OBD-II trouble code
P0267: Cylinder 3 Injector Circuit Low
The engine computer saw the cylinder 3 injector control circuit reading low — normally a wire shorted to ground or a shorted injector coil. Cylinder 3 usually misfires, so fix it before the catalytic converter suffers.
Quick facts
- System
- Powertrain
- Category
- Fuel Injectors
- Severity
- Medium severity
- Drivable
- No — stop driving until repaired
- Repair cost range
- $50 – $1,500
- DIY difficulty
- Intermediate DIY
What does P0267 mean?
Fuel injectors are switched on the ground side. Battery voltage sits on one injector terminal whenever the key is on, and the engine control module (ECM) fires the injector by momentarily pulling the other terminal to ground for a precisely metered number of milliseconds. Between pulses the control wire should read near battery voltage, because nothing should be connecting it to ground.
P0267 sets when the ECM sees the cylinder 3 control circuit sitting low when it should be high. In plain terms, the circuit is grounded when it should be floating. The usual causes are a control wire that has chafed through its insulation and touched the block, a bracket, or the body; an injector whose coil winding has shorted internally; or moisture and corrosion bridging pins inside the injector connector. Some manufacturers also set this code when the measured current through the circuit falls below the expected range.
A circuit fault this direct means cylinder 3 is not being fueled properly, so expect a misfire and often a companion P0303. That matters beyond the rough idle: a sustained misfire pushes raw air and unburned fuel into the exhaust, where it can superheat and destroy the catalytic converter — a far more expensive part than the injector. That is the reason to treat this code as urgent rather than as a rough-idle annoyance.
One caution specific to this cylinder: on a V6 or V8, cylinder 3 may not be anywhere near where you would guess. Manufacturers number banks and cylinders differently, and the third injector you can reach is frequently not cylinder 3. Confirm the numbering in the service information before you unplug anything, because every test below is only meaningful on the right cylinder.
Common causes
- Cylinder 3 injector control wire chafed through and shorted to ground
- Shorted coil winding inside the cylinder 3 injector
- Corrosion or water intrusion bridging terminals in the injector connector
- Harness insulation damaged by heat near the exhaust manifold
- Wire pinched during a previous intake manifold or valve cover repair
- Damaged or backed-out pin in the injector connector
- Rarely, a failed cylinder 3 injector driver circuit inside the ECM/PCM
Symptoms
- Check engine light on, sometimes flashing under load
- Rough idle and a pronounced engine shake
- Misfire on cylinder 3, commonly with a companion P0303
- Loss of power and hesitation when accelerating
- Raw fuel smell from the exhaust
- Increased fuel consumption
- Hard starting in some cases
Diagnostic steps
- 1.Confirm P0267 and record every companion code. A cylinder 3 misfire (P0303), the paired high-circuit code P0268, or a balance code (P0269) each change the diagnostic picture.
- 2.Identify cylinder 3 for your specific engine in the service information — do not count injectors from the front of the engine.
- 3.Inspect the cylinder 3 injector connector and pigtail for green corrosion, melted or hardened insulation, and backed-out or spread terminals.
- 4.With the key off, unplug the injector and measure its coil resistance. Compare against specification and against the other injectors — a reading well below spec confirms a shorted coil.
- 5.With both the injector and the ECM connector disconnected, check the control wire for continuity to ground. Any continuity confirms a short in the harness rather than in the injector.
- 6.Wiggle-test the harness from the injector back toward the firewall, concentrating on chafe points near the exhaust manifold, manifold studs, and any hard bracket edges.
- 7.Once the wiring and the injector both test correct, use a noid light or the scan tool's injector test to verify the ECM is pulsing the circuit normally.
- 8.If the injector, connector, and harness all pass and the drive signal is still wrong, suspect the ECM injector driver — but confirm it with the manufacturer's pinout test before condemning a module.
Repair cost
$50 – $1,500
Repairing a chafed wire or cleaning and re-pinning a corroded connector is often $75-$250. A single fuel injector is $60-$400 in parts plus 0.5-3 hours of labor — a port injector sitting on top of the intake is quick, while a direct-injection or under-manifold injector takes substantially longer. A failed ECM injector driver is uncommon and runs $500-$1,500 including programming. Diagnosis alone is typically $75-$150.
Estimate your repair
Run the numbers for your vehicle
Open the Repair Cost Estimator with fuel injector replacement preselected. Adjust labor rate and vehicle category to fit your situation.
DIY vs shop
This is an intermediate DIY job. It usually involves diagnostic steps, specialty parts, and some careful work in tight spaces. If you have the tools and a service manual or trustworthy video for your specific vehicle, it is achievable in a weekend. Otherwise, a competent independent shop will be faster.