P0263
High SeverityCylinder 1 Contribution/Balance
Engine System
P0263 — Instant Answer
Cylinder 1 Contribution/Balance
Severity: HIGH SEVERITY
Meaning: Cylinder 1 is not contributing its fair share of power. The ECM detected a significant power imbalance.
Safe to drive? NO if CEL is flashing. YES with caution if solid, but repair this week.
Estimated repair cost: $40 - $500
Most common causes:
- 1. Faulty fuel injector (35-45% of cases)
- 2. Low compression in cylinder 1 (10-25% of cases)
- 3. Ignition issue on cylinder 1 (10-25% of cases)
Symptoms
- ⚠️Rough idle
- ⚠️Vibration
- ⚠️Loss of power
- ⚠️Possible misfire
Related Symptoms
Common Causes
How to Diagnose P0263
- 1Run compression test on cylinder 1
- 2Check injector operation
- 3Check spark plug and coil
- 4Compare contribution to other cylinders
OEM Procedures for P0263
P0263 affects the Fuel Injector. Found 103 OEM service manual procedures.
Engine Code Information Label - Fuel Injector Replacement Label
Engine Code Information Label - Fuel Injector Replacement Label
Engine Code Information Label - Fuel Injector Replacement Label
Engine Code Information Label - Fuel Injector Replacement Label
Engine Code Information Label - Fuel Injector Replacement Label
Engine Code Information Label - Fuel Injector Replacement Label
Engine Code Information Label - Fuel Injector Replacement Label
Engine Code Information Label - Fuel Injector Replacement Label
Showing 8 of 103 procedures
OEM Diagnostic Flowchart
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Related repair guide for vehicles with P0263.
Related repair guide for vehicles with P0263.
Related Resources
Repair guides, symptom pages, and wiring diagrams related to P0263.
Exact Repair Workflows
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Open the exact repair flow most commonly associated with P0263 on this vehicle.
Open the exact repair flow most commonly associated with P0263 on this vehicle.
Open the exact repair flow most commonly associated with P0263 on this vehicle.
Open the exact repair flow most commonly associated with P0263 on this vehicle.
Open the exact repair flow most commonly associated with P0263 on this vehicle.
Related Symptoms
Browse →Rough idle often traces back to ignition, air metering, vacuum leaks, or timing-related faults before it becomes a full misfire complaint.
Steering wheel shake, brake pedal pulsation, or front-end vibration under braking usually points to rotor, pad, or suspension-related brake issues.
Exact Vehicle Hubs
Browse →Open the exact vehicle hub for a repair workflow commonly associated with P0263.
Open the exact vehicle hub for a repair workflow commonly associated with P0263.
Open the exact vehicle hub for a repair workflow commonly associated with P0263.
Open the exact vehicle hub for a repair workflow commonly associated with P0263.
Open the exact vehicle hub for a repair workflow commonly associated with P0263.
Open the exact vehicle hub for a repair workflow commonly associated with P0263.
Related Codes
Cylinder 1 is misfiring — not firing properly. Could be spark plug, coil, injector, or compression issue on that specific cylinder.
Low voltage in cylinder 1 injector driver circuit.
Low voltage in cylinder 2 injector circuit.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does contribution/balance mean?
- The ECM monitors how much each cylinder contributes to engine speed. If one falls behind, it sets this code.
- Is this always an injector problem?
- No — it could be spark plug, coil, compression, or injector. You need to diagnose which system is failing on that cylinder.
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Author & Review
Written by AllOEMManuals Editorial Team. Reviewed by ASE-certified technicians and updated with factory-reference checks for fitment-sensitive steps.
This guide was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy by a human editor.
Last updated: 2026-05-07