OBD-II Code · Powertrain
P0316
Misfire Detected on Startup (First 1000 Revolutions)
Severity
medium
Worth booking. It costs fuel, emissions or comfort until it is fixed.
Can you drive it
Depends on the light
Flashing: stop as soon as it is safe to — raw fuel is reaching the catalytic converter. Steady, and it only feels rough: a short drive to a shop is usually fine. Either way, stop if it shakes hard, loses power, overheats or makes a new noise.
Indicative cost (USD)
$40–$1,500
Varies by vehicle, diagnosis, parts, and local labor. This is not a repair quote.
The PCM detected a misfire during the first 1000 revolutions after a cold start.
How a shop works this
Work from evidence to part, not the other way round. A code names a circuit or a symptom; it does not name the part that failed.
Note every code that is set, not just this one.
Codes that appear together usually narrow the cause faster than any one of them read alone.
Read the freeze frame — the conditions the fault was recorded under.
Cold or warm, idle or load, road speed and engine speed. A fault that only appears cold is a different fault from one that only appears under load, even with the same code on the scanner.
Confirm the fault is current rather than history.
Clear the code and see whether it returns under those same conditions. A code that does not come back may have been logged during a repair, a flat battery, or a bad connection that has since been disturbed.
Then work the likely-causes list in the order shown.
That order is what a shop checks first for this code — wiring and connections before the component they run to, because a connector costs nothing to inspect and is a common answer.
If the code comes back after a repair, the underlying fault is still there. That is the point to bring in a scanner with live data and freeze-frame, or a shop that has one.
Common symptoms
- Brief rough idle at startup
- Check engine light
- Smell of unburnt fuel briefly
Likely causes
- Failed ignition coilMost common
- Worn spark plug or carbon-tracked boot
- Leaking or clogged fuel injector
- Low compression on one cylinder when cold
- Cracked head or head gasket
Read the full diagnostic procedureP0316 is misfire detected on engine startup, specifically within the first 1,000 crankshaft revolutions (roughly the first 60-90 seconds of cold oper…
P0316 is misfire detected on engine startup, specifically within the first 1,000 crankshaft revolutions (roughly the first 60-90 seconds of cold operation). Unlike rolling misfire codes, P0316 is a SAE-mandated cold-start specific diagnostic — the ECM counts misfire events during the warm-up cycle when catalyst efficiency is below light-off temperature and a misfire is most damaging to the cat. The code itself doesn't tell you which cylinder, so first thing is to pull the mode $06 misfire counters with a scan tool.
Cheapest-first ladder
- check spark plug condition (a plug with a hairline insulator crack only misfires cold when the plug is at thermal mismatch with the cylinder), inspect for a leaking injector (the leakdown of one injector overnight floods that cylinder), check fuel pressure at key-on (a leaking fuel pressure regulator lets rail pressure bleed off overnight), and scan for a stuck-open EVAP purge valve.
- Caveat: P0316 alone with no companion P030X cylinder-specific code often resolves to a tired battery — voltage sag during the first 1,000 revolutions slows crank speed enough to trip false misfire detection.
Vehicle-specific patternsGM 5.3L LS/LMG V8 (Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban, 2007-2014) — AFM lifter cold-start collapse on a deactivated cylinder; the deactivating lifters stick…
GM 5.3L LS/LMG V8 (Silverado, Tahoe, Suburban, 2007-2014) — AFM lifter cold-start collapse on a deactivated cylinder; the deactivating lifters stick mechanically overnight and the first 30 seconds of cold operation runs on 7 cylinders until oil pressure builds. AFM-delete kit ($600-900) plus lifter replacement is the durable fix. Honda J35 V6 with VCM (Pilot, Odyssey, Ridgeline, Accord V6, 2008-2017) — cold-start P0316 paired with cylinder 4/5/6 misfires traces to oil-fouled plugs on the VCM-deactivated cylinders. Ford 5.4L 3V Triton V8 (F-150, Expedition, 2004-2010) — cam phaser solenoid stuck overnight causes cold-start P0316 plus a distinctive death rattle on first crank. BMW N20/N26 turbo I4 (328i F30, X1, 2012-2017) — leaking injector overnight floods one cylinder; index-12 injector update plus walnut-blasting intake valves resolves.
Estimated repair$90 to $1,800.
Look up another code
P0316 — frequently asked
What does a P0316 code mean?
The PCM detected a misfire during the first 1000 revolutions after a cold start.
What causes a P0316 code?
Common causes: Failed ignition coil; Worn spark plug or carbon-tracked boot; Leaking or clogged fuel injector; Low compression on one cylinder when cold; Cracked head or head gasket.
What are the symptoms of a P0316 code?
Typical symptoms: Brief rough idle at startup; Check engine light; Smell of unburnt fuel briefly.
Is it safe to drive with a P0316 code?
Depends on the light. Flashing: stop as soon as it is safe to — raw fuel is reaching the catalytic converter. Steady, and it only feels rough: a short drive to a shop is usually fine. Either way, stop if it shakes hard, loses power, overheats or makes a new noise. Estimated repair: $40-$1,500.
How do I diagnose a P0316 code?
Work from evidence to part, not the other way round. A code names a circuit or a symptom; it does not name the part that failed. 1. Note every code that is set, not just this one. 2. Read the freeze frame — the conditions the fault was recorded under. 3. Confirm the fault is current rather than history. 4. Then work the likely-causes list in the order shown.
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