P0263–P0296 Cylinder 1 Contribution/Balance
This cylinder is not contributing its share of the engine's power compared with the others - usually an injector, sometimes low compression.
Can you drive it? This class of fault can cause real mechanical damage if you keep driving on it. A persistent misfire also destroys the catalytic converter, which is the expensive part.
Which code is which
Same fault, different cylinder or bank — diagnosed the same way. Several set together usually means one shared cause.
| Code | Definition | Severity |
|---|---|---|
P0263 | Cylinder 1 Contribution/Balance | Do not keep driving |
P0266 | Cylinder 2 Contribution/Balance | Do not keep driving |
P0269 | Cylinder 3 Contribution/Balance | Do not keep driving |
P0272 | Cylinder 4 Contribution/Balance | Do not keep driving |
P0275 | Cylinder 5 Contribution/Balance | Do not keep driving |
P0278 | Cylinder 6 Contribution/Balance | Do not keep driving |
P0281 | Cylinder 7 Contribution/Balance | Do not keep driving |
P0284 | Cylinder 8 Contribution/Balance | Do not keep driving |
P0287 | Cylinder 9 Contribution/Balance | Investigate soon |
P0290 | Cylinder 10 Contribution/Balance | Do not keep driving |
P0293 | Cylinder 11 Contribution/Balance | Do not keep driving |
P0296 | Cylinder 12 Contribution/Balance | Do not keep driving |
The definition
P0263: Cylinder 1 Contribution/Balance.
P0263 is a powertrain code (the engine or gearbox), defined by the SAE standard - it means the same thing on any make of car, and any generic OBD-II reader will decode it.
What to check first
Cheapest and fastest checks first:
- Read the freeze-frame data stored with the fault - engine speed, load and temperature at the moment it logged tell you whether this happens cold, hot or under load.
- Check the connector at the part for corrosion, and that it is fully seated.
- Clear the code and see whether it returns, and under what conditions.
Reading the code is the easy part
A code names the circuit that complained. What tells you why is watching the sensor behind it while the engine runs — and that is where a code reader stops and a diagnostic tool starts.
VAGPULSE reads your engine ECU's fault codes and the live measuring blocks behind them, and clears the codes once you have fixed the fault. On the engine it also does what a generic OBD reader cannot on a VAG: coding, adaptations, and Stage 1–3 flashing on Bosch ME7 petrol ECUs, with a backup saved every time it reads your ECU.
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Common questions
What does P0263 mean?
P0263 means Cylinder 1 Contribution/Balance. This cylinder is not contributing its share of the engine's power compared with the others - usually an injector, sometimes low compression.
Can I drive with P0263?
This class of fault can cause real mechanical damage if you keep driving on it. A persistent misfire also destroys the catalytic converter, which is the expensive part.