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P26C1

Engine Coolant Bypass Valve D Range/Performance

The fourth coolant bypass valve responds to commands but the resulting coolant temperature behaviour is not as expected.

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

Common causes

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

  • Valve partially stuck by sedimentCommon
  • Weak return spring fails to close fullyPossible
  • Sensor element aged beyond calibration windowLess likely

Parts involved

  • Coolant Bypass Valve D
  • Thermostat Housing

P26C1 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.