C175 Common Rail Fuel System

System Operation & Diagnostic Options

Background
Common rail fuel systems are rapidly replacing current technology fuel systems
worldwide primarily because of their superior performance in achieving
increasingly demanding exhaust emissions standards. The operating principles
of common rail systems are very different from current electronic unit injectors
(EUI). The way in which common rail systems operate make system diagnosis
extremely difficult. They also require much cleaner fuel and significant
improvement in repair cleanliness.

Common Rail vs. EUI Comparison

It is helpful to understand the some of the key differences in system operation
and diagnosis required between the current EUI system and new common rail
systems.

EUI System operation

Each EUI injector contains a camshaft-actuated plunger and barrel, which
produces the high injection pressure.

Each EUI injector also contains a solenoid-operated poppet valve to

control the timing and volume of fuel injected. The poppet valve seals high
pressure fuel only during the injection event; roughly 5% of crankshaft
rotation.

In summary, each EUI injector is a self-contained pumping and fuel

metering unit.
When EUI injectors suffer abrasive wear from debris in the fuel, leakage of
high-pressure fuel past the closed poppet valve during injection results in
a corresponding loss of fuel delivery into the cylinder. Injectors with
excessive leakage can easily be detected by measuring exhaust manifold
temperature, which will be lower due to reduced fuel delivery.

Individual injectors can be easily replaced with minimal effort at repair

cleanliness.

Peak injection pressures on current 3500 series engines is about 25,000

psi.
Common Rail System Operation
A high pressure injection pump pressurizes the fuel and supplies it
through high-pressure double wall tubing (rails) to electronic fuel injection
nozzles (injectors). Like a water system in a house, high pressure fluid is
available to all faucets at all times. The faucets (injectors) must be turned
on and off to get the desired volume of fluid desired.
High Pressure Pump
Desired system pressure is maintained by controlling pump outlet flow.
The ECM software provides a desired pressure. Actual rail pressure is
measured by a rail pressure sensor. A closed loop circuit reads actual
pressure and increases or decreases current to the pump control valve to
make actual pressure match desired pressure.

Pump outlet flow is controlled by precisely controlling flow to the pump

inlet manifold by means of an integral pump Fuel Control Valve (FCV).
The FCV position is controlled by a pulse width monitored (PWM) current.
The current on-time is stated as FCV position. It can range from 35%-40%
at idle to 50%-60% at rated.

The high pressure pump has three camshaft actuated pumping elements
(plunger and barrel assemblies). On the C175, the pumping elements
produce and maintain injection pressures up to 30,000 psi. These
pumping elements are very highly stressed and have two primary failure
modes.

A failure of the cam lobe results in metal contamination of the

lube oil in the lower pump case, which is easily contained. It does
not cause contamination of the high pressure fuel system.

A plunger seizure does create debris, which travels through the rail
and damages the injectors. The typically requires the high pressure
rails to be flushed with a special flushing cart and all of the injectors
replaced. If any debris is left in the rails, it will cause the new
injectors to fail.

When a pumping element fails, the pump capacity is reduced by 1/3. If

system requirements do not exceed 2/3 of nominal pump capacity, the
engine will continue to operate. If system requirements exceed 2/3,
injection pressure will drop, the engine will die, and will likely be unable to
restart.

The repair cleanliness levels required for common rail fuel systems are
extreme. Very small amounts of abrasives contaminants can result in
injector failure.
High Pressure Rails
High pressure fuel produced by the pump is supplied to each injector by
means of a high pressure rail system. The rail system consists of a very
heavy, thick wall high pressure line surrounded by a thinner wall outer rail.
The outer rail provides protection in the event of a high pressure leak at a
joint in the inner high pressure rail. The outer rail both contains the leak
and allows the leakage to flow back to tank.

Both the inner and outer rail assemblies are modular, and consist of
segments, which bolt together. The segments are the same length as the
distance between each cylinder, so the same components can be used on
multiple cylinder arrangements, (16cyl, 20cyl, etc.). A high pressure quill
tube assembly supplies fuel from the high pressure rail to each injector.
Leakage at either end of the quill tube is directed into the outer rail and
back to tank. The outer rail from each bank of the engine tees together
into a single line that returns to tank.

In the event of a rail leak, there is no electronic rail leak detection on the
current truck engine arrangement. In order to determine if a rail leak is
present, the rail return line is removed at the tee at the back of the engine
while the engine is idling. If fuel flows out, a leak is present. The left and
right return lines are then removed to determine which bank is leaking.
There is also a drain plug in the outer rail directly below the quill tube on
each cylinder. Once the leaking bank is identified, all of the drain plugs on
the leaking bank must be removed. Fuel leakage will flow out of the drain
hole closest to the leak.
A single electronic wet sensor is optional for the truck arrangement. It will
only determine a high pressure rail leak is present during operation. It
cannot identify the leak location.

A three input wet sensor is also an option. It uses a single sensor with
three input leak lines. It can determine if a leak is present and if it is in the
left bank rail, right bank rail, or in the pump to engine rail. Both of these
sensors are diagnostic options.
Injectors
Each common rail injector also contains a solenoid-operated poppet valve
to control the timing and volume of fuel injected. This poppet valve seals
high-pressure fuel at all times except during the injection event; roughly
95% of crankshaft rotation.
Since it is impossible for the poppet to seal high pressure fuel perfectly, a
small amount of leakage past the poppet seat is normal. The normal
poppet leakage rate can be up to .1 gallons per minute per injector.

High pressure fuel which leaks past the poppet between injection events
returns to the fuel transfer pump through an injector seat leak return rail.
As the rate of leakage through the injectors increases, the high pressure
pump increases output flow to maintain the desired injection pressure.

Unlike EUI, increased leakage across the poppet in common rail injectors
does not result in reduced fuel delivery or lower exhaust temperature,
because the pump compensates for the leakage. This means that
injectors with excessive seat leakage are very difficult to identify because
there is little or no performance difference from injectors with normal
leakage.

There is also no current specification for allowable seat leakage on each

injector. A “rule of thumb” is .1 gallon per injector per minute. The current
test to determine if injector seat leakage is excessive is to first disconnect
the seat leak return line for each rail with the engine idling. The leakage is
then manually drained into a bucket and the flow rate manually estimated.
If the flow rate from one bank seems excessive, the individual seat leak
return line from each injector can be disconnected and the bucket test
repeated for each injector.
 Flow Limiters
Very early competitive common rail systems could cause catastrophic
engine failure if an injector tip broke during operation. The broken tip
resulted in the entire volume of the high pressure rail instantly flooding the
cylinder and causing hydraulic lock. A mechanical flow limiter was
designed to limit the maximum amount of flow to each injector, and
overcome this problem.

When the cumulative volume of fuel delivery and injector leakage exceeds
pump capacity, actual system pressure drops below desired pressure and
system performance is impaired.

The C175 system has a flow limiter for each cylinder, which is essentially
a simple spring-loaded check valve. The flow limiter is located in the high
pressure rail at the base of the quill tube. All injector seat leakage plus
normal fuel delivery pass through this flow limiter. The flow limiter is
designed to allow up to 150% of rated delivery. If rated delivery plus
poppet leakage between each injection event exceeds 150%, the flow
limiter will reach the top of its stroke and be held in the closed position by
the force of high-pressure fuel. This will shut off flow to the injector
resulting in a cold cylinder.

There is no electronic method to determine if a flow limiter has been

engaged when the engine is running. On 16 and 20 cylinder truck engines,
the performance loss of 1 or 2 cylinders is difficult to detect during
operation.
When a flow limiter engages, it reduces the amount of flow demand on the
pump. This allows the engine to continue operating normally on the
remaining cylinders. The flow limiter will remain engaged only while the
engine is running. Once the engine is shut off, injection pressure quickly
dissipates, the flow limiter spring resets the valve, and flow to the injector
is restored when the engine is restarted.

System Diagnostic Capability

The current electronic diagnostic capability of the C175 truck fuel is very limited.
The FCV position can be read through the Electronic Technician (ET) service
tool, but there is no baseline performance to compare it to. If FCV position is
high, it indicates one or more of the following;
- Pump leaking internally or pumping element failed
- Injector seat leak rate excessive
- Leak in high pressure rail
Diagnostic Options
The C175 SmartSignal team investigated whether SmartSignal technology could
be applied to the current truck configuration fuel system and found there it was
not possible. The only signal, which indicates fuel system performance, is FCV
position. This simply gives an indication that pump output is abnormally high.
There is no way to electronically determine if the case is pump element failure, or
internal leakage in the pump, injectors, or rail system. Unfortunately, little
diagnostic benchmarking of competitive common rail systems has been done.
What little is known is that competitors appear to be no better off than we are.

Fuel System Related Electronically Measurable Parameters:

FCV % (fuel control valve PWM on-time)
Desired Engine Speed
Actual Engine Speed
Exhaust Temperature (left and right bank)
Fuel Supply Pressure (absolute pressure at inlet & outlet of sec filters)
Fuel Rail Pressure
Fuel Temperature (both supply and high pressure)
Secondary Filter Delta P
Boost Pressure
Wet Sensor (None)

Electronic Diagnostic Capability

FCV Position Too High (indicates worn pump or injector or rail leaks)
High Exhaust Temperature (on one bank indicates weak or dead cylinder)
Fuel Supply Pressure Low (indicates worn transfer pump or plugged filters)
Rail Pressure (high or low – used for derate)
High Pressure Fuel Temperature (derate when temp exceeds 100C)

Cannot Diagnose Electronically

High Pressure Pump Condition (no test available on machine)

HP Rail & Quill Tube Leaks (requires manual leak test of left & right bank rail
drains & removal of drain plugs below each
injector on rail with excess leak rate to determine
leak location)

Injector Seat Leak (requires manual leak test of left & right bank
injector seat leak return lines & removal and
testing of each injector seat leak line on bank with
excess leak rate)

Injector Not Firing (during operation, low power or cold cylinder

cannot be determined)

The next logical step was to identify possible diagnostic options, which could be
potentially developed and added. Seven possible options were identified. Each
one varies in the amount of diagnostic value added, incremental cost and
development required. In one or more options, new technology would have to be
developed. Each of the options are listed below with an explanation of their
function, and pro’s and con’s.
 “As-Is” Standard Configuration

Description
The current system only has the ability to determine if FCV position is excessive.
It has no electronic detection capabilities to determine if the problem is in the
pump, injectors or rail.

PRO’s
- No additional product cost
- Fewer sensors & wiring / least complex

CON’s
- No additional prognostic capability
- No advance warning of a failure
- Cannot tell if pressure loss is from pump failure, injector leakage or rail leakage
- Requires rail lines be disconnected to locate leak
- Existing technology

General Con’s To Adding Sensors

- Added product cost
- Higher DRF
- Lack of inputs / outputs on ECM
 Option “A”
Add One Wet Sensor For Both Rails

Description
A single wet sensor is placed in the outer rail return line to tank. This would indicate if a
leak existed somewhere in the high-pressure rail joints or quill tubes, but not where the leak
was located. The rail return lines from the left and right banks must to be disconnected to
determine which rail was leaking. Once the leaking bank was determined, it would further
require removal of outer rail drain plugs located beneath below each injector to identify leak
location.

PRO’s
- Electronic detection of a high pressure joint leak in the rail system
- Allows proactive repair before leak becomes too large
- Existing industry technology

CON’s
- Does not indicate leak location / only that there is a leak in the system
- Requires rail lines be disconnected to locate leak
- Has not been designed or tested on C175
- Sensor has not yet been validated
- Unknown amount of time before leak becomes critical
 Option “B”
Add Three Input Wet Sensor (On Input For Each Rail)

Description
A single wet sensor is made in a housing that accepts three return lines. The return lines
are connected to the:
Left rail return
Right rail return
Pump to rail return

A leak from any of the lines actuates the sensor. The leak is located by removing three
drain plugs on the front of the sensor housing. Leaks in the left or right bank rails still
require removal of the drain plugs to locate the leak.

PRO’s
- Electronic detection of a high-pressure joint leak in the rail system
- Allows proactive repair before leak becomes too large
- Permits leak location to be narrowed to pump to rail line, or left or right rail
- Uses single wet sensor with three drain ports on valve for easy access
- Sensor same as single wet sensor
- Could possibly detect leaks from more than one location

CON’s
- Does not electronically locate leak
- Requires drain plugs on sensor to be removed to locate leak
- Existing technology
-Has not been designed or tested on C175
- Sensor has not yet been validated
- Unknown amount of time before leak becomes critical
- Sensor housing different
- None have designed or validated
 Option “C”
Add Flow Sensors On L & R Bank Injector Seat Leak Return Rails

Description
Flow sensors installed in the left and right bank seat leak return rails would provide real-
time injector seat leak flow rates for each bank. In the event that FCV position reads high,
(indicating a leak somewhere), the combined seat leak flow rate would determine if
excessive injector leakage was the reason. If the injectors are eliminated, it leaves the
pump or a rail leak. A wet sensor in the rail could eliminate or confirm that as a cause. If
injector leakage were excessive, the flow sensors would indicate if the left or right bank,(or
both) caused it.

PRO’s
- Permits electronic measure of injector leak quantity
- Measures left and right injector bank performance
- Used in conjunction with actual vs. normal FCV%, can help determine if
problem is in injectors or pump
- Could provide a major help in troubleshooting and avoiding unplanned
failures

CON’s
- Not existing technology
- Development & product cost unknown
- Cannot affect injector back pressure
- Would have to determine seat leakage parameters – good/ bad over time
- Would need significant development
 Option “D”
Add Passive Motion Sensor On Each Flow Limiter

Description
The flow limiter piston ally moves during each injection event and returns to its
seated position at the end of injection. At rated delivery, the piston moves about
2/3 of its total travel. If the combined fuel delivery plus seat leakage exceeds
150% of rated delivery, the piston will reach the end of its travel and be held in
place by fuel pressure. This blocks the flow of all fuel to that injector. Even
though the injector will continue to be actuated electronically, no fuel will be
supplied for delivery and the cylinder will be cold. When the engine is shut down,
fuel pressure dissipates, and the flow limiter spring will return the piston to its
seated position. When the engine is started, fuel again will be supplied to the
injector until consumption exceeds 150% of rated and the flow limiter re-
engages. There is currently no electronic method to detect if the flow limiter has
engaged during engine operation. The purpose of the passive motion sensor is
simply to determine if the flow limiter piston is moving. When movement stops, a
cold cylinder can be identified during operation which will improve diagnostic
capability.

PRO’s
- Can electronically detect flow limiter engagement during engine operation
- Identifies injectors with excessive leak rates which may not be detected at
less than full load conditions

CON’s
- Not existing technology
- May not be technically or economically practical
- Development & product cost unknown
- Requires a sensor on each cylinder
- A switch could possibly be used that is simpler / cheaper
- No indication of exhaust temp or fuel delivery
 Option “E”
Add Pressure Sensor To Pump Inlet Manifold

Description
The high-pressure fuel pump contains three pumping elements. Each of the three pumping
elements creates a distinct pressure spike during each pumping event. By adding a
pressure sensor in the pump inlet manifold, these pressure spikes can be electronically
monitored. When a pumping element fails, the spike for that element will disappear.
SmartSignal can detect this change and determine a pump failure in progress during
normal operation. This will make it very easy to immediately detect a pump failure and take
appropriate action. There is already a pressure sensor on the outlet of the secondary fuel
filter. However, the Fuel Control Valve is between this sensor and the inlet manifold. The
FCV would block the pressure spikes and prevent the fuel filter outlet sensor from reading
the pressure spikes.

PRO’s
- Detects operation of each of the three pumping elements
- Can detect when one element is lost
- Can quickly detect pump failure
- Only one sensor required
- Cost should be minimal

CON’s
- Not existing technology
- Development or production cost unknown
 Option “F”
Add Exhaust Temperature Sensor On Each Cylinder

Description
Adding an exhaust temperature sensor on each cylinder would provide an indication of
cylinder performance. Low cylinder temperature indicates under-fueling, while high cylinder
temperature indicates over-fueling or low boost. A cold cylinder would indicate flow limiter
engagement or electronic failure of the injector. Temperature sensing also allows a
measure of cylinder balance.

PRO’s
- Can detect individual cylinder exhaust temperature during operation
- Best method to detect injector delivery
- Existing technology
- Provides exhaust temp derate
- Provides ability to derate individual injectors prior to gross derate

CON’s
- Does not measure injector seat leakage
- Requires a sensor on each cylinder
- Expensive