Powertrain, generic · Fuel and air metering (injector circuit)

P02C3 Cylinder 11 - Fuel Trim at Min Limit

Check engine lightOn
EmissionsRelevant
Drive cycleRequired
Limp modeNo

These codes belong to an individual-cylinder fuel correction: a diesel's cylinder balance control measures each cylinder's crankshaft acceleration and adjusts its injection quantity; on petrol engines a cylinder-selective mixture control does the same. CARB requires the system to report when such a correction has used up its range or one cylinder causes an imbalance. P02C3 means the correction for cylinder 11 is at its lower limit: the module keeps taking fuel away from this cylinder and still cannot even it out – a sign that it receives too much fuel, for example from a dripping injector. Cylinder 11 only exists on engines with twelve or more cylinders. GM and Ford use other codes for this (P0263 ff, P219A ff); no manufacturer document describing this code with thresholds was found, so the description follows CARB and published patents.

Likely causes

Injector of cylinder 11 dripping or leaking
Injector with excessive flow (worn seat or needle)
Wrong injector correction code after replacement
Injector circuit short (extended activation)

Symptoms

  • Check engine light on
  • Rough idle, vibration
  • Higher consumption, smoke or fuel smell

Repair estimate

DifficultyMediumWorkshop job
Parts and labour€150–900
Time1–4 h

Typical range across vehicles; the real cost depends on what the testing finds.

Parts involved

fuel injector cylinder 11crankshaft position sensorengine control module

Related codes

P02C2P02C4P02C5P0172P0293P232B

References: law.cornell.edu, patents.google.com, patents.google.com.