2002 Toyota Camry Trouble Code: P0303-Cylinder 3 misfire detected, especially when car is started
Trouble Code: P0303-Cylinder 3 misfire detected, especially when car is started
What is your question?
Hello Pros,
I would really appreciate if someone can shed some light on the problem.
Car: 2002 Toyota Camry - 4 Cylinder
Odometer: 165000 miles
- Couple of days back, when I started the car it had a rough start(rough idle).
- Once on the move I did not feel any issue in driving.
- On the way I stopped at the store and when I started the car again "Check engine light came on".
Diagnosis:
- Auto center OBD diagnosis came up as P0303-Cylinder 3 misfire detected.
- Technician found burned cylinder 3 spark plug. Hence technician replaced all 4 plugs to iridium spark plugs and did 3-step fuel cleaning (1.Oil System 2. Fuel System Cleaner 3. Intake Cleaning).
- Check engine light went away, drove 15-20 miles and next day when I started the car light came back on!
- Filled up Supreme grade gas, to see if it helps :)
- Again took it back to the garage, OBD Code: P0303-Cylinder 3 misfire detected. And they replaced #3 coil.
- Once again code went away. Drove couple of miles and once again when I shut off car and restarted, check engine light showed up again (OBD Code: P0303-Cylinder 3 misfire detected).
- Also, technician mentioned that when check engine light was on, OBD tool identified cylinder 3 misfire happens at the start. When car is on the road, running it does not register any misfire even when engine light is on!
- I have noticed that since the problem started with rough starting idle, every time "Check engine light" came on when I started the car and drove around 100 ft.
- There is no egg-smelling odor (to eliminate catalytic converter failure)
Couple of other things...
- Since last summer while changing air filter, Vaccum filter valve's (Toyota part: 90910-12199 [084600-5480 12V] 548 Denso-Japan) outlet tube broke from one of the vaccum tube. Which I tied back with wire. Don't know whether this could cause any issue of P0303 after several months!
- But since last month or so, when car is stopped and move by pressing gas padel, I hear flow of coolent noise (behind the dash board-into heat chamber). Somewhere I read that due to vaccum leak or lack of coolant in radiator could cause these symptoms. The coolant reservoir and radiator is full. Temperature gauge is half way when car is running, there does not seem to have excess heat. Also, RPM gauge does not fluctuate at all.
Services:
- Engine head gasket was replaced last spring
- Last spring I got the coolant flush service done
What should I be looking next?
- Vaccum filter valve?
- EGR valve?
- PCV system?
- Fuel injector?
- Gas filter?
- Blown head gasket?
- Intake manifold?
Thank you so much for your response.
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*Possibly* coolant leaking (seeping) into # 3 cylinder after extended park causing cold start misfire. Can pull spark plug out *before cranking engine* and check inside cylinder with a good, small LED light or better yet using a bore scope .. Also can 'momentarily' crank engine and watch for coolant spray from # 3 cylinder... Another test is to crank cold engine and let it run for approx 15 seconds then turn engine off, pull spark plug out and see if it's WET... After antifreeze coolant burns off , misfire disappears but may not steam noticeably from tail pipe! (This is one senerio, others are certainly possible.)
Head gasket is suspect... Yes I read in your post it has been replaced.. The 2.4L had 'some' problems with head bolt 'thread deterioration' in engine block allowing head bolt(s) to become loose leading to head gasket leakage... (Fixable with a helicoil) ... Again, this is just one scenario! Can only be confirmed by hands-on testing of course.. Good luck with it! .. BTW, head gasket can leak coolant anywhere along the cylinder head from front to back and into any one or all cylinders!!
Correction: In 2015 Head valve cover gasket was replaced, not the Head cover gasket. Technician rechecked cylinder 3 spark plug and coil. No coolant or compression issue. Also, he mentioned that when engine is cold and car is started misfire registered, when it warms up misfire goes away. Light went away for two days and came back on today. There was no oil leak until today, and heat gauge is little over half mark. Could it be head cover gasket or intake gasket leak? Does gushing sound of coolant leads to leak in the engine or gasket failure?
How much typically it costs to replace Head gasket?
Thank you.
Thank you for your reply. What does cause to leak coolant to only #3 cylinder? What could be the fix for this issue if found legit?
Head gasket is suspect... Yes I read in your post it has been replaced.. The 2.4L had 'some' problems with head bolt 'thread deterioration' in engine block allowing head bolt(s) to become loose leading to head gasket leakage... (Fixable with a helicoil) ... Again, this is just one scenario! Can only be confirmed by hands-on testing of course.. Good luck with it! .. BTW, head gasket can leak coolant anywhere along the cylinder head from front to back and into any one or all cylinders!!
Correction: In 2015 Head valve cover gasket was replaced, not the Head cover gasket. Technician rechecked cylinder 3 spark plug and coil. No coolant or compression issue. Also, he mentioned that when engine is cold and car is started misfire registered, when it warms up misfire goes away. Light went away for two days and came back on today. There was no oil leak until today, and heat gauge is little over half mark. Could it be head cover gasket or intake gasket leak? Does gushing sound of coolant leads to leak in the engine or gasket failure? How much typically it costs to replace Head gasket? Thank you.