OBD-II trouble code
P0279: Cylinder 7 Injector Circuit Low
SAE J2012 APR2002: cylinder 7 injector circuit low. The 2008 M5 S85 stores a short to ground under hex 276D. On the 2007 E-350 6.0L the FICM fault list files an open coil. The printed pair is one injector after that fault is confirmed.
Quick facts
- System
- Powertrain
- Category
- Fuel Injectors
- Severity
- Medium severity
- Drivable
- Usually safe to drive short-term
- Repair cost range
- $768 – $953 (one fuel injector replacement, parts and labor, after the 2008 M5 plug-and-harness step or the 2007 E-350 6.0L open-coil result; the short, the DME, and a FICM are outside this pair)
- DIY difficulty
- Shop recommended
Browse every code in P0200–P0299, or start from the full code library.
What does P0279 mean?
SAE J2012 APR2002 names P0279 Cylinder 7 Injector Circuit Low. The 2008 G8 chart stops at cylinder 6, so its multi-way steps and its 2.6–4.6 volt pull-up are not this code. P0280 is cylinder 7 circuit high. A VAG-group list prints 16663 P0279 as injector 7-N85, short-circuit to ground.
The 2008 BMW M5 (E60) V10 S85 page is 276D - P0279, electrical diagnosis of cylinder 7's fuel injector, saved in the DME. Identification needs driver information present, terminal 15 on, and battery voltage above K_ED_PlusMin. The memory line says the driver info includes a short circuit to ground. Service: check the plug and the wiring harness on the injection valve, then check the valve and replace as indicated. Effect: rough idle, engine speed limited to 3500 rpm, power reduction, and the MIL after the engine runs twice. The driver-information warning light on that page is marked no.
A 2010 M5 page reuses hex 276D for P0280 and changes the memory line to a short circuit to B+, with the speed limit at 5000 rpm. Do not diagnose this low code from the 2010 high-code page. The 2007 E-350 6.0L FICM fault list names P0279 Cylinder 7 Injector Circuit Low under the open-coil, low-current group: an open injector circuit or a defective coil. The fault-detection line marks examples with 'ie', from P0261 and P0264 through P0282, and those examples are not the whole list. P0280 on that same list is cylinder 7 circuit high, under short to ground. The list is the V8 and stops at cylinder 8, so cylinders 9, 11, and 12 stay off it. That open-coil result is the 6.0L. It is not the 2008 M5 short-to-ground memory line. Do not move either test onto the other engine.
There is no ohm limit on the 276D page. Do not borrow 11–14 ohms from the G3 or 12–16 ohms from the G8. Both of those charts omit cylinder 7.
Common causes
- On the 2008 M5, a short circuit to ground in cylinder 7's injector driver info, fault 276D
- A short to ground in that injection valve's plug or harness
- On the 2007 E-350 6.0L, an open injector coil or an open injector circuit, the low current the FICM fault list files as P0279
Symptoms
- P0279 stored in the DME
- On the 2008 M5 page, rough idle and engine speed limited to 3500 rpm
- Power reduction, and the MIL after the engine has run twice
- P0280 stored instead, which is the short-to-B+ page
Diagnostic steps
- 1.Confirm the car is the 2008 M5 S85 before using 276D as a short to ground. On the 2010 page that hex is P0280.
- 2.Terminal 15 on, battery voltage above K_ED_PlusMin. Then check the plug and the wiring harness on cylinder 7's injection valve.
- 3.Check the valve and replace it as indicated only after the plug and the harness. The 3500 rpm limit is the effect, not a speed you command.
- 4.On a 2007 E-350 6.0L, treat P0279 as the FICM low-current result: an open coil or an open circuit. Do not use that current test on the M5, and do not use the M5 short-to-ground sentence on the 6.0L. The 2010 page that reuses hex 276D is P0280. The G3 and G8 charts do not name cylinder 7.
- 5.Depressurize before the valve is removed. The printed pair is that one valve. The harness repair is outside it.
Repair cost
$768 – $953 (one fuel injector replacement, parts and labor, after the 2008 M5 plug-and-harness step or the 2007 E-350 6.0L open-coil result; the short, the DME, and a FICM are outside this pair)
RepairPal's national fuel-injector replacement, updated 3 September 2026, is $768–$953 (labor $304–$446, parts $464–$507). The printed pair is that average for the valve the M5 page replaces as indicated. It is not an M5-specific price. The 2026 F-150 line is $1,130–$1,415 and the 2026 Tucson line is $456–$604, both outside the national pair. A harness repair and a DME are outside. Diagnosis is $125–$183 labor and is separate. An M5-only injector total was searched and was not a separate RepairPal line.
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DIY vs shop
Leave this one to a qualified shop. The barrier here is high-pressure fuel components, where residual pressure remains after shutdown and escaping fuel can penetrate skin. DIY attempts often produce a more expensive problem than the original code.