What this code means
P1298 may mean the PCM is seeing an electrical load detector circuit signal that is higher than expected or not plausible for the vehicle’s electrical load condition.
What the vehicle may do
- The vehicle may turn on a warning light.
- Charging-system related symptoms may be noticed, or the vehicle may appear to operate normally while the code is stored.
- The fault can be intermittent if the condition is not present during testing.
Possible fault areas
- Possible ELD circuit feed, signal, or ground issues.
- Possible poor connections or loose terminals at the ELD or PCM.
- Possible ELD fault.
- Possible PCM software or PCM-related issue after the circuit and ELD checks pass.
Diagnostic path
Opening and diagnostic frame
On this 2010 to 2016 Honda CR-V with the 2.4 gas engine, P1298 points to an ELD circuit high voltage fault. In plain terms, the PCM may be seeing an electrical load detector signal that does not make sense for the charging and load condition. The vehicle may have a warning light, charging-system related symptoms, or it may drive normally while the fault is stored. Broadly, this can involve the ELD itself, the ignition feed, the signal wire back to the PCM, the ground side, connector condition, or in the last part of the path, PCM software or PCM substitution. Before getting into the pinpoint checks, start with the basic system checks so you are not chasing a simple power, ground, or connection issue.
Confirm the fault is active
Start by turning the vehicle to the ON mode and looking at the ELD electric load value on the HDS. The decision point here is whether the value is Less than 0.2 A. If the current condition matches that threshold, the fault is duplicated and you move into circuit testing. If it does not match, treat it as an intermittent failure for now. At that point, the system is OK at this time, so check for poor connections or loose terminals at the ELD and at the PCM. If captured operating data is available for this code, try to reproduce the same conditions instead of guessing.
Check the IG1 ACG feed
If the failure is duplicated, turn the vehicle to OFF LOCK, disconnect the ELD 3P connector, then turn the vehicle back to ON. Measure voltage between ELD 3P connector terminal No. 3 and body ground with the ELD connector still disconnected. The question is simple: do you have battery voltage there? If yes, the IG1 ACG wire is OK and you continue to the ELD signal wire check. If no, check the No. B2 10 A fuse in the under-dash fuse and relay box. If that fuse is OK, repair the open in the IG1 ACG wire between the No. B2 fuse and the ELD.
Check the ELD signal wire
Next is the open-wire check on the ELD line. Turn the vehicle to OFF LOCK. Jump the SCS line with the HDS and wait more than 1 minute. Then disconnect PCM connector A, the 51P connector. With the ELD 3P connector and PCM connector A both disconnected, check continuity between ELD 3P connector terminal No. 1 and PCM connector A terminal No. 46. If you have continuity, the ELD wire is OK and you move to the ground check. If you do not have continuity, repair the open in the ELD wire between PCM A46 and the ELD.
Check the ELD ground
Now check the ground side. With the vehicle still OFF LOCK, the ELD connector disconnected, and PCM connector A disconnected, check continuity between ELD 3P connector terminal No. 2 and body ground. If continuity is present, the ground wire is OK and the circuit checks have led you to the ELD substitution step. If continuity is not present, repair the open in the ground wire between the ELD and G302.
Substitute the ELD and verify the code path
If the feed, signal, and ground checks all pass, substitute a known-good ELD. Reconnect all connectors, turn the vehicle to ON, reset the PCM with the HDS, and do the PCM idle learn procedure. Then check for Pending or Confirmed P1298 with the HDS. If P1298 is still indicated, update the PCM if it does not have the latest software, or substitute a known-good PCM, then recheck. If the code goes away after the PCM update, troubleshooting is complete. If the code goes away after substituting the PCM, replace the original PCM. If P1298 is not indicated after the known-good ELD is installed, replace the original ELD.
Takeaway
The clean way through P1298 is to prove the fault first, then work the circuit in order: ignition feed, signal wire, ground, and only then substitution and PCM-side checks. Do not skip ahead just because the code names the ELD circuit. For more diagnostic training, visit stepdiagnostics.com.
Final check
This diagnosis often depends on confirming the condition first, then checking the ELD feed, signal, and ground circuits before moving to substitution and PCM-side decisions.
For more guided automotive diagnostics, visit STEP Diagnostics.
