Quick fix for a DTC P0303 (misfire cyl #3) on a 2002 Honda Civic LX !
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Quick fix for a DTC P0303 (misfire cyl #3) on a 2002 Honda Civic LX !
Quick fix for a DTC P0303 (misfire cyl#3) on a 2002 Honda Civic LX! :-)
The car had a rough idle, hard starting & poor gas mileage. Then, a DTC P0303 code set (misfire cyl #3) and the MIL light came on.
The misfire eventually got so bad the MIL light started FLASHING (cat converter destruction in-process)!
I had recently installed 4 CHEAP "remanufactured" fuel injectors from eBay (GTH Motors).
I first tried moving the ignition coil (per the Honda manual), to see if the DTC code would follow. I cleared the code, ran the engine and had the same code (P0303) set within a few minutes.
I then concluded that the ignition coil was not causing the misfire.
I then moved the fuel injector from cylinder 3 position to the cylinder 2 position, cleared the code, and ran the engine and had a code set for misfire on the #2 (P0302)! :-)
I then replaced the bad injector and VICTORY! The engine now purrs like a kitten again, has more power, better starting, better gas mileage, no more codes or MIL lights.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. :-)
LESSON LEARNED: You must be very careful with quality when buying cheap "remanufactured" fuel injectors on eBay.
The car had a rough idle, hard starting & poor gas mileage. Then, a DTC P0303 code set (misfire cyl #3) and the MIL light came on.
The misfire eventually got so bad the MIL light started FLASHING (cat converter destruction in-process)!
I had recently installed 4 CHEAP "remanufactured" fuel injectors from eBay (GTH Motors).
I first tried moving the ignition coil (per the Honda manual), to see if the DTC code would follow. I cleared the code, ran the engine and had the same code (P0303) set within a few minutes.
I then concluded that the ignition coil was not causing the misfire.
I then moved the fuel injector from cylinder 3 position to the cylinder 2 position, cleared the code, and ran the engine and had a code set for misfire on the #2 (P0302)! :-)
I then replaced the bad injector and VICTORY! The engine now purrs like a kitten again, has more power, better starting, better gas mileage, no more codes or MIL lights.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. :-)
LESSON LEARNED: You must be very careful with quality when buying cheap "remanufactured" fuel injectors on eBay.
Last edited by Tim1959; Aug 2, 2019 at 10:16 PM. Reason: correction
Re: I found a quick fix for a DTC P0303 on a 2002 Honda Civic LX ! :-)
Good diagnosis and yes this is why we always recommend OEM parts or high quality aftermarket. Even a junk yard OEM is better then super cheap FleaBay stuff!
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From: Las Vegas, NV
Rep Power: 0 Re: I found a quick fix for a DTC P0303 on a 2002 Honda Civic LX ! :-)
I've been using OEM parts on Honda motor vehicles for like the past 20 years or more.
"high quality aftermarket" is undefined. There is a very WIDE RANGE of quality with aftermarket auto parts today.
3 of the 4 fuel injectors I bought from eBay work fine in my car. The 1 bad injector is being replaced under warranty. The injectors are supposed to have a "lifetime warranty."
Even an OEM supplier of auto parts can have a defective part once in a while.
I would NEVER install a junk yard fuel injector into the engine of ANY motor vehicle I was working on. The results would be like a "crapshoot." :-)
Happy Wrenching... :-)
Tim
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