The OBDII DTC of P0118 is common among many late model Hondas and Acuras, and represents a failure of your Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor. This causes some serious issues with the operation of your Honda, and today we’ll be showing you how to change a Honda Accord ECT sensor and resolve your P0118 trouble code.
The symptoms that your Honda Accord will suffer as a result of this P0118 trouble code can vary. Sluggish performance, bad fuel economy and your Honda Accord 2.3 liter F23 engine will run overly rich. Because your F23 ULEV ECU will not know the exact temperature of your SOHC 2.3 liter engine, it won’t know which fuel map to operate from.
The ECT in your Honda Accord is a two pin connector that’s located directly under your distributor. Do not confuse this with the coolant idiot light, which is a one prong connector next to the ECT. The Honda Accord ECT part number from Honda is 37770-PY3-A01, 37773-PR4-A01, or 37773-PT0-004.
If you’re in a bind and your local Honda or Acura does not have these parts, you can alternate or crossover to 37870-PE2-003, 37870-PE7-661, or 37870-PJ7-003.
This part is not to be confused with the engine temp sensor, which activates the cooling fans in your Honda Accord. The part number for the engine temp sensor is Honda 37773-P8A-A01.
This can cause your Honda Accord to waste gas, as it attempts to switch from the cold map to the standard operating temperature map. This condition will last until you replace the ECT in your Honda Accord. This is what our how to change a Honda Accord ECT will show you how to do, without having to take your vehicle to any mechanic.
The DIY job of changing your Honda Accord ECT is very simple, and only requires hand tools and a timing light. If you are not sure how to time your vehicle, or how to use a timing light, check our DIY guide here.
Before beginning our how to change a Honda Accord ECT DIY article, it’s a good idea to disconnect the negative terminal on your battery. This will prevent the battery from arcing in case you hit some grounded part of your engine bay while touching the power.
This DIY job may be easier if you remove the air intake snorkel. This can be done by simply undoing the PCV metal connector and the worm clamps that hold the intake to your throttle body.
You can start the process of fixing the OBDII DTC P0118 by first unplugging your spark plug wires. Do not remove them from your distributor but instead remove them from the engine and let them dangle. Remove the 12mm bolts that secure your ignition distributor to your F23A4 engine. If you have a scribe, it might be a good idea to scratch a mark across the towers of your distributor so that you have a starting reference point when re-installing the distributor.
Remove the entire distributor from your engine bay once you have the 12mm bolts removed. Unplug the distributor and you can now see the Honda Accord ECT as well as the coolant idiot light sensor.
Prep your new Honda Accord ECT by wrapping the threads with teflon tape. Once your distributor has been removed, you can go ahead and unplug both coolant sensors.
Screw the new Honda Accord ECT into place and re-install your ignition distributor to your F23. Now that you’re ready to time your engine, make sure to take the proper steps or check out our handy How To.
With the new ECT sensor screwed in and torqued to specification, you are now ready to get back into your Honda Accord and erase the P0118 DTC OBDII trouble code using a scan tool. Test drive your Honda Accord to make sure that the P0118 code will not return.
Congratulations, you now know how to change a Honda Accord ECT. If you have any questions about changing your Engine coolant Temperature (ECT) sensor, leave them for us below!