A dead cylinder in an engine can be caused by a bad ignition coil, bad spark plug, bad or clogged fuel injector or worn piston ring.
Sometimes an ignition coil or bad spark plug or faulty fuel injector can cause a misfire or no fire on a cylinder in the engine.
If a piston ring is worn it can also cause low compressor or no compression on that cylinder and lead to one cylinder being dead in an engine while the other cylinders work just fine.
If you experience compression loss in one cylinder of the engine, it can cause misfiring and poor vehicle performance.
A decrease in power output is a sign of worn-out internal parts.
Sometimes, an engine misfire code may indicate compression loss, but first, check the ignition and fuel for problems.
Can you drive with a dead cylinder?
With only one broken cylinder, yes you can, but it isn't recommended.
Driving with the engine having a misfired cylinder can be potentially dangerous.
You'll already be low of power with one cylinder if not firing and if you another cylinder goes out, then you lose more power.
Driving with a misfiring cylinder is potentially dangerous.
If you lose power while driving or a second or third cylinder goes out, this can cause you to get into a car accident, possibly injuring you and others around you.
What causes a cylinder to not fire?
The engine may be running poorly and one or more cylinders may be misfiring.
The check engine light may come on or keep flashing.
The most common cause for a misfire is a problem related to the ignition system.
Misfiring can be caused by loss of spark; imbalanced air/fuel mixture; or loss of compression.