Pin16

P2051

Reductant Injector Circuit Low (Bank 2 Unit 1)

Severity
Medium
Driving
Drive only to a garage

A fault in the reductant injector circuit on bank 2, unit 1 - a low reading, usually a short to earth or an open circuit. This injector sprays the reductant into the exhaust, where it converts nitrogen oxides into nitrogen and water. Without it the emissions system cannot work, and most vehicles respond by limiting power and eventually refusing to restart.

Possible causes

What you might notice

What to check, in order

  1. Check the reductant tank level first. An empty tank is the most common cause by a wide margin, and on many vehicles running out triggers a legally mandated countdown that ends with the engine refusing to restart.
  2. Do not ignore a restart countdown. Once it reaches zero the vehicle will not start again until the system is refilled and, on some vehicles, reset with a tool - which is a much worse problem in a lay-by than on a driveway.
  3. Look for white crystalline deposits around the injector, the pump and the pipe joints. Reductant crystallises when it leaks or when the system is not purged properly, and the deposits are unmistakable.
  4. Inspect connectors underneath for corrosion and water.
  5. In cold weather, consider freezing. Reductant freezes at around minus eleven degrees Celsius, and the system has heaters for exactly that reason - a failed heater looks like a supply fault.

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