CAT · fuel
SPN 656 FMI 5 — Injector cylinder 6 circuit open
Misfire on that cylinder, rough idle, power loss. Severity is rated serious with a amber lamp, shown on some service tools as SPN 656 FMI 5.
Written and reviewed by Christopher Scott Sneed, 30+ year diesel technician, founder of TruckCommanderPro.com.
What this code means
SPN 656 identifies the parameter the control module is monitoring — injector cylinder 6 circuit open. FMI 5 is the failure mode the module logged against it. Both numbers matter: the same SPN with a different FMI is a different repair.
Symptoms you will see
Misfire on that cylinder, rough idle, power loss.
Common causes
- Open injector solenoid
- Loose valve-cover harness nut
- Chafed injector harness
What to test first
- Ohm the injector at the valve cover connector
- Retorque the harness nuts to the OEM spec
- Do a cylinder cutout test
Work the list in order and record the readings. Confirm the fault with live data before any part is ordered — a code names a circuit, never a failed component.
Is the truck safe to drive?
Short distance only
Common mistakes on this code
- Replacing the sensor named in the SPN before checking its wiring, connector and ground.
- Clearing the code and handing the truck back without reproducing the operating condition that set it.
- Reading one code out of a set instead of finding which fault occurred first.
When to get professional diagnosis
Get a shop involved when the fault comes with a red lamp or a shutdown timer, when the checks above all pass and the code returns, or when the repair needs an aftertreatment service tool, a forced regen, or engine internals. Nothing on this page is a substitute for OEM service literature or a qualified technician on the truck.
How Truck Commander helps
Enter this code in Truck Commander Pro AI diagnostic support with the engine and the symptoms and you get the test sequence in order, per-truck history so repeat faults are visible, and a printable work order. Aftertreatment codes are covered in depth in the Aftertreatment Mastermind training. It is all in Truck Commander at $14.99 a month.