If your Ford Explorer has the P0304 trouble code, you should know that it’s about as common of a code as there is. It’s a generic OBD IIcode (same meaning for all vehicles) that indicates that your vehicle’s fourth cylinder is misfiring.
P0304 is a drivability concern and should be dealt with right away. If it’s bad enough to cause your Explorer’s check engine light to flash, avoid driving your vehicle altogether until you find the misfire and repair your engine.
Repairing P0304 should be considered a high priority. Unlike a lot of the OBDII codes, this code has to do directly with engine combustion, and driving with a misfiring engine can damage your Explorer’s catalytic converter.
The most common repair for P0304 is changing the spark plug in cylinder four.
Table of Contents:
P0304 is a cylinder-specific misfire code, meaning only your Explorer’s fourth cylinder has a misfire.
Before you can even diagnose P0304 in your vehicle, you need to find the fourth cylinder’s location.
On “V” configuration engines, it’ll usually be the second cylinder on the head further away from the front of the engine. On inline engines, the fourth cylinder will usually be the fourth in from the engine accessories.
A quick Google image search will confirm the correct cylinder (include your Explorer’s model year and engine type), or they can print it up for you at most parts counters.
In order for an engine to burn fuel efficiently, each cylinder needs the following:
If one of the above variables is off, your Explorer’s fourth cylinder will misfire, or it won’t fire at all.
Here are the most common symptoms of P0304 in the Ford Explorer. There may be no noticeable symptoms at all.
Here are the most common P0304 Ford Explorer causes; they are presented somewhat in order from most to least likely to be causing the code in your vehicle:
If P0304 is the only code you get when you plug an OBD II scanner into your Explorer, this section should help you determine what is causing the code.
If you have multiple codes with P0304, jump down a section.
Here’s a quick and easy test to determine what is causing your Explorer’s fourth cylinder to misfire. Swap ignition parts to another cylinder. Here’s how to do it.
Here’s what to look for when the swap test didn’t change your vehicle’s misfire code number.
The most likely reason your Explorer will get P0300 and P0304 simultaneously is faulty spark plugs.
P0300 in the Ford Explorer indicates random multiple misfiring, which means that multiple cylinders are misfiring at the same time.
If your Ford Explorer has P0300 and P0304 error codes, it’s best to diagnose why the fourth cylinder is misfiring and see if that will fix the P0304 code.
Try doing the swap test from the previous section. Make note of the condition of BOTH spark plugs as you swap them. If they look fouled, new plugs will likely clear this code.
Look for a vacuum leak around the fourth cylinder or a bad fuel injector.
While there are many potential causes for P0171, the most prevalent is a vacuum leak.
When your Explorer has P0304 and P0171 together, it’s often caused by a clogged or underperforming fuel injector. Look for a vacuum leak at the intake around cylinder four.
Treat P0304 with these codes like it has P0300.
P0304 will often be accompanied by codes P0301, P0302, P0303, P0305, etc… These codes indicate a misfire in cylinders one, three, four, and five, respectively.
Treat P0304 with these codes like it has P0300. Suspect an ignition-related cause or a vacuum leak.
P0304 is cause for concern and, left unfixed, can leave you stranded. Your Explorer will be virtually undrivable if the fourth cylinder stops firing altogether. The raw fuel can also damage the catalytic converter.
We do not advise driving your Explorer with P0304. It can cause damage to your vehicle, particularly if the check engine light is flashing.
Most of the time, P0304 is not hard to repair, as you’ll be swapping out ignition parts. It’s a great first-time project for a shade tree mechanic. If the problem ends up not being ignition related, that’s when you might have to bring it into a shop.
Replacing the spark plug or coil packs is the most common fix for P0304 in the Ford Explorer. There are other causes, but the swap test can help narrow them down considerably.
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Обнаружены пропуски воспламенения в 4 цилиндре
Возможные причины появления ошибки в автомобиле Ford:
• Неисправна катушка зажигания четвертого цилиндра
• Неисправна свеча четвертого цилиндра
• Забит или неисправен инжектор четвертого цилиндра
• Обрыв или замыкание проводки катушки зажигания четвертого цилиндра
• Обрыв или замыкание проводки форсунки четвертого цилиндра
• Неисправность разъема проводки форсунки четвертого цилиндра
• Неисправность разъема катушки зажигания четвертого
• Неправильное давление топлива
• Низкая компрессия в 4 цилиндре
• Подсос воздуха впускного коллектора
Код ошибки P0304 означает, что в четвертом цилиндре двигателя автомобиля Форд обнаружены пропуски воспламенения зажигания или случайные пропуски. Диагностику лучше проводить в следующий последовательности – проверить на подсос воздуха впускной тракт, следующий шаг это замена свечи зажигания в четвертом цилиндре. Если проблема не удалось решить этими двумя пунктами, то необходимо провести дополнительную диагностику, которая детально описана здесь.
ВОЗМОЖНЫЕ СИМПТОМЫ ОШИБКИ P0304 Форд:
• Горит сигнал «CHEK ENGINE»;
• Отсутствие/потеря мощности двигателя;
• Двигатель «трясет». Неровная работа мотора;
• Затруднен запуск двигателя. Особенно холодного.
Описание ошибки P0304 Ford
При возникновении пропуска воспламенения частота вращения двигателя будет колебаться. Если изменения частоты вращения двигателя достаточны, для изменения сигнала датчика положения коленчатого вала (CKP), блок управления двигателем (ECM) определяет ошибку P0304 Ford.