This paper characterizes the two stage injection processes of pure diesel and two diesel-gasoline blends using a diesel common rail injection system. The investigated fuel injection characteristics include the cycle injection quantity, injection rate and injector inlet pressure characteristics, with changes in gasoline proportion and pilot injection energizing pulse. Increased gasoline proportion has negligible influences on the cycle injection rate and mass, as well as the pressure dynamics during the injection process. In addition, the extended pilot injection energizing pulse leads to increased pressure drop at the injector inlet during the main injection and causes reduced main injection mass. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.