P0217: Engine Overtemperature Condition
Short answer: P0217 means “Engine Overtemperature Condition”. It is a standard OBD-II code, so the basic meaning is the same on every car. Below is what it means on each of the 5 cars we cover, with a link to the full page for each car.
Standard OBD-II code Same meaning on all cars (SAE J2012).
P0217 on each car
| Car | Meaning on this car | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Toyota Corolla (11th gen, E170) | Engine Overtemperature Condition | medium |
| Toyota Corolla (10th gen, E140) | Engine Overtemperature Condition | medium |
| Honda City (5th gen, GM2) | Engine Overtemperature Condition | medium |
| Honda Civic (10th gen, FC) | Engine Overtemperature Condition | medium |
| Suzuki Wagon R (Pakistan, K10B) | Engine Overtemperature Condition | medium |
Symptoms
- Check engine light on
- Loss of power
- Coolant expelled from reservoir or radiator
- Low coolant
- Acrid smell of coolant due to leak
- Air conditioner inoperative (In the event of an overheat condition, the PCM (powertrain control module) on some vehicles shuts down the A/C system…
Likely causes
- Potential causes of a P0217 code include
- Low coolant due to leak in cooling system
- Restriction/debris in the A/C condenser or radiator
- Restriction/debris in the cooling system
- Thermostat stuck closed or faulty
- Inoperative cooling fan(s)
- Cylinder head gasket leaking combustion into cooling system
What to check, in order
- Read the code and freeze-frame data with an OBD-II scanner
- Check the connector and wiring of the part named in the code
- Test the part with scanner live data or a multimeter, using the values in the repair manual
- Fix the cause, clear the code and test-drive
Causes and checks above are the general meaning. The exact test steps and values differ by car: open your car’s page.