CAT Engine 26046 Fault Code: Cylinder #2 Injector Actuator #2:Current Above Normal
Also called Cylinder #2 Injector Actuator #2 - Current Above Normal, Cylinder #2 Injector Actuator #2 : Current Above Normal
Cylinder #2 Injector Actuator #2:Current Above Normal · ai-assisted, editor-reviewed · Last updated 2026-07-21
TL;DR
Code 26046 means the ECM detected high current flow on the #2 solenoid circuit of the Cylinder #2 fuel injector (Electronic Unit Injector). The ECM shuts that solenoid circuit down to protect it, then periodically tries to fire it again. This points to a short circuit somewhere in the injector, its wiring, or its connectors on C13, C15, C18, C27, and C32 engines.
High severity. The affected cylinder's injector solenoid is disabled by the ECM whenever the fault is active, which causes a misfire on that cylinder, rough running, power loss, and possible increased vibration. It will not strand the machine immediately, but running for long periods with a disabled injector can cause uneven wear and should be corrected soon rather than ignored.
What does CAT Engine error code 26046 mean?
Cylinder #2 in this engine family uses an Electronic Unit Injector (EUI) with two solenoids. The ECM fires each solenoid with a 105 volt pulse, timed and sized for the current engine load and speed. The ECM also monitors current flow through each solenoid circuit to make sure the injector is actually responding correctly.
Code 26046 is the 'Current Above Normal' fault for the #2 actuator on Cylinder #2. It fires when the ECM sees more current flowing through that solenoid circuit than it should. To protect the wiring and the injector driver from damage, the ECM disables that solenoid circuit as soon as it detects the high current condition.
Because a full shutdown of the injector would kill that cylinder permanently, the ECM does not give up. It periodically retries firing the injector. If the underlying short is still there, the cycle of disable-then-retry repeats every time, which is why this fault often shows up as an intermittent miss rather than a constant dead cylinder.
Common causes of 26046
- A short circuit in the wiring or connectors feeding the Cylinder #2, actuator #2 solenoid, often caused by chafed insulation letting the signal wire contact a powered wire or a ground
- Damaged, corroded, or otherwise faulty connectors in the harness between the ECM and the injector
- A faulty harness section between the ECM and the valve cover base, or between the valve cover base and the injector under the valve cover
- An internal short inside the injector solenoid itself, requiring injector replacement
- An intermittent fault that only appears under vibration or heavy load, since problems often only show up once the engine is warmed up and under load
- A faulty ECM, listed as a possible cause if the wiring, connectors, and injector all check out good
How to troubleshoot CAT Engine 26046: first checks
- Because this is a high current (shorted) fault, focus on places a wire could be rubbing against a powered conductor or grounded metal rather than looking for an open wire first
- Inspect the connectors and wiring between the ECM and the injector for chafing, pinched insulation, corrosion, or contamination, paying close attention to any section that runs near the valve cover base or under the valve cover
- Since the problem often only appears when the engine is warmed up and under vibration or heavy load, try to reproduce the fault under those same conditions rather than only at idle or cold, and flex or wiggle the harness by hand while watching for the fault to reset
- Check the harness section between the ECM and the connector, and confirm there is no open circuit hiding alongside the suspected short, since a partially damaged harness can show both symptoms
- If wiring and connectors all test good, test the injector solenoid itself for an internal short, and consider swapping in a known-good injector to confirm
- If the injector, wiring, and connectors are all confirmed good but the fault persists, the ECM itself is a listed possible cause and should be evaluated last
How the code clears
No separate clearing step is listed for this code. Once the underlying short in the wiring, connector, or injector solenoid is repaired or replaced, the ECM should stop detecting the high current condition and stop disabling the circuit. Because the fault is current-based, it is worth cycling the engine through the same warmed-up, loaded conditions that triggered it originally to confirm the repair holds before returning the machine to service.
Affected models and serial ranges
26046 appears in our records across 5 CAT Engine models. Match your machine by model and serial number.
| Model | Serial ranges |
|---|---|
| C13 | Serial range not listed in source records |
| C15 | Serial range not listed in source records |
| C18 | Serial range not listed in source records |
| C27 | Serial range not listed in source records |
| C32 | Serial range not listed in source records |
Frequently asked questions
What does CAT code 26046 mean?
It means the ECM detected too much current flowing through the #2 solenoid circuit of the Cylinder #2 injector and shut that solenoid circuit down to prevent damage. The ECM keeps trying to fire the injector periodically.
Can I keep running the machine with code 26046 active?
You can typically keep working, but expect a rough-running or misfiring cylinder while the fault is active since the ECM disables that solenoid whenever it sees the high current condition. It should be diagnosed soon to avoid uneven engine wear.
Why does this fault come and go instead of staying on all the time?
Because these faults commonly only show up when the engine is warmed up and under vibration from heavy load. A chafed wire may only make contact intermittently, so the short and the resulting fault can appear and disappear depending on engine conditions.
Is this a wiring problem or an injector problem?
It could be either. The possible causes list wiring and connector damage, a faulty harness section, an internal injector solenoid short, or in rare cases a bad ECM. Wiring and connectors should be checked first since they are the most common and least expensive fix.
How is code 26046 different from code 26045?
26045 is the 'Current Below Normal' fault for the same Cylinder #2, actuator #2 circuit, which points to an open circuit or low current condition instead of a short. 26046 is specifically the high current, shorted-circuit version of the fault.