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Intermittent Misfire on Acceleration - P0302 Code in 2000 Camry XLE V6

Model: 2000 Camry XLE Fault Code: P0302 Posted: 2011-02-27 12:02

My 2000 Camry XLE V6 has been experiencing intermittent misfires during acceleration, confirmed by the presence of a P0302 engine diagnostic code. The issue began several months ago and initially appeared sporadic—sometimes resolving with a tank of Chevron fuel cleaner. After visiting the dealer, they replaced the fuel injector for cylinder #2, recommending also replacing injectors for cylinders #4 and #6 due to equal labor costs. However, at $175 per injector, I declined the full replacement (totaling $475), as it exceeded my budget. On the drive home from the dealer, my wife reported a recurrence of misfiring during acceleration, accompanied by a flashing check engine light and the return of the P0302 code. I returned to the dealership, where they replaced the spark plugs for cylinder #2 and swapped out the coils—though no symptoms were observed post-replacement. They reiterated that injectors #4 and #6 should be replaced, but offered no diagnostic evidence supporting this claim. The car has been running smoothly since then, which is reassuring. Originally, there was some rough idle at traffic lights, but the primary symptom was occasional bogging down during acceleration. Cleaning the air intake pathways or fuel system has been suggested in other forums, but given the intermittent nature of the issue, I suspect a wiring problem—possibly degraded insulation causing arcing under load. It's possible that relocating the coil during service moved it away from an existing short. My key question: How specific is the engine control unit (ECU) in detecting misfires? Could a faulty injector in another cylinder still trigger a P0302 code, even if the actual misfire originates elsewhere?

Related fault codes

P0302

Comments (4)

Anonymous 2011-02-27 15:51

Have you ruled out a bad spark plug or vacuum leak as potential causes of the misfire?

Anonymous 2011-02-28 06:51

It's unclear whether the dealer inspected the spark plugs during their diagnosis, though they stated it wasn't the issue. If symptoms return, I'll check for fouling and perform a compression test. The vehicle is typically used for two short daily trips of around 2 miles each, but recently completed a 50-mile round trip with no issues on highways or stop-and-go traffic. The intermittent nature makes me less likely to suspect severe plug fouling or significant vacuum leaks. Could the ECU be detecting misfires from another cylinder and still flagging it as P0302 due to code logic? Any insight into whether a different injector could trigger this specific code?

Anonymous 2011-07-04 19:49

Today my '97 Avalon began misfiring, followed by a flashing check engine light. The car ran very rough—like one cylinder was off. I checked the code at AutoZone and confirmed it was P0302 (cylinder #2 misfire). I removed the #2 spark plug and found it severely fouled. After installing premium platinum plugs, the issue resolved within an hour—the check engine light turned off and no more misfires occurred. The car now runs smoothly.

Anonymous 2012-01-22 11:17

movieriter wrote: Today my '97 Avalon began misfiring, followed by a flashing check engine light. The car ran very rough—like one cylinder was off. I checked the code at AutoZone and confirmed it was P0302 (cylinder #2 misfire). I removed the #2 spark plug and found it severely fouled. After installing premium platinum plugs, the issue resolved within an hour—the check engine light turned off and no more misfires occurred. The car now runs smoothly. Hey movieriter—I have a 1999 Camry XLE that started running rough under load (especially during acceleration). It sputters and hesitates with the check engine light on, showing codes P0300, P0301, and P0304. I plan to replace the spark plugs with Denso iridium ones—will this be acceptable? Are iridium plugs (with two prongs) different from standard platinum plugs in terms of compatibility or performance? Any additional insights on diagnosing misfires like this would be appreciated.