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P0301 — Cylinder 1 Misfire Detected

P0301 means: The controller has identified repeated misfires on cylinder 1.

System: Ignition & Misfire · Standard: SAE J2012 generic code · Severity: Do not keep driving

01Can you keep driving?

Do not keep driving

This fault can damage expensive hardware within a short distance. Stop and diagnose before driving further.

02What you will notice

03Likely causes, most common first

  1. Failed spark plug on cylinder 1
  2. Failed ignition coil
  3. Faulty injector
  4. Low compression on cylinder 1
  5. Valve or head gasket problem

04How this code is diagnosed

Swap the coil and plug to another cylinder. If the misfire follows them, the parts are at fault; if it stays on cylinder 1, look at compression and injection.

Start by reading every stored and pending code, not just this one. A single fault frequently sets three or four codes at once, and the first one in the freeze-frame data is usually the cause while the rest are consequences.

Common questions

What does P0301 mean?

The controller has identified repeated misfires on cylinder 1. Cylinder 1 Misfire Detected is a generic ignition & misfire code defined by SAE J2012, so it carries the same meaning on every OBD-II vehicle.

Is it safe to drive with P0301?

Do not keep driving. This fault can damage expensive hardware within a short distance. Stop and diagnose before driving further.

What are the most likely causes of P0301?

In rough order of how often they turn out to be the problem: Failed spark plug on cylinder 1; Failed ignition coil; Faulty injector.

Other ignition & misfire codes

Sourcing

Code number, system and definition follow the SAE J2012 / ISO 15031-6 generic diagnostic trouble code standard. Symptoms, causes and severity are the standard generic diagnostic logic for that fault. This page does not contain manufacturer-specific procedures, part numbers or pricing.