2013 Ram 1500 3.6L, needing to know location of cylinder #4 so I can replace correct coil.

 

Chrysler and the Pentastar V6 use even-odd cylinder numbering. Looking at the engine from the front of the truck with the hood open, the cylinder nearest the serpentine belt on your left side (passenger side in US) is cylinder #1. Behind that is cylinder #3 and cylinder #5 is next to the firewall. On the right (driver's side) the forward-most cylinder is cylinder #2, #4 is in the middle of bank 2, and #6 is next to the firewall.

Before just blindly replacing the coil I'd recommend you swap the coil with another, easy to reach, cylinder and swap the spark plug with yet another cylinder. Check the Freeze Frame data before clearing the diagnostic code, then drive for a bit to see if the misfire remains on cylinder #4, follows the coil, or follows the spark plug. The diagnostic code P2311 does not necessarily mean the coil is bad, it could also be an issue with wiring to the coil or a bad spark plug.

-Rod

 

I thought number 1 was the frontmost cylinder on the drivers side?

 

I'm only about 85% confident in my response. Unless the OP can find labels on the coil or fuel injector wires, or wants to force a misfire, we might need to get a third opinion.

-Rod

 

i tend to remember the drivers side being odd cylinders



EDIT:
according the FSM from my old durango the cylinders are numbered as follows
2 4 6 8
front
1 3 5 7

so drivers side is odd, passenger side even, i dont see why Dodge would change that.

 

For the V8's, I agree with this standard format, but for at least the 2.7L and 3.5L V6 engines, the numbering was different. One reason for the change may be influence from Daimler? I'm not having luck finding anything specific to the 3.6L other than this article which verbally describes the cylinder numbering as "Cylinders are numbered front to rear; the right bank has pistons 1, 3, and 5, the left 2, 4, and 6, with a 1-2-3-4-5-6 firing order. The serial number is on the left side of the block, at the transmission flange" but is "left" and "right" per sitting in the vehicle like most service manual nomenclature or from standing in front of the engine, looking at the pulleys?



-Rod

 

Ah, V-6, missed that glaringly obvious little tidbit.

 

i missed it too, but the 3.9 v6 from the dakotas back when (my best exprience with v6s) was numbered the same as the v8s just with 2 less cylinders :/