Can't low FICM voltage damage injectors? Someone is telling me it doesn't. Any links I can provide him?

 

Low FICM voltage means engine does not work / not work correctly.
This guy called me 10 years ago after spending more than 10K Euros in 3 different shops .The service time in these 3 workshops was 2 years!

The coils on the injector require 48V for correct operation.

After all, the fuel must be injected at exactly the right moment.
At the end of the video you can see the smoke > fuel injected at wrong time.

 

Thanks, Hartwig. I understand now how low voltage can degrade performance, but would driving like that for some period burn up the injectors?

 

I've never seen a 6.0 driving with injector voltage in the lower 40s volts
I think it depends on which components in the FICM are damaged.In most cases, the small circuit board is the problem.In my experience, problems arise as soon as the voltage drops below 45V.The engine then starts to malfunction.

 

I have heard that said, but always had my doubts. As Hartwig indicated, I have always felt (assumed) that with a bad FICM, the vehicle wouldn't drive enough to cause damage to the injectors.

Excessive smoke from injector problems or rough running will get my attention quickly. Nothing good can come from that, and IMO it can cause more than degraded performance. Injectors not performing properly can be responsible for excess heat and/or cylinder pressures. I HATE to see issues w/ injector operation!

 

Electrical products work in watts. As the voltage drops, the amp draw will increase. This is why starter motors can burn out when used at low battery voltage, not just excessive cranking time. So I could see where the injectors might be damaged if the coils draw excessive current through the wiring. Just like Ford's poor attempt at solving injector spool issues by using the coils like an Easy-Bake oven.

 

Jack said my understanding. You have a DC circuit and if voltage drops there's only one way for current to go: up. Throw in the coils already working against oil varnish and you start compounding the problem in a hurry.

It's also not normal to reman an injector yourself. So when a low-voltage FICM exposes an injector issue, you replace the entire thing and don't dig into if it was the spool valve, coils, springs, etc that caused the injector to fire weak. That's created a strong correlation between low FICM voltage and failed injectors.

So I'm not saying low FICM voltage is always direct root cause of an injector failing, but 1) potentially can be on the electrical side of the stick, 2) can expose a mechanically failing injector sooner than otherwise, and 3) there's a correlation between low FICM voltage and injectors being replaced as the repair.

At the end of the day low FICM is a problem with an easy solution. Do the repair and move on with life.

 

Thanks, Rusty. This is a great explanation. I responded to the internet guy already, and like most trolls, he's never replied. But the readers now understand better. Maybe he'll come back - I still see him on other threads - and I can add your insight.

Nice to see you still drop by to visit with all the old 6.0 losers, lol. Was just reading one of your old posts this week. And I'm still screwing trucks up, but less now.

 

No doubt current can increase. I believe it will make itself known before injector coils are damaged. I just do not want people to think that if they ever experience low FICM voltage for a short period that they ALSO must replace all 8 injectors for reliability.

Of course the primary issue is to keep the battery/alternator system working properly.