Toyota P1305 Code: Igniter Circuit Malfunction No. 2
The igniter in Toyota coil No. 2 stops confirming its sparks, often only once the engine is hot.
At a glance
Severity: Moderate
- Meaning
- Igniter Circuit Malfunction No. 2
- System
- Ignition & Misfire · Powertrain
- Safe to drive?
- With caution
- Typical repair cost
- $25–$480
- DIY difficulty
- Moderate
Toyota's ECM expects an ignition-confirmation pulse (IGF) back from the igniter built into each coil every time it fires that coil. P1305 is stored when the confirmation for coil No. 2 goes missing while the engine runs. On four-cylinder Toyotas such as the Corolla, Matrix, Celica, RAV4, Echo and Yaris of the late 1990s and 2000s, No. 2 is the coil on the second cylinder counted from the timing chain end. On six- and eight-cylinder engines the number follows the coil and IGF grouping in that engine's repair manual, so check which coil it means before replacing anything. A classic P1305 story is a car that dies at a light after a long drive, restarts after cooling and runs fine again: the coil's igniter breaks down under heat, and because the ECM cuts fuel when IGF disappears, the result is a stall rather than a mild miss.
Can I keep driving? Avoid highway driving and heavy traffic until it's fixed, because the engine can quit without warning once it's hot. Short, cool trips are usually possible, but a flashing check engine light means pull over.
How to read P1305
- P Powertrain
- 1 Manufacturer-specific
- 3 Ignition / misfire
- 05 Specific fault
Symptoms
- Engine stumbles or dies after 20 to 40 minutes of driving, then restarts once cooled
- Check engine light on with a cylinder 2 misfire (P0302) alongside
- Rough idle that gets worse as the engine bay heats up
- Hesitation when climbing hills or passing
- Engine stall history code P1603 on newer ECMs that log stalls
Possible causes
Ranked by how often each cause is behind this code (editorial estimate).
- Igniter in coil No. 2 breaking down when hot (intermittent)
- Oil or water in the cylinder 2 spark plug tube attacking the coil boot and housing
- Coil No. 2 connector with a brittle lock or pushed-back terminal
- IGT2 wire damaged where the harness is clipped along the valve cover
- Cylinder 2 spark plug worn, cracked or wrongly gapped
- ECM output for coil No. 2 or its IGF input faulty
Diagnosis step by step
Note when it happens
Look at the freeze frame: coolant temperature, engine speed and load when P1305 set. A code that only appears with the engine fully warm points strongly to the coil itself; one that also sets on a cold engine makes wiring more likely.
Tools: OBD-II scanner
Pull coil No. 2 and look into the tube
Remove the coil and shine a light down the plug tube. Engine oil there means leaking tube seals or valve cover gasket; rust or water means a sealing problem at the cowl or valve cover. Both destroy the boot and let the spark track to ground.
Tools: Flashlight, Spark plug socket
Swap coil No. 2 with coil No. 3
Exchange the two coils, clear the codes and repeat the drive that normally triggers the fault. If the code changes to P1310, coil No. 2 was the culprit; if P1305 stays, look at its connector and wiring.
Tools: Screwdriver
Heat-test the suspect coil
With the engine idling, warm coil No. 2 with a hair dryer for a few minutes while listening and watching the misfire counter for cylinder 2 on a capable scan tool. A coil whose igniter fails with heat will start missing or kill the idle long before the rest of the engine is affected.
Tools: OBD-II scanner
Wiggle-test the harness
At idle, flex the coil No. 2 connector and the harness along the valve cover. A stumble on movement means a loose terminal or broken strand; check the locking tab and whether the terminal sits fully home in the housing.
Tools: Pliers
Fix the root cause, then verify hot
Replace the coil, and the plug-tube seals or valve cover gasket if oil was present, then clear the codes. Confirm with a drive long enough to reach full heat soak, since a cold test proves nothing for this fault.
Tools: Torque wrench, OBD-II scanner
Where the parts are
- 1Ignition coil
- 2Spark plug
- 3Fuel injector
- 4Camshaft sensor
- 5Crankshaft sensor
- 6Engine computer (ECM)
- 7Intake manifold
Repair options & costs
| Repair | DIY? | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|
| Replace ignition coil No. 2 | Yes | $90–$230 |
| Replace coil plus spark plug tube seals / valve cover gasket | No | $220–$480 |
| Replace cylinder 2 spark plug or full set | Yes | $25–$260 |
| Repair connector or IGT2 wiring | No | $100–$350 |
Rough US estimates for parts and labor; shop rates vary by region. Not a quote.
Emissions / smog test impact
Will fail
With P1305 stored the check engine light is on, and an OBD emissions test fails. Make sure the stall-when-hot problem is really gone and the monitors have re-run before retesting.
Frequently asked questions
My Toyota died at a stoplight and restarted later. Could P1305 explain it?
Yes, that is typical. When coil No. 2's igniter stops answering, Toyota's ECM can cut fuel as a protection, so the engine stalls instead of just misfiring. Once the coil cools it works again for a while.
Should I replace all four coils?
Not automatically. Coils of the same age do wear similarly, but if only coil No. 2 fails the swap and heat tests, replacing that one is a sound repair. If oil caused it, fix the leak or the new coil will fail too.
Why is oil in the spark plug tube a problem?
Oil softens the rubber boot and gives the high voltage a path to ground, overloading the coil and its igniter. It usually comes from hardened tube seals or a valve cover gasket that needs replacing.
What is the difference between P1305 and P0302?
P0302 only says cylinder 2 misfired, for any reason. P1305 says the ECM did not get the confirmation pulse from coil No. 2's igniter, which narrows it down to the ignition circuit.
Sources
- Manufacturer public service information (cross-checked)
- Methodology: How We Build Code Pages · Data Sources We Use · Editorial Policy