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Very thorough video! I've also got P0128 on a 2006 Honda Civic. I'm guessing most of the other viewers do too. =) It's a shame that this video is buried at only about 3,000 views. I bet more than 3,000 people have had this problem and checked RU-vid. I went down to the local auto parts store, their tool gave P0128, as well as the suggestion to replace ECT2. I _thought_ I knew which sensor was ECT2 until I watched this video. Turns out I was looking at ECT1. Thanks for showing where both ETC1 and ECT2 are. I've got my own scan tool on order so I can see what temps are reported and decide between an ECT2 replacement or thermostat. Either way, I'm prepared after watching you do the diagnosis and repair. Fantastic info, no fluff, or faffing around. A+.
Sir you're the best. I wish I were a younger man and could learn all you know and the way you deliver is outstanding! Thank you for the details, details, details!
Well done! I also had the exact same error and Civic. Thanks to your video, I was confident enough to complete the job on my own. You explained the procedure in such detail that I didn't have to use an additional video for help. Regarding the reservoir: It was easy for me to remove but a bit of pain to put back into that bracket. I think I was lucky to get it back in. Regarding the part where you remove coolant bubbles (and for anyone else reading this): The whole process for me took about 45mins from starting the engine to finish. He suggests revving the engine at the start so that the engine warms up faster and you don't have to wait. Once it reaches the right temp, you'll hear the fans start. It will go on and off several times. Wait for at least 2 to 3 cycles then check for more bubbles (I waited for >10 cycles). If there's a 5mm bubble that pops up occasionally, you're done. Normal driving will cause the remaining bubbles to go to the reservoir.
Great video and was very helpful in replacing my thermostat. The vehicle came back with a check engine light for an O2 sensor error the next day after replacing the thermostat, but it since cleared without any further repairs and has been driving well without any CEL for over a week now. Thanks for posting. Thumbs up*
Saw what I needed to know about half-way through, but wanted so bad to see the scan tool showing properly functioning sensors/thermostat. Very grateful you put that "bonus footage" in there. Thank you!
I am amazed looking at your engine my car is exact same model but we are in salted roads of Pennsylvania so everything is rusty and it sat around not being used a lot . these videos are great for working on my car very well made
Today with inflation you cannot take the car to a workshop due to minor faults that we may be able to do. I understand that the workshop will charge a lot and that is understood, because they pay local rent, insurance, use special tools and the mechanic had to go to school and university, he is a professional and that is why they charge like this, with this inflation everything is very expensive and it is difficult for us to fix the car, but this video was very good for me so I use it as a guide because it is the same thing that I will fix. thank man👍
Thanks! Very helpful - I looked at several other videos and turned them off as soon as I saw they didn't know anything about the locator tabs and how the thermostat and gasket line up. That's all I needed to know.
I truly enjoyed your attention to detail. Very user friendly video in real time. If I had a criticism it would have nothing to do with your work, just with the fact that you wore your wrist watch the entire time. I use to do that a lot in the 1980's when I was just beginning to work on my own cars. Unfortunately I learned the hard way by getting a pretty nasty burn on my right hand because my watch kept me too close to a hot A-pipe and when I tried to pull away from it in a hurry, the watch held my hand in place. Never wore a watch ever again to work on a car not to mention you can pretty much destroy a watch when there is no need to. Other than that, I give you a 100% thumbs up, thanks for sharing!!!!!
My pleasure. Quick question, the engine coolant fan on my 2006 CRV just stopped working. The good news is that when I turn on the A/C that both the A/C fan and the main cooling fan run fine. I'm thinking probably a fan relay or ECT (1) or ECT (2). The engine temp is fine as long as I keep the car moving, coolant is fresh and car is way over serviced. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance for your reply.......
Some things I look for: Engine not warm enough to active fan (happens a lot in winter and is normal). Make sure ECT is reporting correct temperature (look on scan tool and warm up engine). Possible bad Cooling Fan Temp Switch (should be located near bottom of radiator and switch should close near 200 degrees). Possible bad cooling fan relay. Possible air in cooling system and not allowing Fan Temp Switch to work. I have a video where I test a Civic Cooling Fan Switch, and the design of that system is similar to a CRV of that age (but not exact).
Thanks. The temp will climb quickly if I get stuck in traffic but turning on the A/C and lightly revving the motor up to about 2,500 RPM keeps things static. As soon as I get up to speed, the temp come right down so I know that the water pump is ok, the thermostat is probably ok as well. I will check out the fan relays and ECT 1 & 2 over the next day or so as I think that is probably where the problem lies. Thanks for weighing in : )
Thank you so much for this instructional video! It gave me the confidence to swap my Civic’s thermostat myself (successfully) and address the P0128 code.
Thanks a lot ,very professional the way you diagnosed and addressed the problem and not going to conclusion and miss lead your audience I wish every you tuber who does mechanic or any repair uses the same method when they run diagnostic.
I made a trip today to buy one of the magnetic flashlights at Auto Zone and I went to your amazon link and bought a coolant funnel kit per your suggestion, all because of your excellent video as I have a 2005 Honda Accord due for inspection with a P0128 and a P1009 DTC. THe 1009 I think I will try to first clean and test the VVT solenoid valve. I have an Autel MP808TS scantool that I have been learning how to use. It is kind of a learning curve with that one. Thanks for all the input.
Great video. How long (of the drive) do you have to wait after reset the code to get inspection? If you don't reset, will it reset by itself after driving for a while?
Thanks for the video. Since my scan tool wouldn't tell me the ECT2, I used your advice and monitored the ECT1 during a test drive. The thermostat didn't stick open right away, but eventually it did and I could see the temperature drop from the 180 range down below 140 and stay there the rest of the way home. Replacing this thermostat is so easy. It took less than 30 min. Repeated the test drive and the temp stayed in the 180 range the whole way.
Thanks, I had the exact same symptoms, P0128. Came on when driving down the highway. Just replaced with the same OE thermostat from Honda. Also replaced the ECT1 sensor for safe measure but the thermostat was definitely my issue. Thanks for the video! Was an easy fix. Used my 19.99 amazon OBD scan tool to check coolant temps. :)
The trans warmer in my '06 civic failed.What a nightmare .R & R ed all(8)coolant hoses ,thermostat and flushed trans fluid out..Was a pain bleeding air and think there might be some more.Temp on dash should be higher. Gonna pick up one of those funnels that should do it.Great video
Very helpful video and well done. THank you. I've done a flush on my '06 civic in 2018 and used Prestone. Now I'm thinking I'll do another flush and use OEM fluid and I"ll change out the thermostat as well even though I'm not having over heating issues whatsoever. Thanks again, cheers
Hey man idk if your gonna see this comment but my fans never turned on I waited around 45 minutes and they never kicked in they turn on with the ac but I was trying to do the 2 coolant cycles but the fans never turned on ! I replaced the thermostat and the coolant temp sensor on the block… how long does it take for the fans to kick in ???
Hello, I would like to ask if the water temperature is sometimes two notches lower when driving on the highway, and sometimes it is normal. Is the thermostat broken?
Great video, very informative. One question, I have a similar Autel scan tool, I was curious why you don't use the bluetooth attachment to the car? It make it much nicer to be able to walk around the vehicle and check things out while you check values.
Thank you. I would like to have that capability but the MS906 I have didn't come with a bluetooth VCI, only the MS908 had it at the time I bought mine.
Hi there. I understand the process for changing the thermostat i have the same car. the issue is @ 26:40 my fans do not turn on. but if i click on the ac bith fans turn on but not when it is off. I also crank the heat on and thrmostat is all good. Any ideas thanks
Great video, speaking of dropping bolts just recently replace my passenger's side exhaust manifold not sure why but I bought and an extra pack of exhaust stud and lie and behold I dropped two studs could not find them so dropping bolts😫🤬😩😭😡😳🇯🇲🇨🇦.
My symptoms seams slightly different. Takes really long time to raise the temperature. Never reaching normal operating temperature when driving around. Only up to like 70% until normal. If I park and idle temperature raises slowly up to normal operating temperature. But as soon I start driving temperature drops to about that 70% up to normal position. Never goes above normal operating temperature. That's good at least. Are something failing with thermostat or sensor?
Usually when a thermostat is on its way out, that is, stuck open, upper radiator hose never gets hot. Also, you have no heat in cabin or temp. Is luke warm inside when you turn heater all the way to hot. This affects engine management system: fuel efficiency as the computer starts dumping extra fuel to compensate. Recommend OEM part as aftermarket can cause issues. After replacement, bleed air of cooling system and make sure cooling fan kicks in at least once.
My 06 engine light came on during highway drive. Temperature ran cool whole trip. Like 4 bars on the gauge. Thought dang this this car running cool. Autozone gave me the P0128 code and feel like it’s the thermostat also. Think it’s worth just doing process of eliminating? Try this before the ECT sensors?
Very detailed! Thank you. Any recommendations on how to fix the Engine Block issue with the 06-08 Civics? This is when one, two, or three micro cracks/holes appear and begin to leak antifreeze. Any advice would be great.
If you are talking about the cracks in the block that can develop below the exhaust manifold or behind the oil/air separator cover, this is a defect in the manufacturing process in my opinion and the only real way to correct it is to replace the block unfortunately. Honda extended the warranty to 10 years on this defect but most vehicles are now beyond the warranty period. If it overheated at all, I would probably opt to get a complete used engine and swap it out. Thanks for the comment!
Sergio Dane Luna III happened to my civic 2 years ago and replaced it with a imported engine from japan that had 40k miles on it and now it’s good. Overall I paid $1,500 with the new engine and to have it installed onto my car
The P0128 is the only code keeping me from finishing my emissions/safety test in Texas. Do I need to go through a drive cycle or just idle the car? Thank you.
A P0128 is a two trip detection code, but it will need three drive cycles to clear the code (if the vehicle was properly repaired). For this code, you can usually drive the car for at least 10 minutes straight (no stops) while keeping the speed between 15-75 MPH to complete one drive cycle (then turn vehicle off and repeat if you want to do another drive cycle).
I should mention, the vehicle has to cool down between drive cycles for this code, so the engine computer wants to see at least 6 hours of engine off time. It may be faster to clear all codes and then drive the vehicle to get all the emission monitors to set (pass). Unfortunately there is no fast way to do any of this.
My question is. Check engine light aside. Wont it prevent the car from over heating if the valve is always open. And in the winter will it just mean that i wont have good heat in my cabin
Depends on how (and if) the thermostat has failed. In general, you want the vehicle to run at proper operating temperature because it can either overheat or not get warm enough and throw off the air/fuel ratio, both of which can potentially damage other components. I don't recommend driving a vehicle with a bad thermostat (or without one).
Great.video! Awesome attention to detail! Great camera work and editing! After duplicating your vid on my 06 I had some issues with the fan kicking in or actually not coming on. Rebled the system with the front end up and the rad cap at the highest point. Took 30 mins for the fan to come on, 212 degrees on the scan tool (not sure which ects, cheap scanner only shows 1) and the lower hose to start to warm up. Fan only stayed on for 20 seconds maybe. Temp dropped 8 degrees as per the scan tool. Which ects signals the computer to turn on the fan. I am not used to a fan running such a shoot period. Rebled the system same rusults. Test drive and the ects never went above 200 Any thoughts, thanks
Fans are controlled by the engine computer which uses both ECTs as well as other inputs to turn fans on (either high or low speed). Fans will sometimes only run a short time, but both fans should come on (not just one) on these 2006-2011 Civics. I just did a fan troubleshooting video on this vehicle.
I.did this but the fan did not turn on twice. I let it idle for 30 mins. Turned o heat for 5 or so mins. Bubbles stopped coming out. Temperature gauge was at 9 bars the entire team. Car runs fine afterwards. I did not use a thermometer but the coolant in the funnel was hot with barely noticeable steam. I used oem thermostat. Maybe my ect 1 and 2 sensors are bad?
My sons engine light came on but it only shows pending p0128. Should I replace or wait until it gets stored as permanent. The ect reaches normal temp, the heater gets hot. I don't have ect 2 on my obd2. I will ask him if the gauge drops while driving. Thanks.
If the engine light came on, it saw the problem at least twice. ECT2 (located on bottom of radiator) plays a big part so verify that the terminals on ECT2 are clean and tight (not corroded or damaged). Otherwise the most likely cause is a bad thermostat. I probably would get it fixed sooner rather than later.
I got this error code, honda civic 2008 I have to add coolant every other day and the coolant reservoir get overflow. What could be causing that issue?
Quick question Dave.. The top hose is where thermostat connect. when engine reach operating temperature this theermostat open and that is where the engine coolant enters on top of radiator and flow to the bottom hose then to the engine block. my stupid question is when thermostat is closed, the bottom hose of radiator is still attached the engine block and there is no valve like thermostat , so question is will not the water flow from bottom hose from radiator to engine block. if so will not engine heat will go to radiator thru bottom hose from engine block when top hose is blocked by thermostat.
The coolant will not really move around with the thermostat closed (the water pump is forcing the coolant in one direction). A small amount of heat transfer may take place through the coolant towards radiator while thermostat is closed but not enough to worry about.
I have a question which I hope you can help me with, as I have the exact same vehicle -- the check engine light came on today and I got the following error messages using a OBD 2 device hooked up to my iPhone (P2183 -- Engine Coolant Temp. Sensor 2 Circuit/Range Performance and a P0111 - Intake Air Temperature Sensor 1 Circuit Range/Performance). The engine, when idling, gets up to about 218-220F (using real-time data on the OBD 2) but the fans DO NO kick in. I turned the car off for fear that it might overheat. I made sure to check if the fans came on at all and they did NOT. Checked the coolant level and it all looks good. When running the car on the highway, before I idled it in the driveway, the temps went between 160180F. Does this mean that the sensors (the ECT2 and the IAT sensors are bad and if so, what are the part numbers on these two sensors, because I can't find them on the net)? Do these error codes mean that the sensors are bad or it could mean that the relay is bad or even, I'm thinking, the thermostat? If you can help me with any advice, I will be forever grateful and I promise to pay it forward! :-) Much appreciate it!
There is a service bulletin on that issue with those DTC codes on those older Civics. The problem is usually corroded/broken/loose terminals, pins and or wiring at the ECT 2 sensor located at the bottom of the radiator. I would start there.
When getting the air bubbles out, do you turn the TEMP DIAL all the way to cool or hot? and do you turn the NUMBER TEMP DIAL all the way to 4 (or to the max number) or leave it at 1?
Hey Big Dog. On checking with my bluedriver obd2, it only shows one ECT Sensor, does that mean one of sensor is broken or just i got a crappy obd2 reader?
Usually the OBDII side is more limited in the data you can see, most times you can only see ECT1. Have to have a Honda capable scan to to see more data like ECT2.
@@BigDog50001 Thanks boss. I contacted bluedriver and they said my 08 Honda Civic LX 1.8 only supports 1 ECT the coolant temp coming out of the engine. I have changed the thermostat and the CEL still on. Any possible diagnosis? thanks. And all your other video from changing Power steering fluid, Transmission fluid, and oil change have been extremely invaluable.
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got check engine light (p 0128) , replaced the thermostat but the check engine light still on even after driving the car for around 70 miles (coolant level is OK and cooling sensor is OK also) is that normal ? Yeah, the car is 2014 Dodge grand caravan
Did you clear the code? Sometimes the code will clear on its own and sometimes it needs to be cleared with a scan tool. Looking at the temp sensors with a scan tool as vehicle warms up can also show if thermostat is working properly.
I did everything on the video but Why my coolant reservoir reach above MAX level after getting out the air by doing 4-5 cooling cycle. How long does it take for the radiator fan to kick in? I have honda civic 06. TIA
I can't see what you did, but if you got most of the initial air out, any remaining air will usually work its way out through the reservoir over time during normal driving (always keep an eye on temp gauge and coolant level after servicing). I would make sure the coolant level is not above the MAX line in the reservoir though (coolant level can rise and fall due to temperature fluctuations). Timing varies, but it will usually will get to operating temperature on a cold engine in about 10-15 minutes (especially if raising the RPMs).
Big Dog50001 Automotive my honda reach half of the temperature gauge but the fan did not kick in. It took maybe 40mins for the radiator fan to kick in. I replaced the thermostat and ect1 with genuine honda parts. I don’t know if there is something else wrong. It’s just weird that the fan took so long to kick in and the coolant went to the reservoir
Any OAT (Organic Additive Technology) antifreeze will work in a Honda, but don't use silicate antifreeze in a Japanese coolant system. Evidence shows it reduces water pump life in certain Japanese import cars. I talked to a Honda technician and he stated that most Coolants now a days are silicate free, they substitute the silicates with phosphates. The blue color in Honda coolant is just dye, it has nothing to do with the formula or the performance... Prestone Regular or 50/50 is a silicate free OAT antifreeze and It uses phosphates to replaces the silicates, and will perform and work just fine...
I appreciate you taking the time to comment. OAT actually stands for Organic ACID Technology, and even though Prestone says their coolant is compatible with Honda, I am not a fan of using it in one. Every coolant manufacturer has trade secret ingredients that they won't even list on their Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). I am even a little leery of aftermarket coolants that are made for specific makes, but I like them better than "one size fits all coolants". You can never go wrong with using the coolant the manufacturer recommends (especially when it is someone else's vehicle).
Big Dog50001 Auto - Thanks for the correction... Yeah, I am pretty adamant on using OEM for everything (when possible), but always with Power Steering Fluid and Auto Trans Fluid, but I went with the Prestone per my owners manual. Though it recommends the Honda brand, they do say it's OK to use an equivalent temporarily. And my Honda guy says it's ok. But I agree, if it were someone else, I would recommend the Honda brand to avoid any repercussion in case of some kind of failure i couldn't get blamed for using the wrong brand (CYA). Thanks!
On these Civics, if you repaired the P0128 (like this video), the Check Engine Light (CEL) will clear after 3 drive cycles. One drive cycle for this code is typically defined as turning engine on and driving between 15-75 MPH for 10 minutes straight. If you want to clear it right away and do not have a scan tool then you can disconnect the battery and that will usually clear this code. If the problem is fixed the code should not return, if the problem still exists then it will take at least 2 drive cycles to set CEL again.
