EN

Severity: Moderate Code type: Generic (all makes)

P0205 Code: Injector Circuit / Open – Cylinder 5

The ECU sees a broken or faulty electrical circuit to the cylinder 5 injector, so that cylinder gets no fuel.

Safety first · Consult a professional

  • Fuel vapor is flammable. No smoking or open flames; work outdoors and fix fuel leaks before driving.

At a glance

Severity: 3/5 – Moderate3/5

Severity: Moderate

Meaning
Injector Circuit / Open – Cylinder 5
System
Fuel & Air Metering · Powertrain
Safe to drive?
With caution
Typical repair cost
$0–$1,600
DIY difficulty
Moderate

P0205 only exists on engines with five or more cylinders, and the hardest part of the job is often finding cylinder 5. On GM and Chrysler/Dodge/Ram V8s the odd cylinders run down the driver's side, so cylinder 5 is the third one back on the left bank. Ford's gas V8s count 1 to 4 down the passenger side, which puts cylinder 5 at the front of the driver's side, next to the timing cover. On an inline-six it is the second cylinder from the firewall, and on transverse V6s it can be on either bank. The code itself is purely electrical: the ECU switched injector 5 and did not see the current flow or the switch-off voltage spike it expects, so the fault is in the connector, wiring, injector coil or the ECU driver, not in the fuel quality or spray pattern.

Can I keep driving? A V8 or six-cylinder with one dead injector still drives, but it shakes at idle and runs one bank lean. Keep trips short and gentle, and stop if the check engine light flashes or you smell fuel.

How to read P0205

How to read P0205P10223054
  1. P Powertrain
  2. 0 Generic (SAE)
  3. 2 Fuel & air (injector circuit)
  4. 05 Specific fault

Symptoms

  • Engine shakes at idle and smooths out a bit at higher rpm
  • Misfire code P0305 stored alongside P0205
  • Bank-wide lean code (P0171 on GM and Chrysler V8s, where cylinder 5 sits on bank 1; P0174 on Ford V8s) because one cylinder gets only air
  • Weaker pull when towing or climbing, especially on a V6
  • Check engine light that flashes under load

Possible causes

Ranked by how often each cause is behind this code (editorial estimate).

  1. Injector 5 connector not latched, cracked or pushed off, often after intake, valve cover or spark plug work on that bank 26%
  2. Open or intermittent coil inside injector 5 23%
  3. Bank sub-harness chafed on a bracket, fuel rail or exhaust heat shield on the cylinder 5 side 18%
  4. Brittle connector clip or broken locking tab from engine heat, so the plug backs off with vibration 12%
  5. Shared bank connector or group supply fault (for example a common-rail diesel feeding 4-5-6 as a group), usually with other codes 11%
  6. ECU injector 5 driver failed, usually after a shorted injector 10%

Diagnosis step by step

Diagnostic flow: P02051Confirm which cylinder is number 52Check what else is stored3Inspect and wiggle the injector 5plug4Measure the injector and comparewithin the bank5Noid light and feed check6Swap within the same bank

  1. Confirm which cylinder is number 5

    Look up the numbering for your exact engine before touching anything. GM, Chrysler and Ram V8s: driver's side, third from the front. Ford gas V8s: driver's side, front. Inline-six: second from the rear. Many European V8s number the right bank 1 to 4, so cylinder 5 is the front of the left bank.

    Tools: Flashlight

  2. Check what else is stored

    P0205 on its own points at injector 5 or its own wires. P0205 plus P0206, P0207 or P0208 points at a bank connector, a group supply or a harness section that carries several injectors. On six-cylinder common-rail diesels, look for a group supply code such as P2149 before chasing one injector.

    Tools: OBD-II scanner

  3. Inspect and wiggle the injector 5 plug

    With the engine idling, gently flex the injector 5 connector and the harness a few inches back from it. If the engine note changes or the misfire count jumps, you have found an intermittent contact. Then shut it off, unplug and inspect the terminals and the locking tab.

    Tools: Flashlight, OBD-II scanner

  4. Measure the injector and compare within the bank

    Measure injector 5 across its pins and compare with injector 7 or 3 on the same bank. Gas port injectors typically read 11 to 16 ohms, and cylinders on the same engine should match within about 1 ohm. Open (OL) confirms a dead coil; a reading far below the others suggests a shorted coil that could be damaging the driver.

    Tools: Multimeter

  5. Noid light and feed check

    Key on: the feed pin at the harness side should show battery voltage on gas port injection. Plug a noid light into the injector 5 connector and crank or idle. A steady flicker clears the wiring and ECU; no flicker means an open in the control wire or a dead driver.

    Tools: Multimeter, OBD-II scanner

  6. Swap within the same bank

    If the injector reads borderline, swap injector 5 with its bank neighbor using new O-rings and clear the codes. If the fault moves (for example to P0207), replace the injector. If P0205 stays, trace the control wire back to the ECU and check it for continuity and shorts.

    Tools: Screwdriver, OBD-II scanner

Where the parts are

Ignition: coils and spark plugs per cylinder – P02051234567
Ignition: coils and spark plugs per cylinder
  1. 1Ignition coil
  2. 2Spark plug
  3. 3Fuel injector
  4. 4Camshaft sensor
  5. 5Crankshaft sensor
  6. 6Engine computer (ECM)
  7. 7Intake manifold

Repair options & costs

RepairDIY?Estimated cost
Reseat or repair the injector 5 connector Yes $0–$150
Replace injector 5 connector pigtail Yes $80–$250
Repair bank sub-harness No $150–$500
Replace injector 5 (gas port or direct injection) No $180–$900
ECU driver repair or replacement with programming No $600–$1,600

Rough US estimates for parts and labor; shop rates vary by region. Not a quote.

Notes by brand

Ford

Ford gas V8s number cylinders 1 to 4 on the passenger side and 5 to 8 on the driver's side, so injector 5 is the front injector on the driver's bank, not the third one back as on GM and Ram V8s. Using the wrong numbering is a common reason for replacing the wrong injector.

Field data

Jeep 2 Grand Cherokee, Wrangler Unlimited

Source: NHTSA Complaints API (US government open data), analyzed by DTC mention.

Emissions / smog test impact

Will fail

With P0205 set and the check engine light on, the vehicle fails an OBD-II smog check. After the repair, clear the codes and drive until the misfire and fuel system monitors report ready before the retest.

Frequently asked questions

Where is cylinder 5 on my V8?

It depends on the manufacturer. GM and Chrysler/Ram: driver's side, third from the front. Ford gas V8s: driver's side, front cylinder. Many German V8s: front of the left bank. Always check the numbering for your engine before swapping parts.

Why do I also have a lean code for only one bank?

With injector 5 dead, that cylinder pumps pure air into the exhaust. The oxygen sensor for that bank sees the extra oxygen and reports lean, so a bank-specific lean code often shows up. Fix the injector circuit first; the lean code usually disappears on its own.

Is P0205 the same as a P0305 misfire?

No. P0305 only says cylinder 5 is misfiring, which could be a plug, coil, leak or compression problem. P0205 adds the information that the injector circuit is electrically faulty, so start with the injector wiring and coil rather than the ignition.

Can I drive to the shop with P0205?

Usually yes, if it is a short trip at moderate speed. A dead injector does not dump raw fuel into the exhaust, so the catalytic converter is less at risk than with an ignition misfire, but the engine runs rough and one bank runs lean under load.

Sources