Powertrain, generic

P0E40 Charge Status Indicator A Control Circuit High

Check engine lightUsually off
EmissionsNot relevant
Drive cycleNot required
Limp modeNo

P0E40 is logged when the drive circuit of charge status indicator A carries voltage although the light is commanded off, typically because the line touches a live wire. P0E40 has no public documentation from any manufacturer. In GM's 2012 Volt tables (12OBDG01A) this is the second case inside P0D2C: with the LED switched off, the hybrid controller looks for a short to battery and needs 40 bad samples out of 50 at 100 ms. A light that glows while nothing is charging, or keeps glowing after charging has ended, is the visible result and can mislead the owner about the charge state. Suspects are wiring near the dash or charge port, water in a connector or a driver stage that no longer switches off. P0E3F is the low case on the same light.

Likely causes

Indicator wire shorted to a battery-fed circuit
Output driver no longer switching off
Moisture bridging pins in the indicator connector

Symptoms

  • Charge status light on although nothing is charging
  • Owner misled about the actual charge state

Repair estimate

DifficultyMediumWorkshop job
Parts and labour€40–400
Time0.5–2 h

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

Parts involved

charge status indicator awiring harness

Related codes

P0E3FP0D2CP0E42P0DE5

References: gsi.ext.gm.com, law.cornell.edu.