engine has one, is held still
- No recording yet, so the dropout has not been seen
- P0255 stored on channel A, which is a different intermittent code
Diagnostic steps
- 1.Save a recording before clearing. Confirm the code is P0260 and find B on the diagram. If there is no second control, do not wiggle A's plug and call it B.
- 2.Key on, engine off, in park. Move B's connector and harness while the return is recorded. The driver is not the person watching the screen.
- 3.Do not replace a pump or an ECM because a lamp flashed or did not. That split is unresolved even on the P0251 reprints, and those reprints are not titled P0260.
- 4.With the fault present, ignition off, both ends disconnected, separate an open from a short. Do not borrow 10 ohms or 1 volt unless B's chart prints them.
- 5.The printed pair is diagnosis. No connector price was found. The pump and the $258–$322 filter were searched and are outside the pair.
- 6.Do not open high-pressure fuel. Depressurize a low-pressure fitting before it is opened.
- 7.Verify with a second recorded flex of B's harness, in park.
Repair cost
$125 – $183 (check engine light diagnosis and testing, labor only; the diesel injection pump and a connector reseat 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. No parts-and-labor total was found for an intermittent connector on channel B. Diesel injection pump replacement is $2,630–$4,034 nationally and $3,384–$7,376 on the Ram 3500 line, which lists other year lines. A fuel filter is $258–$322. All were searched and are outside the pair.
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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.