P0149: Fuel Timing Error
Do not keep driving
Expect rough running, noise and possibly smoke. Have it diagnosed before extended driving; incorrect injection timing raises cylinder pressures.
What this code means
Injection is not happening when the module intended. On a diesel, injection timing determines combustion noise, emissions and peak cylinder pressure, so an error here is felt as well as measured — typically a harsh, knocking note and smoke. Because timing is computed from the crankshaft and camshaft signals, a correlation fault upstream can present as a timing error downstream.
Likely causes
Start here
- Faulty crankshaft position sensor · moderate
- Faulty camshaft position sensor · moderate
- Worn high pressure fuel pump · specialist
Less common
- Timing chain or belt out of alignment · specialist
- Leaking fuel injector · moderate
Rare
- Failed control module · specialist
Symptoms
Components involved
Information, not instruction
CarGeek is a reference, not a service manual. Its pages are written from public sources and from what other people have found, never from a manufacturer's own service information, so they can be wrong or incomplete for your particular vehicle. Some of what they describe carries real risk: high voltage, fuel under pressure, stored energy, hot and moving parts.
Have anything you intend to act on checked by a trained person against the manufacturer's own procedure for your vehicle. Nothing here replaces that procedure.
Community experience
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- What you measured, not only what you replaced.
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