P0301 Chevy Silverado: Cylinder 1 Misfire Diagnosis and Fix

P0301 on a Chevy Silverado means cylinder 1 is misfiring. Cylinder 1 is the front cylinder on the driver’s side — the most accessible cylinder on a GM V8 for diagnosis and repair. Here’s how to work through it efficiently.

Watch this exact code diagnosed on a 2014 Sierra 5.3 – spark test straight to a bad ignition coil, no guessing.

Cylinder 1 Location on GM V8

On all GM V8 engines: Driver’s side cylinders front-to-rear = 1, 3, 5, 7. Cylinder 1 is the frontmost cylinder on the driver’s side — directly behind the driver-side headlight on most Silverados. Easy to access without removing anything extra.

Common Causes of P0301

Failed ignition coil on cylinder 1 (most common, start here), worn or fouled spark plug, defective fuel injector, or on 2007–2021 5.3L trucks, a failed AFM lifter — cylinder 1 is an AFM deactivation cylinder. Additionally, low compression on cylinder 1 from a worn piston ring or burned valve can cause P0301 that doesn’t respond to ignition or injector fixes.

Diagnosis Procedure

Step 1: Swap the cylinder 1 ignition coil with the cylinder 2 coil (front passenger side). If P0302 sets, the coil was the cause — replace it ($30–60). Step 2: Remove and inspect the cylinder 1 spark plug. Look for oil fouling (AFM lifter issue indicator), carbon fouling, or physical damage. Step 3: If coil and plug check out, swap the cylinder 1 injector connector to cylinder 3. A lean/rich shift confirms injector issue. Step 4: Compression test cylinder 1 — should read 150–200 PSI within 15% of adjacent cylinders.

AFM Note

Cylinder 1 is one of the four AFM deactivation cylinders on the 5.3L (cylinders 1, 4, 6, 7). A P0301 that follows all other diagnosis without resolution on a high-mileage 5.3L is a strong indicator of AFM lifter collapse. See our AFM delete guide. Want to see this worked through on a real truck? The 5.3 coil test walkthrough on a 2014 Sierra takes it plug → spark → wire → coil → connector and confirms the failed part before buying anything. For other misfire codes: P0300 random misfire, P0302, P0304.