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P26A5

Engine Coolant Bypass Valve A Position Sensor Circuit Range/Performance

The bypass valve A position sensor reading does not correlate with commanded position. Sensor drift or worn linkage.

  • Check engine light: Yes
  • Emissions related: No
  • Repair difficulty: medium

Common causes

Ordered by how often each turns out to be the cause.

  • Sensor signal drift after thermal agingPossible
  • Worn linkage between actuator and valvePossible
  • Sensor element aged beyond calibration windowLess likely

Parts involved

  • Bypass Position Sensor A
  • Actuator Linkage

P26A5 is a generic OBD-II code defined by SAE J2012. Exact wording and diagnostic procedure vary by manufacturer and model. Code definitions are drawn from the public-domain OBDex dataset; the workshop notes are our own.