P0301 on a Ram 1500
Cylinder 1 Misfire Detected
5.7L HEMI V8 (and 3.6L Pentastar V6 where applicable)
What P0301 usually means on a 1500
P0301 isolates a misfire to cylinder 1 on the Ram 1500. The first checks are the coil and plug on that cylinder, easily done with a swap test. On the 5.7 HEMI, cylinder 1 is one of the cylinders that deactivates under MDS, which makes it a candidate for the collapsed-lifter and worn-cam problem the engine is known for, so a cylinder-1 misfire with a tick deserves a mechanical look. On the Pentastar the same ignition-first logic applies.
Most likely causes on this model
- Coil or plug on cylinder 1
Swap-test the coil to a neighbor; if the misfire follows, the coil is the culprit.
- HEMI MDS lifter or cam lobe on cylinder 1
Cylinder 1 deactivates under MDS, so a collapsed lifter or flat lobe there is a known cause with an accompanying tick.
- Cylinder 1 fuel injector
A clogged or failing injector starves that cylinder and mimics an ignition fault.
- Low compression on cylinder 1
A burnt valve or lifter-related damage shows as a mechanical misfire a leak-down will confirm.
What it costs on a 1500
If it is a coil or plug, the fix is inexpensive, well under two hundred dollars. If a leak-down or inspection points to a HEMI lifter and cam on cylinder 1, the repair climbs into the four figures because of the labor to reach the valvetrain. A swap test and, on a HEMI, listening for a tick should come before parts.
Year, engine and mileage change the answer. Get a diagnosis for your 1500 — it weighs these causes against your exact configuration and real complaint data.
Diagnose my 1500 free →Other codes we cover on the Ram 1500
Related symptoms
Based on widely reported patterns for this model; individual causes vary by year, engine and history. Generic P0301 behavior is covered on the main P0301 page. Confirm with a scan tool before buying parts.