Rough idle: Codes, Causes & Fixes
A shaky or uneven idle is most often caused by a vacuum leak, a misfire from worn spark plugs or a weak ignition coil, a dirty throttle body or an EGR valve stuck partly open. Related codes include P0300–P0312, lean codes like P0171 and idle control codes like P0505. Listen for hissing around intake hoses with the engine running and note whether the idle is worse when the engine is cold or warm.
184Codes
2.7Average severity
10%High or critical
19%DIY-friendly
Severity distribution
Most viewed
P0174
Powertrain
The cylinder bank without cylinder 1 is running lean even with the maximum fuel correction…
Moderate
P0300
Powertrain
The engine computer sees misfires that jump between cylinders or hit several cylinders at once.
High
P0101
Powertrain
The MAF sensor's airflow reading doesn't match what the engine computer expects…
Low
P0171
Powertrain
The engine computer is adding the maximum extra fuel it's allowed on bank 1 and still sees…
Moderate
P0172
Powertrain
The engine computer is pulling as much fuel as it's allowed on bank 1 and the mixture is still…
Moderate
P0302
Powertrain
Cylinder 2 keeps misfiring. On inline engines it's a middle cylinder, so rule out coolant…
Moderate
All codes (114)
P0350
Powertrain
The shared coil feed, ignition module or coil wiring is faulty. Often set with several…
Moderate
P0351
Powertrain
The engine computer found an electrical fault in coil A, the coil that fires cylinder 1 on most…
Moderate
P0352
Powertrain
Coil B, normally on cylinder 2, has a circuit fault. Where cylinder 2 sits depends…
Moderate
P0353
Powertrain
The circuit for coil C, which fires cylinder 3, failed its electrical check. Wiring is a big…
Moderate
P0354
Powertrain
Coil D, normally the one on cylinder 4, failed its circuit check. It often shows up right after…
Moderate
P0355
Powertrain
Coil E, the coil for cylinder 5, has an electrical fault. Only engines with five or more…
Moderate
P0356
Powertrain
The coil F circuit for cylinder 6 failed its check. On inline sixes it's the coil…
Moderate
P0357
Powertrain
Coil G, which fires cylinder 7 on V8s, has an electrical fault. On GM trucks it sits by…
Moderate
P0358
Powertrain
Coil H, for cylinder 8, has an electrical fault. On nearly every V8 it's the hardest coil…
Moderate
P0366
Powertrain
Bank 1 exhaust cam signal is out of position: chain stretch, a sticky exhaust phaser…
Moderate
P0402
Powertrain
More exhaust is being recirculated than the ECU asked for, usually because the EGR valve won't…
Moderate
P052E
Powertrain
The crankcase ventilation regulator isn't controlling crankcase pressure properly – often…
Moderate
P0560
Powertrain
The engine computer saw its supply voltage missing or out of range – check fuses and feeds…
Moderate
P0604
Powertrain
The engine computer's working memory failed a read/write test – rarely a software issue, often…
Moderate
P0626
Powertrain
The alternator reports a field signal stuck at or near full output – battery, alternator…
Moderate
P0638
Powertrain
The electronic throttle or diesel intake throttle can't reach its commanded angle, often due…
Moderate
P06DD
Powertrain
The ECM commanded an oil pressure change and the measured pressure didn't respond – check…
High
P0742
Powertrain
The converter lockup clutch stays applied when it should be released, which can stall…
High
P1295
Hyundai · Powertrain
Hyundai's engine computer no longer trusts the electronic throttle and has cut power as…
High
P1300
Toyota · Powertrain
Toyota's ECM fires ignition coil No. 1 but gets no confirmation pulse (IGF) back from its…
Moderate
P1305
Toyota · Powertrain
The igniter in Toyota coil No. 2 stops confirming its sparks, often only once the engine is hot.
Moderate
P1310
Toyota · Powertrain
No spark confirmation from one Toyota coil: No. 3 on four-cylinders, but a different coil…
Moderate
P1320
Nissan · Powertrain
The Nissan ECM isn't seeing the ignition primary signal it expects while the engine cranks…
Moderate
P1336
Ford · Powertrain
The Ford PCM sees the cam and crank signals out of step, usually from a mistimed or worn cam…
Moderate
P1340
Volkswagen · Powertrain
The cam signal no longer lines up with the crank signal – often a jumped belt or stretched…
High
P1345
Chevrolet · Powertrain
The cam signal is out of step with the crank signal; on Vortec engines usually a mis-set…
Moderate
P1346
Toyota · Powertrain
Toyota's ECM sees the intake cam signal in the wrong place relative to the crankshaft signal.
Moderate
P1349
Toyota · Powertrain
Toyota's VVT-i system isn't moving the intake camshaft to the position the ECM is asking for.
Moderate
P1354
Toyota · Powertrain
On a Toyota V6 or V8, the bank 2 intake camshaft isn't reaching the timing the ECM commands.
Moderate
P1361
Honda · Powertrain
The top dead center (TDC) sensor signal keeps dropping out for a moment while the engine…
Moderate