P0302 Cylinder 2 Misfire Detected

I have seen several posts on the Volvo forums about cylinder misfire issues on the 960, so I thought I would post what I found on mine.  Hopefully this will help someone!

The Problem

Heading into to work the other day my check engine light started blinking at me, and it idled a little rough.  I turned around and headed home to drive the trusty S60 to get to work.  I stopped by the shop, and had them read the code: P0302 cylinder 2 misfire detected.  So, I called my friends over at Volv Tech and asked them their suggestion.  Their suggestion was to check the connectors to the coil pack, because the heat breaks down all of the plastic material over time. I pulled off the spark plug cover to check the connectors and sure enough the connectors were brittle and falling apart.

The Fix

I went to the Volvo dealer (or you could go to www.volvopartswebstore.com they are cheaper) and picked up:

• 6 x Volvo part number 9144275 (the plastic connectors that connect to the coil pack)

• 12 x Volvo part number 3523813 (the wires that connect to the coil pack)

• 14 x 22-18 gauge Butt-Connector from Radio Shack or somewhere like that (you only need 12 but you might need a few extras)

Starting with one cylinder at a time, I kept up with the pin numbers and the colors of the cables.  I cut the old connectors off, and left a little bit of cable to ensure I got the color right when putting it back together.  I stripped the wires, measured the length of cable to be the same as the stock length, and crimping the Butt-Connectors on the wires. I put the connector ends of the wire in the back of the connector (ensuring the proper color cable alignment), and pushed the door up on the connector to snap it closed.  

After doing all 6 connectors, it ran like a champ!  This project cost me about $80, and appears to be a common issue with this model.  For the price, I think it is a wise project to complete that might save you some grief!