P0266
High SeverityCylinder 2 Contribution/Balance
Engine System
P0266 — Instant Answer
Cylinder 2 Contribution/Balance
Severity: HIGH SEVERITY
Meaning: Cylinder 2 is not contributing adequate power.
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. Bad injector (35-45% of cases)
- 2. Low compression (10-25% of cases)
- 3. Ignition fault (10-25% of cases)
Common Causes
How to Diagnose P0266
- 1Compression test
- 2Check injector
- 3Check spark plug and coil
OEM Procedures for P0266
P0266 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 P0266.
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Related Resources
Repair guides, symptom pages, and wiring diagrams related to P0266.
OEM Manual Evidence
Browse →Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC) Index — 2013 Audi A3 Premium, 2.0L Eng VIN J Service Manual ~ LEMON Manuals LEMON Manuals: Repair Knowledge...
Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC) Index — 2013 Audi A3 Premium Plus, 2.0L Eng VIN J Service Manual ~ LEMON Manuals LEMON Manuals: Repair Knowl...
01 V6 TDI - DTC P026300, P026600, P026900, P027200, P027500, P027800 with DFCC 19184, 19185, 19186, 19187, 19188, 19189 (GROUP 01, NO. 17-1...
01 V6 TDI - DTC P026300, P026600, P026900, P027200, P027500, P027800 with DFCC 19184, 19185, 19186, 19187, 19188, 19189 (GROUP 01, NO. 17-1...
Exact Repair Workflows
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Open the exact repair flow most commonly associated with P0266 on this vehicle.
Open the exact repair flow most commonly associated with P0266 on this vehicle.
Open the exact repair flow most commonly associated with P0266 on this vehicle.
Open the exact repair flow most commonly associated with P0266 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 P0266.
Open the exact vehicle hub for a repair workflow commonly associated with P0266.
Open the exact vehicle hub for a repair workflow commonly associated with P0266.
Open the exact vehicle hub grounded by OEM manual evidence related to P0266.
Open the exact vehicle hub grounded by OEM manual evidence related to P0266.
Open the exact vehicle hub grounded by OEM manual evidence related to P0266.
Related Codes
Cylinder 2 is misfiring.
Low voltage in cylinder 2 injector circuit.
Cylinder 1 is not contributing its fair share of power. The ECM detected a significant power imbalance.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I do a compression test?
- Remove the spark plug, screw in a compression gauge, crank the engine 5-7 times. Compare all cylinders — they should be within 10% of each other.
- What is normal compression?
- Most gasoline engines should read 125-180 PSI per cylinder. Below 100 PSI indicates a problem.
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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