P0308 serious

Cylinder 8 Misfire Detected

The P0308 code means the vehicle's onboard diagnostic system has detected: Cylinder 8 Misfire Detected. This is a serious severity code.

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Keep driving?
Yes, but fix soon
DIY difficulty
medium
Estimated cost
$8-$30 per spark plug; $30-$80 per coil
Fix Your Misfire
Magnetic Spark Plug Socket Set with Gap Tool

The #1 fix for misfire codes. 15-piece set with 14mm, 16mm, 18mm magnetic sockets, T-handle extension, and spark plug gapper.

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Diagnose It First
ANCEL AD310 OBD-II Scanner

Read and clear misfire codes. Shows which cylinder is misfiring so you know exactly what to replace.

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Common Symptoms

  • Rough idle on V8 engine
  • Check Engine Light on
  • Power loss

Probable Causes (Ranked by Likelihood)

  • Faulty spark plug on cylinder 8 Very High
  • Failed ignition coil on cylinder 8 High
  • Clogged fuel injector on cylinder 8 High
  • Low compression on cylinder 8 Moderate

Step-by-Step Diagnostic Procedure

  1. Swap cylinder 8 coil and spark plug to confirm the misfiring component.

  2. Injector balance test on cylinder 8.

  3. Compression and leak-down test if needed.

Common Fixes by Vehicle

What techs usually find when diagnosing P0308 on specific vehicles — tap your vehicle for the fix and the exact part:

2009-2020 Ford F-150 5.0L/5.4L V8 easy DIY

Cylinder 8 misfire on Ford V8s usually traces to the coil-on-plug or the spark plug for that cylinder. Coil swap-test confirms it fast. On 5.4L 3V engines, watch for the known spark-plug-seizing issue — soak with penetrating oil and pull when the engine is warm. Check for a vacuum leak if multiple cylinders flag.

Labor: 30-60 min

Frequently Asked Questions

I have both P0300 and P0308: what does that mean?

A random/multiple misfire (P0300) combined with a specific cylinder code (P0308) means the random misfire may be driven primarily by cylinder 8. Fix cylinder 8 first and see if P0300 resolves as well.

Sources

This page is built from documented references. Verify against your own service info before repair work.

P0308 on Diesel, EV & Equipment

The same code ID appears across other engines and platforms. The diagnostic flow varies by manufacturer — these are the platform-specific breakdowns:

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