2012 Honda Odyssey - Eco mode issue

Maintenance/Repairs
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Van goes into eco code which drops down to 3 cylinders from 6 cylinders, is there a fix for this? 2012 Honda odyssey 3.5

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Something like this may be required… Search some Honda Odyssey forums for possible more/better options/info…

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It isn’t broken, it was designed to DO this.

Or are you trying to make it STOP doing this? Dave’s post shows one such device to disable cylinder deactivation.

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It’s not a trouble code or anything. It’s going into Eco mode, like it’s designed to. It’s a feature, not a fault.

There’s nothing to fix. It’s doing this because it was designed to do it. I don’t think it was user-defeatible in 2012 , on newer models it is though.

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Some types of eco modes won’t engage if the transmission isn’t in OD.

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There are at least a couple of devices you can buy to “defeat” the ECO feature. I installed one on our our 2012 Odyssey, though not by choice really.

It started fouling spark plugs and throwing codes a while back. My mechanic changed the spark plugs (needed to be done anyway), and the problem went away. Then a few months later, the same code reappeared, with the engine misfiring. Turns out the engine had fouled another spark plug. My mechanic showed me a TSB from Honda on the issue; basically Honda would have to pull the engine, do the repair, and put the engine back in. We were right on the edge of the warranty coverage period, and I couldn’t get a straight answer from the dealer as to whether the work/fix would be covered. Seems like it was going to cost $2000-3000 out of pocket if not covered. From my own research online, I gathered that over time, the ECO mode was causing the fouling of the spark plugs, and if you defeated the ECO mode, the problem would go away. So I installed one of the defeat devices, and the engine has been fine ever since. There’s been no noticeable change in the MPG.

To be clear, my Odyssey is well out of factory warranty, and I wasn’t comfortable with having the engine pulled and opened up. Just a personal decision, and I think we made the right choice. But your results may vary.