Powertrain, generic · Hybrid propulsion

P0DAE Hybrid/EV Battery Cell Balancing Circuit A Stuck Off

Check engine lightOn
EmissionsRelevant
Drive cycleRequired
Limp modeNo

With P0DAE the controller has commanded balancing on circuit A, yet nothing happens: the switch stays open or the bleed resistor is broken, so the targeted cells keep their charge. Ford documents the code for its hybrid BECM; in the 2014 OBD summary the verdict rests on a 100 ms check at power-up with open contactors, in which one cell of the six-cell group lying beyond 75 mV from the average on two successive starts is enough. For a related code, GM checks on eAssist with the ignition off that the cell moves by more than 0.1 V once the resistor is switched in. The penalty is slow: the high cells limit charging, the pack loses usable capacity and the overall verdict P0DAB may follow.

Likely causes

Bleed resistor of circuit A open or its solder joint cracked
Balancing transistor failed open
Broken balancing/sense lead or terminal between module and cells

Symptoms

  • MIL and battery system warning
  • Charging ends early because individual cells reach full first
  • Growing cell voltage spread in the live data

Repair estimate

DifficultyShop_onlyWorkshop job
Parts and labour€300–4,000
Time2–8 h

Typical range across vehicles; the real cost depends on what the testing finds.

Parts involved

hv battery cell balancing circuit abms

Related codes

P0DABP0DACP0DADP0DAFP0DB2

References: law.cornell.edu, gsi.ext.gm.com, patents.google.com, fordservicecontent.com.