Fuel and air

P0288 — Cylinder 10 Injector Circuit Low

Severity: medium Drive with care, to a shop

What P0288 means

The engine control unit fires the cylinder 10 injector by switching its circuit to ground with a driver and monitors the voltage in that circuit. P0288 is set when the voltage is lower than expected, for example from a short to ground, an open circuit, a poor connection or a failed driver. The cylinder may then get too little fuel or none at all.

Symptoms

  • Check Engine light on
  • Rough idle or misfire
  • Loss of power and sluggish acceleration
  • Higher fuel consumption
  • Possible stalling under load
  • Engine vibration at idle

Possible causes

  1. Failed injector coil in cylinder 10 (internal short or winding fault)
  2. Damaged wiring or poor connection at the injector connector
  3. Injector control wire shorted to ground
  4. Weak power supply or bad ground in the injector circuit
  5. Failed injector driver inside the ECM
  6. Mechanically stuck or clogged injector (less common)

How to diagnose

  1. Scan for codes and freeze frame data, and look for other injector or misfire codes
  2. Inspect the cylinder 10 injector connector and harness for chafing, corrosion and heat damage
  3. Review fuel trims and cylinder balance data
  4. Measure injector resistance and compare it with the specification
  5. Check for power and a control signal at the connector with a multimeter, noid light or scope
  6. Test the control wire for a short to ground or an open circuit back to the ECM
  7. Swap the injector with a neighboring cylinder and see whether the fault follows it
  8. Check fuel pressure and rule out vacuum or intake leaks

Common fixes

  • Repair damaged wiring and replace the connector
  • Clean the terminals and secure the injector connector
  • Replace the faulty fuel injector
  • Repair or replace the ECM if the driver has failed, after ruling out wiring and the injector

Questions and answers

What does P0288 mean?

It means low voltage in the control circuit of the cylinder 10 fuel injector. The ECM sees a signal outside the normal range and logs the code.

Can I drive with P0288?

Only briefly and carefully, enough to reach a shop. Misfires can damage the catalytic converter, so don't put the repair off.

How do I tell if it's the injector or the wiring?

Measure the injector resistance and test the wire back to the ECM. You can also swap the injector with a neighbor: if the code moves to another cylinder, the injector is at fault.

This is general information about the code. The meaning can differ between makes and models: a scan tool and the repair manual for your car will show the exact cause.