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Automotive vocabulary · Diagnostics, Service and Repair

Misfire

Meaning in automotive, with examples

/ˈmɪsˌfaɪər/nounCommon term

In automotive, misfire means: A failure of the fuel and air in one or more cylinders to burn properly. The engine shakes, runs rough and loses power, and unburned fuel can overheat the catalytic converter.

In Turkish: tekleme, ateşleme hatası

How it is used

Also a verb: the engine misfires, cylinder three is misfiring. Codes P0301 to P0308 point to a specific cylinder, and P0300 means random or multiple misfires. Common causes are spark plugs, ignition coils, injectors and low compression.

Example sentences

  1. Swap the ignition coils between cylinders two and three to see if the misfire moves.

  2. The engine misfires under load, especially when accelerating uphill.

Common collocations

  • engine misfire
  • random misfire
  • misfire under load
  • cylinder misfire
  • spark plugA part screwed into the cylinder head of a petrol engine that makes an electric spark to ignite the fuel and air mixture. Diesel engines do not have spark plugs.
  • fuel injectorAn electrically controlled valve that sprays a precise amount of fuel into the engine at the right moment. The ECU decides how long each injector stays open.
  • check engine lightThe amber engine-shaped warning light on the dashboard that comes on when the engine or emission control system detects a fault and stores a code.
  • cylinderOne of the round chambers in an engine block where a piston moves up and down and the fuel is burned. Most car engines have three, four or six cylinders.
  • catalytic converterA part of the exhaust system that uses precious metals such as platinum, palladium and rhodium to turn harmful gases (CO, HC and NOx) into less harmful ones before they leave the car.

More terms: Diagnostics, Service and Repair

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