Powertrain, generic (extended)

P230B Cylinder 2 Air-Fuel Ratio Imbalance - Adjustment At Limit During Balance

Check engine lightOn

EmissionsRelevant

Drive cycleRequired

Limp modeNo

P230B singles out cylinder 2: its individual fuel correction has reached the limit during cylinder balancing and the imbalance remains. Audi is one of the few makers whose use of the code is on record. Its 2020 bulletin 2060348 for the A6 2.0 TFSI of the third EA888 generation explains that a calibration mistake filed a cylinder 2 imbalance under P230E, the cylinder 5 code, instead of the correct P230B; the guided fault finding still tested cylinder 2. P219D is the plain imbalance code for this cylinder and P0302 its misfire counter. Typical root causes are an injector delivering too much or too little, a leaking intake port seal or a valve that no longer closes tightly. The MIL is lit and the engine may idle unevenly.

Likely causes

Injector of cylinder 2 delivering too much or too little (deposits, wear)

Air leak at the intake port or injector seal of cylinder 2

Valve of cylinder 2 not sealing (worn seat or guide), low compression

Calibration error in the cylinder assignment (Audi 2.0 TFSI Gen 3, bulletin 2060348)

Symptoms

Check engine light on
Rough idle, possibly misfire on cylinder 2
Higher fuel consumption or exhaust smell

Repair estimate

DifficultyMediumWorkshop job

Parts and labour€0–1,500

Time0.5–6 h

Typical range across vehicles; the real cost depends on what the testing finds.

Parts involved

fuel injector cyl 2intake manifoldcylinder compression

References: law.cornell.edu, static.nhtsa.gov, static.nhtsa.gov.