OBD-II trouble code
P0272: Cylinder 4 Contribution/Balance
SAE J2012 APR2002: cylinder 4 contribution/balance. Cylinder 4 is the last cylinder on the SB-10030789 balance step, which monitors 1 through 4. The printed pair is one injector after compression.
Quick facts
- System
- Powertrain
- Category
- Fuel Injectors
- Severity
- Medium severity
- Drivable
- Usually safe to drive short-term
- Repair cost range
- $768 – $953 (one fuel injector replacement, parts and labor, after SB-10030789 or 19-NA-232 finds compression intact; the charge-air leak is outside this pair)
- DIY difficulty
- Shop recommended
Browse every code in P0200–P0299, or start from the full code library.
What does P0272 mean?
SAE J2012 APR2002 names P0272 Cylinder 4 Contribution/Balance. It is not P0270 or P0271, the circuit-low and circuit-high codes. A VAG-group list prints 16656 P0272 as a fuel-injection quantity deviation on cylinder 4 and stops there.
SB-10030789-2893 tells the technician to monitor balancing rates for cylinders 1 through 4, so cylinder 4 is the last channel on that step and cylinder 5 is not on it. The sheet says balancing rates alone do not indicate a specific failure and says not to replace components solely on that information. Engine off one minute, idle two minutes above 140°F, raise rpm above 1500 for 30 seconds, return to idle one minute, and read rates only below 1200 rpm. Positive means additional fuel is being added. Negative means fuel is being removed. A high rate continues to injector flow-rate programming, an infrared check of exhaust ports within ±20°F of each other, and a compression test. The sheet does not print a millimetre cutoff.
19-NA-232 (NHTSA MC-10168238) lists P0272 with P0300–P0308 on the 2017–2020 L5D and L5P Silverado and Sierra trucks, and the cab-chassis years it names. Causes: fuel injector, electrical issue, or loss of cylinder compression. The crank is done with the fuel-pump control module B+ fuse removed. Read the downward portion of the waveform, where the starter pulls current on a compression stroke. An even set of spikes is the bulletin's picture of an engine that passes the compression comparison.
17-NA-194 (NHTSA MC-10166641) also lists P0272, on 2016–2020 LWN vans and midsize trucks, and the cause there is an induction leak checked with the full-system charge-air test. LBT-149's +4 mm³ to −4 mm³ Park window and +6 mm³ to −6 mm³ Drive window are the Duramax reprint, not these three documents. None of them names a spark plug as the lead repair, and none of them says cylinder 4 is the end of a fuel rail.
Common causes
- Cylinder 4 fuel added or removed on the SB-10030789 balance monitor
- On a 19-NA-232 truck, loss of cylinder compression
- A fuel injector or an electrical fault on that bulletin after the battery-voltage dips match
- On a 17-NA-194 LWN, an induction-system leak
Symptoms
- P0272 stored
- A rate on cylinders 1 through 4 that the 2012 sheet refuses to treat as a parts order
- P0300 through P0308 on an L5D or L5P covered by 19-NA-232
- Another code from the 17-NA-194 list on an LWN
- P0271 stored, which is circuit high and a different page
Diagnostic steps
- 1.Diagnose P0270 or P0271 first if either is stored. Contribution can remain after the circuit passes.
- 2.On SB-10030789, include cylinder 4 and stop at cylinder 4. Do not read cylinder 5 against a step that says 1 through 4. Do not replace a part on the rate alone.
- 3.A high rate on that sheet goes to flow-rate programming, exhaust ports within ±20°F, and compression. Low compression leaves the injector in place.
- 4.On a 19-NA-232 truck, pull the FPCM B+ fuse, crank, save the battery-voltage trace, refit the fuse, and clear codes the open fuse set. The scope is across the battery. A weak downward voltage dip, the starter drawing more current on a compression stroke, is mechanical. An even voltage trace takes compression off the list. Do not treat the balance rate alone as a failed injector.
- 5.On a listed LWN, run the full-system charge-air leak test. That bulletin's cause is the induction leak.
- 6.Do not apply LBT-149's millimetres here unless the engine is the Duramax that reprint describes. Depressurize before an injector is opened. The printed pair is that injector after compression is not the fault.
Repair cost
$768 – $953 (one fuel injector replacement, parts and labor, after SB-10030789 or 19-NA-232 finds compression intact; the charge-air leak is outside this pair)
RepairPal's 3 September 2026 national injector replacement is $768–$953 (labor $304–$446, parts $464–$507). The printed pair is that job when the balance sheet or 19-NA-232 leaves the injector as the remaining fuel-side part. A compression repair and 17-NA-194's charge-air repair were searched and are not given a total here. Diagnosis is $125–$183, separate. The national filter job, $258–$322, is not a step on these sheets. The Silverado 1500 filter line at $290–$415 is a different line.
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DIY vs shop
Leave this one to a qualified shop. The barrier here is high-pressure fuel components, where residual pressure remains after shutdown and escaping fuel can penetrate skin. DIY attempts often produce a more expensive problem than the original code.