How severe is this DTC?
I would say rather severe. In the field, we refer to a lack of fuel in the burned mixture as a “lean” condition. When your engine is idling, you risk causing extreme damage to the engine in both the short and long term. With this in mind, always follow your engine’s maintenance schedule. There needs to be some diligence here, so let’s keep our engines running smoothly and efficiently. After all, they carry our weight to transport us daily.
What are some of the symptoms of the code?
Symptoms of a P2146 fault code may include:
- Irregular engine performance
- Misfire
- Reduced fuel economy
- Irregular idle
- Excessive smoke
- Engine noise(s)
- Lack of power
- Inability to climb steep hills
- Reduced throttle response
What are some common causes of the code?
Causes of this P2146 fuel injector group supply voltage code may include:
- Faulty or damaged fuel injector(s)
- Damaged wiring harness
- Internal wiring malfunction
- Internal ECM issue
- Connector problem
What are the troubleshooting steps for P2146?
Basic Step #1
The first recommended step is to locate the “group” of sensors that the manufacturer refers to. With this information, you can then find the physical location of the injector(s) and their circuits. This may involve removing many covers and/or engine components to gain visual access (if possible). Be sure to inspect the wiring harness for broken wires. Any worn insulation should be properly repaired with heat shrink tubing to prevent further and/or future issues.
Basic Step #2
Sometimes, water and/or fluids can become “trapped” in the valleys where the injectors are installed. This increases the chances of the sensor connectors, among other electrical connections, corroding at a faster rate than normal. Ensure everything is as it should be and that the connector tabs are properly sealing the connection. Feel free to use an electrical contact cleaner to allow everything to connect and disconnect smoothly, not to mention the increased electrical connectivity in the connections with the use of this product.
Basic Step #3
Check the circuit integrity by following the troubleshooting steps provided by your specific vehicle’s service manual. One example is to disconnect the supply voltage circuit from both the ECM and the fuel injector, then using your multimeter, determine whether the wires are in good working order or not.
A test I like to perform to quickly determine if there is an open in a particular wire that would help with the P2146 code is to perform a “continuity test.” Set your multimeter to RESISTANCE (aka ohms, impedance, etc.), touch one probe to one end of the circuit and the other probe to the other end. Any reading higher than desired may indicate a problem in the circuit. Any issue here will need to be determined by tracing the specific wire you are diagnosing.