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Severity: Moderate Code type: Manufacturer-specific (Toyota) ✱

Toyota P1310 Code Meaning

No spark confirmation from one Toyota coil: No. 3 on four-cylinders, but a different coil on some sixes.

Unverified: this manufacturer-specific definition comes from a single source or varies by model. Confirm it with a brand-specific scan tool.

At a glance

Severity: 3/5 – Moderate3/5

Severity: Moderate

Meaning
Igniter Circuit Malfunction (No. 3 or No. 2 by Engine)
System
Ignition & Misfire · Powertrain
Safe to drive?
With caution
Typical repair cost
$90–$1,500
DIY difficulty
Moderate

P1310 is one of Toyota's igniter codes: the ECM triggers a coil and waits for the ignition-confirmation pulse (IGF) its igniter should send back, and the code sets when that pulse is missing. What makes P1310 tricky is that its meaning depends on the engine, so this definition is marked unverified for your specific vehicle. On four-cylinder engines with one coil per cylinder (1NZ-FE, 1ZZ-FE, 2AZ-FE and similar), P1310 is igniter circuit No. 3, the coil on cylinder 3. On some six-cylinder engines with paired waste-spark coils, such as the 1FZ-FE in the Land Cruiser, Toyota numbers the codes P1300, P1310 and P1320, and P1310 is coil No. 2, which fires cylinders 2 and 5 through spark plug wires. Always confirm the meaning in the repair information for your engine code before replacing a coil.

Can I keep driving? Short trips at moderate speed are usually possible, but expect a noticeable miss and possible stalling. Stop driving if the check engine light flashes, as the catalytic converter can overheat.

How to read P1310

How to read P1310P11233104
  1. P Powertrain
  2. 1 Manufacturer-specific
  3. 3 Ignition / misfire
  4. 10 Specific fault

Symptoms

  • Check engine light on together with a misfire code for the affected cylinder
  • Steady miss at idle that feels like one cylinder (or a pair on waste-spark engines) is dead
  • Poor acceleration and a lumpy exhaust note
  • Longer cranking or occasional no-start in damp weather
  • Strong fuel smell from the exhaust after a misfire episode

Possible causes

Ranked by how often each cause is behind this code (editorial estimate).

  1. Coil No. 3 (four-cylinder) or coil pack No. 2 (waste-spark six) with a failed igniter 40%
  2. Worn plug, or on waste-spark engines a cracked spark plug wire, overloading the coil 14%
  3. Connector or harness damage at the affected coil 14%
  4. IGT line for this coil open or shorted 12%
  5. Moisture in the plug well or on the coil after engine washing or a leaking cowl seal 10%
  6. Low-grade aftermarket coil whose igniter does not produce a proper IGF pulse, or an ECM fault 10%

Diagnosis step by step

Diagnostic flow: P13101Confirm what No. 3 means on yourengine2Match the code with the misfirepattern3Check for spark with a tester4Mist test in the dark5Measure IGT and IGF at the coil6Replace with a quality part andverify

  1. Confirm what No. 3 means on your engine

    Look up the engine code on the underhood emissions label or in the VIN decoder and check the igniter code chart for it. Four-cylinder coil-on-plug engines count coils by cylinder; waste-spark six-cylinder engines count coil packs, and the pack behind P1310 feeds two cylinders.

    Tools: Flashlight

  2. Match the code with the misfire pattern

    Read misfire codes and, if possible, per-cylinder misfire counts. On a four-cylinder, P1310 should come with cylinder 3 misfiring; on a waste-spark six, both cylinders sharing the pack will miss together, which confirms the coil side rather than a single injector.

    Tools: OBD-II scanner

  3. Check for spark with a tester

    Connect an adjustable spark tester to the affected coil output and crank or idle the engine. A weak, orange or missing spark across a proper gap confirms the coil; a strong blue spark sends you to the plug, the plug wire or intermittent wiring.

    Tools: Spark plug socket, Pliers

  4. Mist test in the dark

    At idle, in a dark garage, lightly mist the coil body and plug wires with water from a spray bottle. Visible arcing or a stumble as the water hits reveals a cracked housing or boot that only fails in humid conditions.

    Tools: Flashlight

  5. Measure IGT and IGF at the coil

    Unplug the coil and, with the key on, check about 4.5 to 5.5 V on the IGF pin and battery voltage on the supply pin. While cranking, the IGT pin should show a switching signal averaging roughly 0.1 to 4.5 V on a meter.

    Tools: Multimeter

  6. Replace with a quality part and verify

    Use an OE or OE-equivalent coil, since some cheap coils fire the plug but give a poor IGF pulse that keeps the code alive. Clear the codes, drive through a full warm-up and confirm no igniter or misfire code returns.

    Tools: OBD-II scanner

Where the parts are

Ignition: coils and spark plugs per cylinder – P13101234567
Ignition: coils and spark plugs per cylinder
  1. 1Ignition coil
  2. 2Spark plug
  3. 3Fuel injector
  4. 4Camshaft sensor
  5. 5Crankshaft sensor
  6. 6Engine computer (ECM)
  7. 7Intake manifold

Repair options & costs

RepairDIY?Estimated cost
Replace coil No. 3 (four-cylinder coil-on-plug) Yes $90–$230
Replace waste-spark coil pack No. 2 (six-cylinder) Yes $150–$380
Replace spark plugs and plug wires (waste-spark engines) Yes $150–$380
Repair coil connector or IGT/IGF wiring No $100–$380
Replace and program ECM No $600–$1,500

Rough US estimates for parts and labor; shop rates vary by region. Not a quote.

Emissions / smog test impact

Will fail

P1310 lights the check engine light and comes with misfire codes, so the vehicle fails an OBD smog check. Retest only after the misfire and catalyst monitors have completed again.

Frequently asked questions

Is P1310 cylinder 3 or coil No. 2?

It depends on the engine. On four-cylinder Toyotas with one coil per cylinder it is coil No. 3; on some six-cylinder engines with paired coils, such as the 1FZ-FE, it is coil pack No. 2, which fires cylinders 2 and 5. Check the code chart for your engine code.

Why do my codes jump from P1300 to P1310 and P1320?

That numbering belongs to six-cylinder engines with three waste-spark coil packs, where Toyota assigns every other number to each pack. On those engines P1310 is the second pack, not the third.

I put in a new coil and P1310 is still there. Why?

Check the plug and any plug wire on that coil, the connector and the IGT/IGF wiring. A cheap coil can also make spark but send a poor confirmation pulse, which Toyota's ECM still reads as a failure.

Does moisture really cause P1310?

It can. Water in the plug well or a hairline crack in the coil lets the spark leak to ground in damp weather, so the igniter never completes a normal firing cycle and the confirmation pulse goes missing.

Sources