OBD codes / P0361
P0361
SeriousIgnition Coil K Primary/Secondary Circuit (Cylinder 11)
A V12 hides a single misfire so well that the temptation is to ignore this code — resist it. Cylinder 11's unburned fuel is quietly overheating the catalytic converter on its bank, and converters for these cars are not cheap. Steady light: minimal gentle driving. Flashing light: park it until repaired.
What this code means
Coil K serves cylinder 11, so P0361 is effectively a V12-family code — no ten-cylinder or smaller engine has a coil K to fault (a V10 tops out at coil J). The ECM fires each of the twelve coils by switching its primary winding and verifies the circuit electrically on every spark event; P0361 means coil K's primary or secondary circuit read open or shorted. It is an electrical failure, which separates it cleanly from a worn spark plug — a tired plug misfires without ever breaking the circuit. The realistic causes are a failed coil, a connector that has loosened or corroded, chafed wiring in that bank's harness, a blown fuse in the coil supply, and, rarely, the coil driver inside the ECM. Because a twelve-cylinder engine idles smoothly even with one cylinder down, the stored codes — this one plus companion misfire code P0311 — are often the clearest evidence that anything is wrong at all.
Symptoms you might notice
- Cylinder 11 misfire — frequently subtle on a V12
- Faint idle unevenness or vibration under load
- Check-engine light; flashing during active misfire
- Fuel smell from the exhaust
- Marginal power loss; usually paired with P0311
What it costs to fix
Typical range: $70–$500 · about ~0.3–2.5 hrs of labor
| If the cause is… | Part | Labor |
|---|---|---|
| Ignition coil (single) | $30–$150 | ~0.3–1.5 hrs |
| Wiring or connector repair | $5–$50 | ~0.5–2 hrs |
| Spark plugs (while in there) | $20–$100 | ~0.5–1.5 hrs |
The coil itself costs no more than any other coil — the expense on a V12 is access, since coils typically sit under engine covers in a tightly packaged bay, and labor rates at shops equipped for twelve-cylinder cars run higher. Bundling plugs and a coil-bank inspection into the same access session is usually the economical choice.
The price swings on which cause it turns out to be — so confirm the cause before paying. Diagnose P0361 for my exact vehicle →
Frequently asked
Should all twelve coils be replaced when one fails?
Not automatically. If the swap test pins the fault on coil 11, one coil is a complete repair. On a high-mileage V12 where access labor dominates the bill, replacing coils in sets (or at least the same bank) can be sensible economics — but that's a cost-of-labor decision, not a technical necessity.
My car only has 6 cylinders — why am I seeing P0361?
You shouldn't be. Coil K corresponds to cylinder 11, which only exists on twelve-cylinder engines. A P0361 reading on a smaller engine almost certainly means a scan-tool misread or a garbled code — rescan with a different tool before chasing a phantom fault.
What will fixing P0361 cost?
The part is ordinary — an ignition coil is a modest component even for a V12. The real cost is labor to reach it under the engine covers and, if the fault is wiring, the diagnostic time to trace it. Doing plugs and inspecting neighboring coils during the same teardown stretches that labor further.
Can I drive with P0361?
The engine will run fine on eleven cylinders, but every mile feeds unburned fuel to a catalytic converter that's expensive to replace on a twelve-cylinder car. Keep driving brief and gentle with a steady light, and stop driving on a flashing one.
Seeing P0361 on your car? Get a diagnosis specific to your exact year, make and model.
Diagnose P0361 for my vehicleRelated trouble codes
Don’t have a scanner yet? A ~$25 Bluetooth adapter reads codes like P0361 from your phone — see our honest guide to the best OBD2 Bluetooth adapters.
Generic OBD-II reference. Manufacturer-specific behavior varies — confirm with a scan tool and, for safety-related codes, a professional inspection.