P0302 — Cylinder 2 Misfire Detected

What it means

Misfires have been localised in cylinder 2: the module registers a drop in crankshaft angular speed exactly on the power stroke of that cylinder. The engine shakes at idle, hesitates when accelerating and consumes more fuel, and on a cold start the misfire is usually more pronounced. Mixture that fails to burn is pushed into the exhaust where it overheats the catalytic converter and skews the fuel trim of that bank.

Likely causes (most common first)

1. Worn, cracked or oil fouled spark plug in cylinder 2
2. Faulty ignition coil or high tension lead on that cylinder
3. Clogged or electrically faulty injector in cylinder 2
4. Vacuum leak at that intake runner or a hardened injector seal
5. Low compression: burnt or tight valve, worn piston rings, head gasket leaking to the neighbouring cylinder
6. Damaged wiring or connector at the coil or injector, or a camshaft timing error affecting that cylinder

Can you drive with it?

Only as far as the workshop, and with a flashing check engine lamp stop and call for a tow: unburned fuel destroys the catalytic converter within minutes.