OBD-II code · Powertrain (generic)
P0281 Cylinder 7 Contribution/Balance
Cylinder 7 contributes less power than expected.
Is it safe to drive with P0281?
Usually safe to drive in the short term. Get it diagnosed when convenient, sooner if the car drives differently.
Common causes
- Most likelyInjector or ignition coil weak on cylinder 7
Repair at a glance
- Difficulty
- Medium
- DIY friendly
- Often, with basic tools
- Typical labour
- 1–6 h
- Emissions test
- Likely to fail
- After the fix
- A drive cycle is needed before the light stays off
- Parts involved
- Injector Cyl7, Ignition Coil Cyl7
Related codes
- P0273Cylinder 2 Contribution/Balance
- P0275Cylinder 5 Contribution/Balance
- P0278Cylinder 6 Contribution/Balance
- P0284Cylinder 8 Contribution/Balance
- P0287Cylinder 9 Contribution/Balance
- P0290Cylinder 10 Contribution/Balance
- P0293Cylinder 11 Contribution/Balance
- P0296Cylinder 12 Contribution/Balance
- P027ECold Start Fuel Injection Quantity A Lower Than Expected
- P027FCold Start Fuel Injection Quantity A Higher Than Expected
- P0280Cylinder 7 Injector A Circuit High
- P0282Cylinder 8 Injector A Circuit Low
- P0283Cylinder 8 Injector A Circuit High
Code data: OBDex open dataset (CC0). Labour times are typical ranges, not a quote.