Code Definition

B1238 — Over Temperature Fault

System: Body  |  Type: Manufacturer-Specific  |  Make: Generic

About B1238

B1238 is a manufacturer-specific body diagnostic trouble code. It belongs to the B-prefix family of codes, which covers body, interior, airbag, or comfort-electronics faults.

Scanning & clearing: Body (B) codes are often stored in the body control module, airbag module, or climate module. A basic OBD-II tool usually will not read body codes — an enhanced or OEM-level scan tool is typically required.

B1238 is a manufacturer-specific code. The same code string on a different make may have a different meaning. Always confirm the code's definition against the vehicle's service information for the specific make and model under test.

Code Information

Body control modules and many of their attached actuators include integrated or externally connected temperature sensing to protect motors, power output stages, and electronics from thermal damage. DTC B1238 is set when the module detects that one of its monitored temperatures has risen above the calibrated safe threshold, which can occur due to prolonged high duty cycle operation of a motor, a short or high resistance fault in a load circuit driving up heat dissipation, restricted airflow around the module itself, or a temperature sensor reading outside of its valid range. When this code is a...

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