P0205: Injector Circuit / Open - Cylinder 5
Quick Answer
Safe to drive (short-term)
P0205 means the engine control unit has detected an open, a short or an out-of-range resistance in the cylinder 5 injector circuit. The code only exists on engines with five or more cylinders: inline-fives, inline-sixes, V6s and larger. Where cylinder 5 sits depends on the layout, from the gearbox end of an inline-five to either bank of a V6. A wiring repair typically costs about 65-220 EUR at a workshop; a petrol injector fitted about 100-310 EUR.
- Severity
- Moderate · Fuel System
- Estimated repair cost
- From €5 to €650+, varies by vehicle
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Get Skanyx freeWhat does P0205 mean?
P0205 is a fuel system-related diagnostic trouble code classified as moderate severity.
What are the symptoms of P0205?
- Check engine light on or flashing
- Slight but persistent roughness at idle
- Hesitation under load that is easy to miss on a larger engine
- Lower power and higher fuel consumption
- Exhaust smells of fuel
- Lean reading or high fuel trim on the bank that holds cylinder 5
What causes P0205?
Poor contact, corrosion or a broken latch on the cylinder 5 injector connector
: high
Chafed or heat-damaged wire in the cylinder 5 branch of the harness
: high
Cylinder 5 injector with a failed coil
: medium
Fault in the power feed or ground shared by the injectors
: medium
Cylinder 5 injector driver fault in the engine control unit
: low
Is it safe to drive with P0205?
Generally yes, for short-term driving. Short, gentle trips are usually possible, since a five-, six- or eight-cylinder engine keeps running reasonably on the remaining cylinders. That makes it easy to ignore, but the catalytic converter keeps taking the unburnt mixture from cylinder 5. Book the repair soon and stop if the check engine light flashes.
How do you diagnose P0205?
- Read the code and freeze frame with Skanyx and note P0305 (cylinder 5 misfire), P0273 or P0274 (cylinder 5 injector circuit low or high) and any bank 1 or bank 2 lean codes stored with it
- Identify cylinder 5 for your layout. On an inline-five it is the last cylinder, at the gearbox end. On an inline-six it is the second from the back. On a V6 or V8 it depends on the maker: Ford and Audi number one bank first, which puts cylinder 5 on bank 2, while Toyota's 2GR V6 and GM's V8s alternate sides, which puts it on bank 1
- On a longitudinal inline-six the cylinder 5 injector sits towards the bulkhead, where the plug is harder to see. Remove the engine cover and check the connector latch, the pins and the harness branch with a torch rather than by feel
- Measure the injector coil with the ignition off and compare with your engine's specification, then measure again from the ECU pin for injector 5 to include the harness
- Swap injector 5 with a neighbour on the same fuel rail: cylinder 4 on an inline-five, 4 or 6 on an inline-six, or the next cylinder on the same bank on a V engine. If the code moves with the injector, the injector is faulty
- Direct-injection injectors need new PTFE combustion seals whenever they are removed. On common-rail diesels such as BMW's M57 and N57 or Mercedes' OM642, leave removal to a workshop that can recode the injectors afterwards
- If several injector codes are stored together, check the shared supply fuse, relay and grounds before replacing parts
How much does P0205 cost to fix?
| Repair | Parts Cost | Labor Cost | Total Estimate | DIY Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mend the cylinder 5 connector or wiring (DIY) | €5–€30 | €0–€0 | €5–€30 | Moderate |
| Locate and repair the cylinder 5 wiring fault (shop) | €5–€40 | €60–€180 | €65–€220 | Professional |
| Replace cylinder 5 injector on a petrol engine (shop) | €40–€150 | €60–€160 | €100–€310 | Moderate |
| Replace and code cylinder 5 injector on a common-rail diesel (shop) | €150–€400 | €100–€250 | €250–€650 | Professional |
Prices estimated as of October 2026. Costs vary by region, vehicle, and shop.
P0205 on specific vehicles
P0205 on Volkswagen
Volkswagen Golf
P0205 on BMW
BMW 3 Series
P0205 on Ford
Ford Focus
P0205 on Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes C-Class
Related diagnostic codes
Common questions about P0205
- Which engines have a cylinder 5?
- Only engines with five or more cylinders: inline-fives such as Audi's 2.5 TFSI, Volvo's five-cylinder and the Ford Focus ST and RS 2.5T of 2005-2011, inline-sixes such as BMW's petrol and diesel sixes, and V6, V8 and larger engines. A three- or four-cylinder engine cannot set P0205.
- My car has four cylinders but shows P0205. Why?
- A genuine four-cylinder engine has no injector 5, so recheck the code, confirm which engine the scan tool has identified and look for a manufacturer-specific definition of the code. The most common explanation is a mistyped code or the wrong engine selected.
- Is cylinder 5 on bank 1 or bank 2?
- It depends on the engine. Ford and Audi V engines number one bank first, so cylinder 5 is on bank 2. Toyota's 2GR V6 and GM's V8s alternate sides, so it is on bank 1 with the other odd numbers. BMW's N52 inline-six treats cylinders 4 to 6 as bank 2 for fuel control.
- Which injector do I swap with cylinder 5?
- A neighbour that shares the same fuel rail. On an inline-five that is cylinder 4, on an inline-six cylinder 4 or 6. On a V engine each bank usually has its own rail, so swap with the next cylinder on the same bank. Clear the code and drive; a code that follows the injector means the injector is faulty.
- Why does a diesel injector cost so much more?
- Common-rail diesel injectors work at far higher pressure, cost more as parts and must be coded to the engine computer after fitting. A fitted petrol injector costs about 100-310 EUR, a common-rail diesel injector about 250-650 EUR.
- Can I drive with P0205?
- For a short, gentle trip, usually yes, and on a five- or six-cylinder engine the car may feel almost normal. That is the risk: the catalytic converter still overheats from the misfiring cylinder, so repair it soon and stop if the warning light flashes.