Parts
$20–200
P0316 — Misfire Detected on Startup (First 1000 Revolutions)
CAUTIONIs it safe to drive? It's telling you combustion was rough on cold start — get the spark plugs and ignition components inspected, but the car is usually drivable once warm.
What P0316 means
The ECM caught misfire events specifically during the first few seconds after a cold start, before the engine reaches operating temperature. Cold-start misfires often clear once the engine warms up, but the underlying cause (worn plugs, stale injectors, low compression) won't fix itself.
Most likely causes (in order)
- Worn or fouled spark plugs (particularly bad on cold crank)
- Leaking fuel injector causing cylinder flooding overnight
- Cold-start injector or fuel system delivering wrong AFR
- Low compression in one or more cylinders
- MAF or coolant temp sensor feeding incorrect cold-start enrichment data
Symptoms you might notice
- rough cold start
- stumble first few seconds
- shakes on startup then smooths out
- occasional rough idle when cold
What to check first
Clear the code and monitor it — if it returns every cold start but the engine runs fine when warm, do a fuel pressure bleed-down test after a hot soak. If pressure drops to zero within minutes, a leaking injector is flooding a cylinder overnight.
Repair cost & difficulty
Labor
0.5–2 hr
Difficulty
DIY-friendly