Faulty or worn fuel injector on cylinder 3 (leaking, sticking or poor spray pattern); Low compression on cylinder 3 (worn rings, leaking valve, head gasket leak); Wiring or connector fault in the cylinder 3 injector circuit; Ignition fault on cylinder 3 on petrol engines (spark plug, coil); Fuel supply problem such as low pressure, contaminated fuel or restricted filter; Air leak or restriction affecting cylinder 3, such as an intake leak or a blocked or sticking EGR passage; Faulty engine control unit or outdated calibration where the manufacturer has documented it.

P0269

Cylinder 3 Contribution/Balance.

Generic
Powertrain
Generic code
Medium severity

How this code is built

P: SystemPowertrain
0: Defined bySAE, the same on every car
2: AreaFuel and air metering (injector circuit)
69: FaultThe specific fault in that area

What it means

P0269 is the generic code for a cylinder 3 contribution or balance fault. The engine control unit monitors crankshaft speed changes or cylinder balance (mainly on diesels, where it is often tied to the injector balance test) and has found that cylinder 3 is delivering noticeably less or more power than the other cylinders. The exact test method and limits vary by engine and manufacturer.

Symptoms

Rough idle or uneven running
Misfire or knocking from one cylinder
Loss of power and poor acceleration
Increased smoke, fuel smell or higher fuel consumption
Engine warning light on, possibly with limp mode
Hard starting or stalling

Possible causes

Faulty or worn fuel injector on cylinder 3 (leaking, sticking or poor spray pattern)likely
Low compression on cylinder 3 (worn rings, leaking valve, head gasket leak)possible
Wiring or connector fault in the cylinder 3 injector circuitpossible
Ignition fault on cylinder 3 on petrol engines (spark plug, coil)possible
Fuel supply problem such as low pressure, contaminated fuel or restricted filterpossible
Air leak or restriction affecting cylinder 3, such as an intake leak or a blocked or sticking EGR passagerare
Faulty engine control unit or outdated calibration where the manufacturer has documented itrare

How to diagnose

Read all stored and pending codes and look at the freeze frame data for load, speed and temperature when the fault set.
Check for related codes such as misfire, injector circuit or fuel pressure faults, and follow any other codes first.
Inspect the cylinder 3 injector wiring, connector, and earth connections for damage, corrosion or oil contamination.
On petrol engines, inspect the spark plug and coil on cylinder 3, and swap with another cylinder to see if the fault follows.
Use live data to view cylinder balance or injector correction values and compare cylinder 3 with the others.
Check fuel pressure and fuel quality and inspect the fuel filter, following the manufacturer procedure for the engine.
Check for intake air leaks and inspect the intake and EGR passages for restrictions.
Carry out a compression or leak-down test on cylinder 3 if the injector and ignition checks are fine.

How to fix

Replace or recode the faulty injector as the manufacturer requires for that engine.
Repair damaged wiring, connectors or earth faults in the cylinder 3 circuit.
Replace the faulty spark plug or ignition coil on petrol engines.
Correct fuel supply issues by replacing the filter, draining contaminated fuel or repairing the pressure fault.
Repair internal engine faults such as valve, ring or head gasket problems if the compression test confirms them.
Fix intake leaks or clean blocked passages, then clear the code and road test to confirm it stays off.

Can I keep driving?

Medium severity

Short, gentle driving is usually possible, but get it checked soon because a faulty injector or low compression can cause further engine damage. Stop driving if the engine runs very roughly, knocks, smokes heavily or the warning light flashes.

Guide written by AI from the code's definition. Confirm with a diagnosis before replacing parts.