Coolant Codes

[cbrown2192]

I topped off my coolant last week when I realized it was low when I put in windshield washer fluid. A few hours after that, my check engine light came on and the eyesight stopped working. I finally got my scanner to read the codes which are: P26A3, P26A5, and P26A6. Has anyone had this happen? Is this something I need to take in to the dealership? I am out of warranty unfortunately. I am trying to see if any of the codes are something I can fix myself before running up a bill at the dealership. I'll obviously go if I need too. I have attached a picture of the code descriptions. Thank you for any advice!

 

[keith3267]

It might help to know a little about your vehicle, especially the year. Before the early 2000's or late 1990s on some vehicles, there was a coolant bypass valve that circulated coolant in the engine during warm up to keep hot spots from forming. They allowed all of the engine to heat up about the same. Later they removed the hot water valve from the heater hoses and use the heater core to circulate the coolant through. The coolant bypass sort of becomes redundant but many vehicles have retained them anyway. I would just erase the code and see if it comes back again. Also before erasing, look at the freeze frame date to see if the ECT (engine coolant temperature) was below 180 when this occurred.