Code
P21E3
Generic
P — Powertrain
Cylinder 4 Injector B Circuit High
Views:
UK: 11
EN: 15
RU: 8
AI status
Completed
Completed
100%
Causes
- Short in the injector control wiring to battery positive (B+)
- Corroded, damaged or pushed-out connector at cylinder 4 injector
- Internal short/failure of the cylinder 4 injector (coil or internal electronics)
- Faulty ECM/injector driver (control transistor stuck open to B+ or damaged)
- Poor or missing ground in the injector supply or engine ground circuit
- Aftermarket harness or recent repairs with incorrect connections
Symptoms
- Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illuminated
- Engine misfire or rough running localized to cylinder 4
- Reduced engine power or hesitation under load
- Poor fuel economy
- Hard starting or stumble during cranking (in some cases)
What to check
- Read and record all stored/active freeze-frame data and related codes.
- Visual inspection of wiring and connector at cylinder 4 injector for damage, corrosion, or pin push-out.
- Backprobe injector connector: check constant supply (battery) voltage on the supply pin with key ON.
- Backprobe/control pin check with oscilloscope or DVOM while cranking/idling to verify pulse waveform and voltage level.
- Measure injector coil resistance (with connector disconnected) and compare to spec.
- Perform wiggle test of harness while monitoring live data or MIL for changes.
Signal parameters
- Injector supply pin: ~battery voltage (~12 V) with key ON
- Injector control/driver pin: should be a pulsed waveform (0 V to near battery) controlled by ECM during injection
- Typical injector coil resistance: vehicle-specific (commonly ~1–16 ohms for low-impedance, higher for high-impedance units) — check factory spec
- Pulse width: tens to hundreds of milliseconds depending on load/engine speed
- No DC high voltage (steady B+) should be present on the control/driver pin when the ECM is commanding low or pulsed; steady high indicates fault
Diagnostic algorithm
- Retrieve P21E3 and any related codes; note freeze-frame data and engine conditions when fault set.
- Visual inspection: check harness routing, chafing, heat damage, and connector condition at cylinder 4 injector and nearby chassis/engine-ground points.
- With ignition ON (engine OFF) backprobe the injector connector: verify the supply pin has battery voltage and the control pin is not stuck at battery voltage.
- Start engine or crank and observe the control pin with an oscilloscope (preferred) or scanner with injector status: look for proper pulsed waveform. A steady high indicates circuit high.
- With connector disconnected, measure injector coil resistance and compare to specification. An abnormally low resistance suggests an internal short.
- Disconnect the suspect injector and clear codes. If the code does not return after a drive cycle and symptoms change, the injector/harness is likely the cause.
- Perform continuity and short-to-B+ tests on the control wire back to the ECM: check for low resistance to battery positive (indicates short).
- Swap the cylinder 4 injector with another known-good injector (same type) and repeat testing to see if the code follows the injector or stays on cylinder 4 circuit.
- If wiring and injector check OK and the fault follows the ECM driver pin, consider ECM driver failure — verify with manufacturer guidance before ECM replacement.
- Repair or replace damaged wiring, connectors, or injector as required. After repair, clear codes and verify repair with a road test and re-scan.
Likely causes
- Wiring short to battery (pinched or chafed harness near engine)
- Corroded/loose injector connector at cylinder 4
- Defective injector with internal short
- ECM driver transistor failure (less likely than wiring/injector)
- Intermittent ground or poor connector mating
Fault status
Status
P21E3 — Cylinder 4 Injector B Circuit High: ECM detected an over-voltage condition on the Cylinder 4 injector control circuit. MIL set. Investigation of wiring, connector, injector and ECM driver required.
Repair difficulty: Medium
Diagnostic time: 0.5-2 hours
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