P0301 — Cylinder 1 misfire
| Meaning | Cylinder 1 is not burning as it should and the ECU detects it from rotation irregularities. Codes P0302, P0303 and P0304 point at the other cylinders: the reasoning is the same. |
| Family | Powertrain (P) |
Typical symptoms
Flashing engine light in the worst cases
Power loss
Smell of unburnt fuel
Higher consumption
Common causes
Dirty or faulty injector
Air leak near that runner
Low compression from valves or rings
Faulty glow plug or out-of-calibration injector (diesel)
What to do
Frequently asked questions
What does code P0301 mean?
Cylinder 1 misfire. Cylinder 1 is not burning as it should and the ECU detects it from rotation irregularities. Codes P0302, P0303 and P0304 point at the other cylinders: the reasoning is the same.
Can I keep driving with code P0301 active?
With caution: limp mode possible, have it checked soon
Common causes — P0301
Worn spark plug or coil on that cylinder (petrol) Dirty or faulty injector Air leak near that runner Low compression from valves or rings Faulty glow plug or out-of-calibration injector (diesel)
How do you fix code P0301?
The test that settles it is cheap: swap the coil (or injector) with another cylinder's and read again. If the code moves, the part is guilty; if it stays on cylinder 1, the fault is mechanical and needs a compression test. With the light flashing, stop: unburnt fuel destroys the catalyst within a few kilometres.
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Contact usRelated codes
- P0300 — Random/multiple cylinder misfire
- P0302 — Cylinder 2 Misfire Detected
- P0303 — Cylinder 3 Misfire Detected
- P0304 — Cylinder 4 Misfire Detected
- P0305 — Cylinder 5 Misfire Detected
- P0306 — Cylinder 6 Misfire Detected
- P0307 — Cylinder 7 Misfire Detected
- P0308 — Cylinder 8 Misfire Detected
- P0309 — Cylinder 9 Misfire Detected
- P0310 — Cylinder 10 Misfire Detected
- P0311 — Cylinder 11 Misfire Detected
- P0312 — Cylinder 12 Misfire Detected