Chafed, cracked, or corroded wiring in the cylinder 3 injector harness, often where it bends near the intake manifold or passes through a loom; A failing cylinder 3 fuel injector with an internally intermittent solenoid coil; Loose or contaminated electrical connector pins at the cylinder 3 injector or at the PCM harness; A faulty powertrain control module (PCM) injector driver, though this is less common than harness faults; Water intrusion or oil contamination in the injector connector causing intermittent shorts; A poor ground connection shared by the injector circuit, leading to erratic current flow

DTC codes / Chrysler codes / P1228

P1228 · ChryslerInjector Circuit Cylinder 3 Intermittent

Q: What does code P1228 mean?

Injector Circuit Cylinder 3 Intermittent. P1228 on a Chrysler vehicle means the powertrain control module (PCM) has detected an intermittent fault in the electrical circuit that fires the fuel injector for cylinder 3. The PCM monitors the injector driver circuit for expected current flow and voltage patterns each time it commands the injector on, and it sets this code when the signal is erratic rather than completely open or shorted.

P1228 on a Chrysler vehicle means the powertrain control module (PCM) has detected an intermittent fault in the electrical circuit that fires the fuel injector for cylinder 3. The PCM monitors the injector driver circuit for expected current flow and voltage patterns each time it commands the injector on, and it sets this code when the signal is erratic rather than completely open or shorted.

SystemPowertrain

Code typeChrysler specific

SeverityMedium

Fix difficultyIntermediate

AreaFuel and air metering (injector circuits)

Symptoms you may notice

Often no symptoms besides the warning light, especially if the intermittent fault has not recurred recently
An occasional misfire or stumble that comes and goes, most noticeable at idle or under light acceleration
Slight rough running or vibration that the driver may feel through the steering wheel or seat
A brief loss of power or hesitation when the fault is active, sometimes accompanied by a flashing check engine light
Worse fuel economy during periods when the injector circuit is acting up
In rare cases, a no-start or hard-start condition if the intermittent fault becomes a hard failure

Common causes, most likely first

Chafed, cracked, or corroded wiring in the cylinder 3 injector harness, often where it bends near the intake manifold or passes through a loom
A failing cylinder 3 fuel injector with an internally intermittent solenoid coil
Loose or contaminated electrical connector pins at the cylinder 3 injector or at the PCM harness
A faulty powertrain control module (PCM) injector driver, though this is less common than harness faults
Water intrusion or oil contamination in the injector connector causing intermittent shorts
A poor ground connection shared by the injector circuit, leading to erratic current flow

How to diagnose and fix it

Inspect the cylinder 3 injector connector and the PCM connector for loose pins, corrosion, or water intrusion, and clean or repair as needed
Wiggle-test the injector harness while the engine is running to reproduce the intermittent fault and pinpoint the damaged section
Measure the resistance of the cylinder 3 injector with a multimeter and compare it to the manufacturer's specification, replacing the injector if it is out of range or erratic
Check for continuity and short-to-ground on the injector driver wires from the PCM to the injector, repairing any chafed or broken wires
Swap the cylinder 3 injector with a known-good injector from another cylinder and see if the misfire or code follows the injector
If the harness and injector test good, use a lab scope to observe the injector command signal at the PCM and confirm whether the driver is dropping out intermittently
Replace the PCM only after all other electrical checks pass and the fault is confirmed to be internal to the module

Intermittent injector faults that fool technicians

A cylinder 3 injector that tests fine with a multimeter when cold can still be intermittent when hot, so resistance checks alone are not conclusive.
The harness section that runs behind the intake manifold on many Chrysler V6 and V8 engines is a known chafe point that causes P1228 without any visible external damage.
P1228 can be set by a poor connection at the PCM ground rather than by the injector circuit itself, so always verify ground integrity before condemning the injector.
A misfire counter that shows only occasional counts on cylinder 3, rather than a steady miss, is the signature of this intermittent code and should not be treated as a dead injector.
Replacing the injector without first wiggle-testing the harness is the most common misdiagnosis, because the new injector often cures the symptom temporarily by disturbing the connector.

Can I keep driving with P1228?

You can usually drive the vehicle short distances to a repair shop, but avoid heavy acceleration or towing because an active misfire can overheat the catalytic converter. If the check engine light flashes or the engine runs very rough, stop driving and have the vehicle towed.

Tools that help

Tools we recommend are in the Auto Veteran shop on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Guidance is general and written for Chrysler vehicles. Exact tests and values vary by model, so confirm the fault before replacing parts.