08/03/25, 07.50 SIS 2.

2019/06/13 Fuel System (M0122455)

SMCS - 1250 i07797636

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Illustration 1 g02166133
Fuel system schematic
(1) Fuel gallery
(2) Mechanical electronic unit injectors
(3) Fuel pressure regulators
(4) Fuel return line
(5) Fuel cooler (if equipped)
(6) Tank breather filter
(7) Fuel tank
(8) Fuel supply line
(9) Primary fuel filter
(10) Electric fuel priming pump
(11) Fuel transfer pump
(12) Check valve
(13) Electronic control module (ECM)
(14) Fuel temperature sensor
(15) Pressure relief valve
(16) Secondary fuel filter
(17) Differential pressure switch (If equipped)
(18) Tertiary fuel filter
(19) Fuel pressure sensor (If equipped)
(20) Secondary fuel filter base

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The fuel supply circuit is a conventional design for unit injector diesel engines. The system
consists of the following major components that are used to deliver low-pressure fuel to the
unit injectors:

Fuel tank - The fuel tank is used to store the fuel.

Fuel priming pump - The fuel priming pump is used to evacuate the air from the fuel system,
as the air is removed the system fills with fuel.

Fuel filters - The primary fuel filter is used to remove abrasive material and contamination
from the fuel system that may be large enough to damage the fuel transfer pump. The
secondary fuel filter is used to remove abrasive material and contamination as small as 4
microns that could damage the injectors. The tertiary fuel filter is located on the secondary fuel
filter base. The tertiary fuel filter is used to remove abrasive materials and contamination as
small as 4 microns. A differential pressure switch is utilized on the secondary fuel filter base to
indicate the life of the fuel filter.

Supply lines and return lines - Supply lines and return lines are used to deliver the fuel to
the different components.

The purpose of the low-pressure fuel supply circuit is to supply fuel that has been filtered to
the fuel injectors at a rate that is constant and a pressure that is constant. The fuel system is
also utilized to cool components such as the fuel injectors.

Once the injectors receive the low-pressure fuel, the fuel is pressurized again before the fuel is
injected into the cylinder. The unit injector uses mechanical energy that is provided by the
camshaft to achieve pressures that can be more than 200000 kPa (30000 psi).

Control of the fuel delivery is managed by the engines Electronic Control Module (ECM). Data
from several of the engine systems is collected by the ECM and processed to manage these
aspects of fuel injection control:

Injection timing

Fuel injection timing advance

Injection duration

Engine cold mode status

The mechanical electronic fuel system relies on a large amount of data from the other engine
systems. The data that is collected by the ECM will be used to provide optimum performance
of the engine.

Low-Pressure Fuel Supply Circuit

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The flow of fuel through the system begins at fuel tank (7). Fuel is drawn from the tank by fuel
transfer pump (11). The fuel transfer pump incorporates a check valve (12) that will allow fuel
to flow around the gears of the pump during priming of the fuel system. The fuel transfer pump
also incorporates a pressure relief valve (15). The pressure relief valve is used to protect the
fuel system from extreme pressure.

The fuel transfer pump is engineered to produce an excess fuel flow throughout the fuel
system. The excess fuel flow is used by the system to cool the fuel system components. The
excess fuel flow also purges any air from the fuel system during operation. Air that can
become trapped in the fuel system can cause cavitation that may damage the components of
the unit injector.

The fuel priming pump (10) is located on the fuel filter base. The fuel filter base and primary
fuel filter (9) also incorporates a siphon break that prevents fuel from draining from the fuel
system when the engine is not in operation. The priming pump is an electric pump that directs
the flow of fuel during the priming pump operation. The filtered fuel then flows out of the fuel
filter and returns to the passages in the fuel filter base. Prior to exiting the fuel filter base, the
fuel pressure and the fuel temperature are sampled by the fuel pressure sensor and by the
fuel temperature sensor. The signals that are generated by the sensors are used by the engine
control to monitor the condition of the engines components. The fuel flows through a
secondary fuel filter (16) which is a 2 micron fuel filter. The tertiary filter (18) is a 4 micron filter
that is used to filter out fine particles from the fuel supply. The fuel is filtered to remove small
abrasive particles that will cause premature wear to fuel system components. This information
is also used to adjust the fuel delivery of the engine to optimize efficiency.

The fuel is transferred by fuel supply lines (8) to the fuel gallery (1) in the cylinder head. Only a
portion of the fuel that is supplied to the fuel injectors is used for engine operation. This
unused fuel is discharged into the return passages of the fuel gallery. The fuel is returned to
the fuel tank by the fuel return lines (4). A continuous flow of fuel is experienced within the low-
pressure fuel system.

During engine operation, fuel injectors (2) receive fuel from the low-pressure fuel system. The
injector pressurizes the fuel to high pressure. The fuel is then injected into the cylinder. The
excess fuel is returned to the tank. Refer to Systems Operation, "Unit Injector" for a complete
explanation of the injection process.

A pressure regulating valve (3) is located in the fuel return. The pressure regulating valve
allows the low-pressure fuel system to maintain a constant pressure. A flow control orifice is
also located in the fuel return. The flow control orifice maintains a system back pressure that is
constant. The orifice allows the flow of fuel through the system to be constant. This prevents
excessive heating of the fuel.

Fuel Heaters

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Fuel heaters prevent the waxing of the fuel, and the plugging of the fuel filters in cold weather.
The engine does not dissipate enough heat to prevent waxing during cold-weather conditions.
There are two types of fuel heaters that can be used: thermostatically controlled and self-
adjusting. Heaters that are not thermostatically controlled can heat the fuel more than 65 °C
(149 °F). High fuel temperatures can have the following effects:

Reduced engine efficiency

Fuel pump damage

Premature wear

Note: Never use fuel heaters without some type of temperature regulator. Ensure that fuel
heaters are turned OFF during warm-weather conditions.

Fuel System Electronic Control Circuit

There are two major components of the electronic control system that are necessary to
provide control of the mechanical electronic unit injectors:

ECM

Personality module (storage for the ECM flash file)

The ECM is the computer that is used to provide control for all aspects of engine operation.
The personality module contains the software that defines the characteristics of the engine
control. The personality module contains the operating maps. The operating maps define the
following characteristics of the engine:

Horsepower

Torque curves

Engine speed (rpm)

Other characteristics

The ECM, the personality module, the engine sensors, and the unit injectors work together to
control the engine. Neither of the four can control the engine alone.

The ECM maintains the desired engine speed by sensing the actual engine speed. The ECM
calculates the amount of fuel that needs to be injected to achieve the desired engine speed.
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Fuel Injection
The ECM controls the amount of fuel that is injected by varying the signals that are sent to the
injectors. The ECM sends a high-voltage signal to the solenoid to energize the solenoid. The
injectors will inject fuel only while the injector solenoid is energized. By controlling the timing
and the duration of the high-voltage signal, the ECM can control injection timing and the
amount of fuel that is injected.

The ECM sets certain limits on the amount of fuel that can be injected. The Fuel Ratio Control
(FRC) is an adjustment which controls the amount of air and of fuel for emission control. This
limit is based on the boost pressure. When the ECM senses a higher boost pressure, the ECM
increases the FRC limit. Also, the Rated Fuel Position (RFP) is also a limit that is based on the
horsepower rating of the engine. This is similar to the rack stops and to the torque spring on a
mechanically governed engine. The RFP provides horsepower and torque curves for a specific
engine family and for a specific engine rating. All of these limits are programmed into the
personality module by the factory. These limits are not programmable by the service
technician.

Injection timing depends on three factors: the engine speed (rpm), the engine load, and the
operational conditions of the engine. The ECM determines the top center position of No. 1
cylinder from the signal that is provided by the engine speed/timing sensor. The ECM decides
when the injection should occur relative to the top center position. The ECM then provides the
signal to the electronic unit injector at the desired time.

Electronic Unit Injector Mechanism

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Illustration 2 g02362826
Electronic unit injector mechanism
(21) Electronic unit injector
(22) Adjusting nut
(23) Rocker arm assembly
(24) Camshaft lobe
The electronic unit injector mechanism provides the downward force that is required to
pressurize the fuel in the electronic unit injector pump. The electronic unit injector (21) allows
fuel to be injected into the combustion chamber with precise timing. Movement is transmitted
from the camshaft lobe (24) for the electronic unit injector through the rocker arm assembly
(23) to the top of the electronic unit injector. The adjusting nut (22) allows the injector lash to
be adjusted. For the proper setting of the injector lash, refer to the topic on adjustment of the
electronic unit injector in Testing and Adjusting, "Electronic Unit Injector - Adjust".

Electronic Unit Injector

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Illustration 3 g02362838
Electronic unit injector
(25) Spring
(26) Solenoid connection to the Electronic Control Module (ECM)
(27) Solenoid valve assembly
(28) Plunger assembly
(29) Barrel
(30) Seal
(31) Seal
(32) Spring
(33) Spacer
(34) Body
(35) Check valve
Fuel at low pressure from the fuel supply manifold enters the electronic unit injector at the fill
port through drilled passages in the cylinder head.

As the electronic unit injector mechanism transfers the force to the top of the electronic unit
injector, spring (25) is compressed and plunger (28) is driven downward. This action displaces
fuel through the valve in solenoid valve assembly (27), and into the return manifold to the fuel
tank. As the plunger travels downward, the passage in barrel (29) is closed by the outside
diameter of the plunger. The passages within body (34) and along check valve (35) to the
injector tip already contain fuel for injection. After the passage in the plunger barrel is closed,
the injector is ready for injection at any time. The start of injection relies on the software in the
ECM.

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When the solenoid valve assembly is energized from a signal across solenoid connection (26),
the valve closes and fuel pressure is elevated in the injector tip. Injection begins at
34500 ± 1900 kPa (5000 ± 275 psi) as the force of spring (25) above spacer (33) is overcome.
The check valve begins to lift from the valve seat. The pressure continues to rise as the
plunger cycles through a full stroke. After the correct amount of fuel has been discharged into
the cylinder, the ECM removes the signal to the solenoid connection. The solenoid valve
assembly is de-energized and the valve in the solenoid valve assembly is opened. The high-
pressure fuel is then dumped through the spill port and into the fuel return manifold. The fuel is
then returned to the fuel tank. The check valve in the injector tip seats as the pressure in the
tip decreases.

The duration of injection meters the fuel that is consumed during the fuel injection process.
Injection duration is controlled by the governor logic that is programmed into the ECM.

As the camshaft lobe rotates past the point of maximum lobe lift, the force on top of the
electronic unit injector is removed and the spring for the injector mechanism is allowed to
expand. The plunger returns to the original position. This uncovers the fuel supply passage
into the plunger barrel to refill the injector pump body. The fuel at low pressure is again allowed
to circulate through the fuel injector body. After circulating through the fuel injector body, the
fuel flows out of the spill port. This action continues until the solenoid valve assembly is re-
energized for another injection cycle.

PSP-000AD5AD
2025/03/07
23:50:20+08:00
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