Quick Answer
P0313 means the powertrain control module detected an engine misfire while fuel level was low. The P0313 code does not prove the tank simply ran dry, nor does it identify a failed pump, injector, coil, or spark plug. Save code status and freeze-frame data before clearing anything, then confirm the actual fuel level and companion misfire or fuel-pressure faults.
1What Does the P0313 Code Mean?
P0313 is a generic OBD-II powertrain code with the standardized description “Misfire Detected with Low Fuel.” It records two pieces of context together: the engine controller recognized crankshaft-speed behavior consistent with misfire, and the vehicle reported a low fuel level during that event. It is not a cylinder-location code and does not name the failed cause.
The low-fuel context matters because fuel can uncover a weak delivery problem or allow air ingestion on some tank and pickup designs. Yet a nearly empty tank is not the only possible explanation. A worn ignition part, injector problem, intake leak, incorrect fuel-level signal, pressure loss, or mechanical compression fault can misfire at the same time.
Manufacturer logic varies. Ford's 2018 gasoline OBD system summary explains that, on the covered applications, the P0313 code can be set in place of a P030x code when a misfire is detected at low fuel level. Treat that as an application-specific example, not a universal fuel-percentage threshold or storage rule for every vehicle.
How P0313 differs from nearby misfire and fuel codes
| Code | General description | Key distinction |
|---|---|---|
| P0300 | Random/multiple cylinder misfire detected | Misfire is not isolated to one cylinder; low fuel is not part of the standard description. |
| P0301 | Cylinder 1 misfire detected | Identifies cylinder 1 rather than the low-fuel context. |
| P0313 | Misfire detected with low fuel | Combines misfire detection with a low-fuel condition; no cylinder or failed part is specified. |
| P0316 | Misfire detected on startup, first 1,000 revolutions | Describes startup timing rather than fuel level. |
| P0087 | Fuel rail/system pressure too low | Classifies measured or modeled fuel-pressure performance, not misfire detection. |
Read the whole scan. P0313 may appear alone or beside P0300/P030x, lean-mixture, fuel-pressure, injector-circuit, or fuel-level-sensor codes. Their status, failure order, and freeze frame can change the diagnostic direction.
2P0313 Symptoms and Likely Causes
A P0313 event can range from a stored code with no current drivability complaint to an active, catalyst-damaging misfire. Note whether symptoms began only near empty, continued after refueling, followed recent fuel-system or ignition work, or occur under load, on turns, or during acceleration.
The MIL may be steady or flash during an active severe misfire. Code status matters more than lamp memory alone.
Shaking, hesitation, surging, or stalling may appear as fuel delivery becomes unstable or one cylinder loses combustion.
Power can drop under load, especially when a marginal pump, pickup, injector, ignition part, or air leak is exposed.
Extended cranking can accompany inadequate fuel supply, but electrical, ignition, timing, and mechanical faults remain possible.
Practical cause-checking order
- Actual low fuel or incorrect fuel-level information: an empty tank, parking angle, pickup exposure, or a fuel-level sender/reporting fault can create misleading context.
- Accessible connection and installation issues: loose fuel-pump, injector, ignition-coil, sensor, or ground connections; chafed wiring; pin fit; water intrusion; or a hose disturbed during recent work.
- Fuel-supply restriction or loss: a blocked serviceable filter, damaged line, weak low-pressure pump, restricted pickup, control-circuit voltage drop, regulator fault, or application-specific high-pressure issue.
- Cylinder-specific combustion faults: worn or fouled spark plugs, weak coils, injector flow/circuit problems, vacuum leaks near one runner, or exhaust-gas intrusion.
- Mechanical or timing problems: low compression, valve sealing, incorrect cam timing, valvetrain damage, or a crank/cam signal problem that must be proven with the OEM procedure.
- Controller or calibration path: consider PCM software or internal control faults only after external power, ground, signal, fuel, ignition, and mechanical paths pass.
Refueling is a test, not a diagnosis. If P0313 returns with adequate fuel, or the engine still misfires after refueling, investigate the stored evidence and companion codes instead of repeatedly clearing the fault.
3How Serious Is P0313, and Can You Drive?
With the P0313 code, a steady MIL, normal oil pressure and temperature, no fuel odor or leak, and no noticeable misfire, a short light-load trip to refuel or reach a safe diagnostic location may be reasonable if the owner's manual permits it. Keep loads and engine speed low. Continued driving with an active misfire can overheat the catalytic converter and may leave the vehicle stalled.
Stop and arrange a tow if the MIL flashes, the engine shakes violently, power loss makes traffic unsafe, repeated stalling occurs, or you see smoke, smell raw fuel or burning, find a leak, hear knocking or mechanical contact, or receive an oil-pressure or overheating warning.
Work around gasoline demands fire control and ventilation. Do not smoke, create sparks, probe pressurized fuel lines casually, or open a high-pressure system without the exact depressurization procedure. Keep clear of hot exhaust parts, automatic cooling fans, moving belts, and rotating engine components.
4How to Diagnose P0313 in the Right Order
-
Save every code, status, and freeze frame
Scan all relevant modules before clearing. Record P0313 as current, pending, history, or permanent; note P0300/P030x, lean, pressure, injector, fuel-level, crank/cam, and communication companions. Capture fuel level, engine speed, load, trims, pressure PIDs, voltage, coolant temperature, and failure order when supported.
-
Identify the VIN-specific monitor and fuel architecture
Use the exact engine, tank, pump, direct- or port-injection layout, wiring diagram, service information, and bulletins. Confirm how the PCM receives fuel level, how it enables the misfire monitor, whether low fuel changes DTC storage, and which PIDs or tests are valid for this calibration.
-
Inspect the cool vehicle and recent work first
Verify actual fuel quantity independently when the gauge seems doubtful. Check the cap and filler area, accessible lines, pump-module and injector connectors, ignition connectors, grounds, harness routing, vacuum hoses, and intake ducting. Recheck anything disturbed during a recent pump, battery, injector, plug, coil, intake, or engine repair.
-
Prove the physical and electrical paths
Follow OEM precautions, then use the specified fuel-pressure equipment, digital multimeter, voltage-drop or current test, spark tester, smoke machine, injector test, and compression or leak-down tools as the architecture requires. Test the supply under the conditions that produced the code; do not replace a pump from scan pressure alone.
-
Compare supported command, feedback, and misfire data
On a supported vehicle, compare desired and actual fuel pressure, low-side versus high-side behavior, fuel-level input, trims, oxygen or air-fuel data, and cylinder misfire counters. If an approved active test is available, command the pump or injector only within the OEM procedure. A response narrows the path but does not prove physical pressure or flow.
-
Confirm the failed cause and required setup
Match the symptom to a repeatable test result. If a component or module needs replacement, confirm serviceability, coding, relearn, initialization, seal or line replacement, and torque requirements before work. Controllers belong last. Finish with leak checks, saved post-repair data, and the actual monitor verification.
Specifications are vehicle-specific. Fuel percentages, rail pressure, voltage, resistance, current, flow, compression, fuel trims, misfire counts, enable conditions, and drive cycles differ by VIN and software. Use the OEM unit, tool, and limit for the tested circuit.
5P0313 Repairs and Typical Costs
The correct P0313 repair is the one supported by testing. It may be as simple as safely restoring fuel level and correcting a false level reading, or it may involve wiring, ignition, injector, pressure, intake, or mechanical work. Do not add the ranges below together; they are alternative outcomes, not a repair package.
| Possible path | Current US estimate |
|---|---|
| Restore fuel level; inspect for a gauge or sender mismatch | Fuel cost or VIN-specific quote |
| Spark plug replacement, only after ignition evidence supports it | $284-$397 |
| Fuel injector replacement, after circuit, flow, and mechanical checks | $764-$949 |
| Fuel pump replacement, after pressure, supply, ground, and restriction tests | $1,330-$1,501 |
| Connector, wiring, fuel-level sender, vacuum leak, coil, compression, software, or module work | VIN-specific quote |
RepairPal displayed these national averages on August 7, 2026: spark plug replacement $284-$397, fuel injector replacement $764-$949, and fuel pump replacement $1,330-$1,501. Each excludes taxes, fees, location, related work, and vehicle-specific access. A shop may also charge diagnosis separately. Fuel leaks and high-pressure work require trained service procedures.
6Using iCarsoft CR Max P for P0313
On a supported vehicle, iCarsoft CR Max P can scan the engine and related modules, preserve P0313 code status and available freeze frame, display ECU-provided live data, review readiness or Mode 6 information when exposed, and save a diagnostic report. Its official page also lists full-system diagnostics and active tests, but coverage varies by make, model, year, ECU, software, and security access.
Evidence before parts
iCarsoft CR Max P
Save the original scan, compare supported fuel and misfire data, and document the result before and after repair. Confirm exact VIN coverage before purchase.
Check current CR Max P price and availabilityCheck CR Max P compatibility by VINWhen the exact VIN and ECU expose the necessary PID or approved output test, compare requested and actual fuel pressure, fuel-level input, trims, misfire counters, and pump command. Missing data or an unsupported test is not evidence that the vehicle component failed. Save screenshots or a report before clearing.
Know the measurement boundary. CR Max P reads what the ECU reports; it does not directly measure fuel pressure or volume, voltage drop, current, resistance, spark energy, injector flow, vacuum leakage, compression, terminal tension, or internal pump condition. Use an approved pressure gauge, multimeter, current probe, smoke machine, spark tester, compression/leak-down equipment, and physical inspection as required.
7Verify the P0313 Repair
After repair, confirm there are no fuel leaks, loose connectors, pinched hoses, or abnormal noises. Save post-repair fuel-level, pressure, trim, oxygen/air-fuel, voltage, and misfire evidence under comparable safe conditions. If a part needed initialization, coding, or relearn, complete the exact OEM procedure before judging the result.
Use the manufacturer clearing procedure for erasable DTCs only after the original evidence is saved. Then run the applicable misfire and fuel-system monitor enable conditions, or safely reproduce the freeze-frame load and fuel context. Recheck current and pending P0313 code status, companion codes, cylinder counters, and supported command-versus-feedback data. One smooth idle or one key cycle is not sufficient when the monitor needs other conditions.
A permanent P0313 can remain immediately after a successful repair. If the vehicle stores it as a permanent DTC, a scan tool or battery disconnect cannot erase it. Once current and pending faults are absent, the OBD system removes the permanent record only after the applicable monitor reruns and passes.
8Related Misfire and Fuel Code Guides
9P0313 Frequently Asked Questions
Does the P0313 code mean the fuel pump is bad?
No. P0313 reports a misfire detected with low fuel; it does not identify the failed part. Confirm actual fuel level, pressure under the failure condition, power and ground, restrictions, companion codes, ignition, injector, intake, and mechanical evidence before replacing a pump.
What is the difference between P0313 and P0300?
P0313 adds low-fuel context to the misfire event. P0300 identifies random or multiple-cylinder misfire without that context. Depending on manufacturer strategy, both may be stored, or P0313 may replace a P030x entry during low-fuel operation.
Can I drive with P0313?
A short light-load trip may be reasonable when the MIL is steady, the engine runs normally, and no leak, odor, warning, or unsafe power loss exists. Stop and tow for a flashing MIL, severe shaking, stalling, smoke, fuel leakage, overheating, low oil pressure, or abnormal mechanical noise.
Will adding fuel clear P0313?
Refueling may remove the condition if the misfire resulted only from very low fuel, but it cannot repair a weak pump, false fuel-level signal, wiring fault, injector or ignition problem, air leak, or compression fault. Save evidence, refuel safely, and verify the actual monitor.
How much can a P0313 repair cost?
The result depends on proven cause. Current national estimates updated August 7, 2026 are $284-$397 for spark plugs, $764-$949 for fuel injectors, and $1,330-$1,501 for a fuel pump. Wiring, sender, leak, coil, software, and mechanical repairs need a VIN-specific quote.
Can iCarsoft CR Max P diagnose P0313?
On a supported vehicle, CR Max P can read P0313, status, freeze frame, companion codes, and available fuel, trim, pressure, misfire, or Mode 6 data. VIN-dependent active tests may help. It cannot physically measure pressure, flow, voltage drop, spark, leakage, or compression, so external instruments remain necessary.
Technical and cost references
- SAE J2012_202509, Diagnostic Trouble Code Definitions, revised September 1, 2025.
- SAE J2012DA_202607 Digital Annex, current July 29, 2026.
- Ford 2018 MY OBD System Operation Summary for Gasoline Engines, revision June 28, 2017.
- Ford Safety Recall 13S12, Attachment III, NHTSA-hosted, March 2014.
- RepairPal Spark Plug Replacement Cost Estimate, $284-$397, updated August 7, 2026.
- RepairPal Fuel Injector Replacement Cost Estimate, $764-$949, updated August 7, 2026.
- RepairPal Fuel Pump Replacement Cost Estimate, $1,330-$1,501, updated August 7, 2026.
- California Bureau of Automotive Repair, Smog Check OBD Reference Guide.
Product information: Official iCarsoft CR Max P page.
Editorial note: This guide provides general diagnostic information, not a substitute for the factory manual for the exact VIN. Misfire logic, fuel architecture, specifications, test equipment, safety procedures, and repair steps vary. Fuel leaks, high-pressure fuel work, internal engine testing, and controller programming should be handled by qualified technicians with approved equipment.
