OBD-II code · Powertrain (generic)
P0296 Cylinder 12 Contribution/Balance
Cylinder 12 contributes less power than expected.
Is it safe to drive with P0296?
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 12
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 Cyl12, Ignition Coil Cyl12
Related codes
- P0273Cylinder 2 Contribution/Balance
- P0275Cylinder 5 Contribution/Balance
- P0278Cylinder 6 Contribution/Balance
- P0281Cylinder 7 Contribution/Balance
- P0284Cylinder 8 Contribution/Balance
- P0287Cylinder 9 Contribution/Balance
- P0290Cylinder 10 Contribution/Balance
- P0293Cylinder 11 Contribution/Balance
- P0294Cylinder 12 Injector A Circuit Low
- P0295Cylinder 12 Injector A Circuit High
- P0297Vehicle Overspeed Condition
- P0298Engine Oil Over Temperature
- P0299Turbocharger/Supercharger "A" Underboost Condition
Code data: OBDex open dataset (CC0). Labour times are typical ranges, not a quote.