BMW 2767 — Fuel Injector Cylinder 1 Activation
P0262 · P0261 · P0201
Description
Fault code 2767 relates to the electrical activation circuit of the fuel injector on cylinder 1. The DME monitors the injector driver output for electrical faults and sets this code when it detects an abnormal circuit condition. Each variant identifies the specific fault type — short to battery voltage, short to ground, or open circuit. On BMW inline-6 engines, cylinder 1 is the frontmost cylinder (closest to the accessory belt).
Safety warning
This is a DME fault. A faulty injector circuit causes the affected cylinder to misfire, resulting in unburned fuel entering the exhaust. Prolonged driving with an active injector fault can damage the catalytic converter. Address this fault promptly.
This code has 3 variants:
2767 / P0262 — Short to B+
The DME detected a short to battery voltage on the cylinder 1 injector driver circuit. The injector is seeing voltage when it should not be, or the driver circuit is detecting excessive voltage on its output. This can cause the injector to stay open continuously or fire erratically, flooding the cylinder with fuel.
Symptoms (1)
Check engine light (MIL), EML warning light, and condition check (CC) message on the instrument cluster. Engine enters backup (limp) mode. Engine speed may be limited to approximately 5,000 RPM. Rough idle as cylinder 1 misfires or runs excessively rich. Reduced power. Strong fuel smell from the exhaust if the injector is stuck open.
Common Causes (3)
- Damaged injector wiring harness with a conductor contacting a B+ source. The injector harness runs along the intake manifold and fuel rail — chafing against mounting hardware or other harnesses is common.
- Internal injector fault. The injector solenoid coil can develop an internal short that creates a path to the supply voltage rail.
- DME injector driver failure. The output stage within the DME can fail, though this is uncommon with a single-cylinder fault.
Diagnosis Steps (5)
- Connect ISTA or INPA and read the full fault memory. Check whether cylinder 1 also has a misfire fault (P0301). Multiple injector circuit faults across different cylinders may point to a shared harness or DME issue rather than a single injector.
- Disconnect the cylinder 1 injector connector. With ignition on, measure voltage at the injector signal pin relative to ground. No voltage should be present with the injector disconnected and engine off. Battery voltage present indicates a wiring short to a power source.
- Swap the cylinder 1 injector connector with an adjacent cylinder (e.g., cylinder 2). Clear faults and crank the engine briefly. If the fault moves to the other cylinder, the injector itself is faulty. If the fault stays on cylinder 1, the issue is in the wiring or DME driver.
- Inspect the injector wiring harness from the DME connector to the injector. Focus on areas where the harness contacts metal edges or other harnesses.
- Measure injector coil resistance. Compare to BMW TIS specification for your injector type (port injection vs. direct injection values differ significantly). Abnormally low resistance suggests an internal short.
Repair damaged wiring if a short is found in the harness. Replace the injector if it has an internal fault or if the swap test confirmed the injector as the source. After replacing an injector, clear the fault memory and perform an injector adaptation reset via ISTA if required for your engine variant. Consult RealOEM with your VIN for the correct injector part number — injectors are engine-variant-specific.
2767 / P0261 — Short to ground
The DME detected a short to ground on the cylinder 1 injector driver circuit. The circuit has a low-resistance path to chassis ground, causing excessive current draw. This prevents the DME from properly controlling the injector pulse width, leading to cylinder 1 misfire or no injection.
Symptoms (1)
Check engine light (MIL), EML warning light, and CC message displayed. Engine enters backup mode. Engine speed limited — some software versions limit to approximately 3,500 RPM for a ground short (more restrictive than a B+ short due to the risk of driver damage). Rough idle with a consistent cylinder 1 misfire. Reduced power.
Common Causes (3)
- Injector wiring chafed against the cylinder head, intake manifold bolts, or engine block, exposing the conductor to a ground path.
- Moisture or oil contamination in the injector connector, particularly on direct-injection engines where the connectors sit close to the high-pressure fuel rail and are exposed to heat and oil mist.
- Internal injector coil short to the injector body (housing ground). Age, heat cycling, and fuel contamination can degrade coil insulation.
Diagnosis Steps (5)
- Disconnect the cylinder 1 injector connector. Inspect the connector for oil, moisture, or corroded pins. Clean with electrical contact cleaner and dry.
- With the injector disconnected, measure resistance from each injector pin to the engine block (ground). A reading other than OL indicates a ground fault in the wiring or injector.
- Test the injector in isolation — measure from each pin to the injector body. Continuity to the body confirms an internal coil-to-housing short.
- Perform the injector swap test: move the cylinder 1 injector to another cylinder position, clear faults, and crank briefly. Fault follows the injector = bad injector. Fault stays at position 1 = wiring issue.
- If the wiring is suspect, trace the harness from the injector connector to the DME connector, looking for chafed insulation or bare wire contacting grounded metal.
Replace the injector if it has an internal ground short. Repair or re-route damaged wiring. Seal the connector against contamination. Clear the fault memory and perform injector adaptation if required for your engine. Use RealOEM for the correct part number.
2767 / P0201 — Open circuit
The DME detected an open-load condition on the cylinder 1 injector driver circuit. No current flows when the injector is commanded on, meaning the electrical path between the DME and the injector is broken. Cylinder 1 receives no fuel injection.
Symptoms (1)
Check engine light (MIL), EML, and CC message displayed. Engine enters backup mode with engine speed limiting (typically to around 5,000 RPM). Rough idle with a dead cylinder 1 misfire — the engine shakes noticeably at idle. Reduced power proportional to losing one cylinder. Strong vibration especially at low RPM.
Common Causes (4)
- Disconnected injector connector. The most common cause — the connector may not have been fully seated after spark plug replacement, coil pack service, intake manifold work, or injector cleaning.
- Broken wire in the injector harness. Fatigue from vibration and heat cycling can snap conductors, especially at stress points near connectors.
- Failed injector coil (open winding). The internal solenoid winding can break, particularly in high-mileage injectors.
- Corroded connector pins causing high contact resistance that the DME interprets as an open circuit.
Diagnosis Steps (5)
- Check the cylinder 1 injector connector — push it firmly onto the injector and verify the locking tab clicks. This resolves the issue in many cases.
- Disconnect the injector and measure coil resistance across the two pins. An OL (open) reading confirms a broken coil — replace the injector. A normal reading (refer to BMW TIS for your engine's injector specification) means the injector is electrically intact.
- If the injector is good, check continuity from the injector connector pins to the corresponding DME connector pins. Use the wiring diagram specific to your engine variant.
- Inspect the harness for broken wires, especially near harness bends and connector junctions.
- Check connector pins at both ends for corrosion or pushed-back pins.
Re-seat the connector if it was loose. Replace the injector if the coil is open. Repair any wire breaks and replace corroded connectors. Clear fault memory and perform injector adaptation if required. No coding or programming needed for a simple connector or wiring fix.