[techtom]

Has anyone else had this code (P0d17) and know if there's a common source?

My 2011 Volt has recently been illuminating the check engine light. The fault code is the typical P1e00 (PCM request MIL illumination) followed with P0d17 (Battery Charging System High Voltage Interlock Circuit Low). According to what I've read, this circuit is basically a loop that has a current injected so the Powtrain Control Module (PCM) can measure the voltage and determine if the high-voltage (HV) interlocks (access to HV) has been compromised. In this case, the P0d17 code is saying that the voltage is low (not missing), which may point to leakage current to ground somewhere in that loop. This particular loop (there are other loops for other systems) contains connections to the PCM (terminal 65 and 67), EV Battery Pack Fuse Cover, Battery Pack HV Manual Disconnect Lever, and Battery Charger Jumper Connector. These are all the points where these connections could be compromised by perhaps contaminates that could be drawing the current to ground somewhere.

I've cleared the code a few times just to verify, and have gone several days without it reoccuring, but it needs to be dealt with. I want to visually check as much as I can before I take it to the dealer. I'm over the warranty (113k miles) and wondering if there's something that I can simply clean and reconnect to solve this. I'm an electrical engineer with experience in HV systems, but have no problem leaving it to the trained pro's if too much work and attention to detail is involved.

Six years with my Volt and still loving it. Still getting 40 miles electric range at times.

Thanks,
Tom

Sources for all my information above:

https://service.gm.com/gmspo/mode6/pdf/2011/11OBDG01 HYBRID Diagnostics.pdf

http://www.autocats.ws/manual/chevr...s_2012/Volt/SM-R/92554605.EN.html#ss9-2554605

 

[AZ EV Driver]

First guess - what is the age of your 12v battery? I'm at 6+ years with the OE battery, and I do get occasional MILs which I suspect are due to slightly low 12v battery voltage.

VIN # B0985

 

[techtom]

First guess - what is the age of your 12v battery? I'm at 6+ years with the OE battery, and I do get occasional MILs which I suspect are due to slightly low 12v battery voltage.

VIN # B0985

Thanks, I will definitely check that...as one never knows, but I did read in the diagnostics guide that the PCM verifies that the battery is above 9 volts. Which I assume is the level they need in order to produce the constant 12 milliamps for the loop. The voltage produced from that current source should be independent of the battery voltage for the most part. But don't hurt to check.

 

[DonC]

Not common but we have seen a few. This is from Walter (saghost):

P0D17 is an interlock circuit code - the car is worried that the high voltage circuit might be disconnected or in the process of being disconnected.

It's also a Type A DTC, meaning it sets the MIL immediately the first time it sets, and clears the MIL after 4 cycles with the condition not present.

Unfortunately, if it doesn't resolve after a few cycles -- and yours certainly has not -- you may have a serious battery issue. Definitely want to take it in. http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread...nt-Problem-Trying-to-Charge-Car-Advice-Sought If it turns out to be a major issue with the battery, I know you are out of warranty but if it's serious GM may accommodate you.

 

[firehawk72]

Not common but we have seen a few. This is from Walter (saghost):

P0D17 is an interlock circuit code - the car is worried that the high voltage circuit might be disconnected or in the process of being disconnected.

It's also a Type A DTC, meaning it sets the MIL immediately the first time it sets, and clears the MIL after 4 cycles with the condition not present.

Unfortunately, if it doesn't resolve after a few cycles -- and yours certainly has not -- you may have a serious battery issue. Definitely want to take it in. http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread...nt-Problem-Trying-to-Charge-Car-Advice-Sought If it turns out to be a major issue with the battery, I know you are out of warranty but if it's serious GM may accommodate you.

I really hope this turns out to be a non issue; however, having said that, this is why it is so dangerous to keep a Volt beyond the Voltec Warranty as things can get very expensive very quickly. Best of luck to the OP and keep us posted.

 

[SmjVolt]

Is anyone still looking at this thread? I posted on a different one but no reply,, help. I can't get my volt to charge. Dealer didn't help at all.

 

[techtom]

Update: I re-seated the HV disconnect under the armrest and as of today I haven't had the fault code return.

 

[hellsop]

Update: I re-seated the HV disconnect under the armrest and as of today I haven't had the fault code return.

Really..... I was under the impression that disconnecting that automatically set a code that disable the Volt until a dealer looked at it...

 

[techtom]

Really..... I was under the impression that disconnecting that automatically set a code that disable the Volt until a dealer looked at it...

You are correct... i should be more concise by saying I pushed on the manual service disconnect and it had a little horizontal play. After it moved that little bit, I decided to check by charging the car. Didn't get the fault on startup, so put cover back in place and haven't had it since.

 

[SmjVolt]

Ok so I see replies but not really help on my issue. However here is an update and wondering if anyone has tried this or if this is just a ghost fix on my part? I am getting the same codes as others the POD17 and one other I'm forgetting right now. So am am trying to not pay hundreds of dollars to fix my charge port which I'm thinking has one of those hairline cracks...can anyone tell me if that is a fix I can do myself...So back to my fix. I have recently tried a connection with my phone to help. My check engine light is on when I pull into the garage to charge, before I shut down the car I clear any codes and only wait a couple seconds and shut down the car. This has seemed to work almost every time. The one time it did not I just started the car found that a code was still present and cleared it again..and vwalla. Has anyone found this to work and should I be worried that I'm hurting something?

 

[techtom]

Ok so I see replies but not really help on my issue. However here is an update

I'm confused about your check engine light being on when you pull into the garage. Are you saying that it had been on during your whole commute and since your last charge session? From my understanding the P0D17 fault code will only occur during charging; therefore, the check engine light will be on when you first start the car after charging. (That's what my car was doing.) Are you for certain your charge port has hairline cracks, or just speculating?

You should take this code seriously as the nature of it is saying you have the potential for high voltage leakage. Simply resetting the code before a charge session is not fixing the source of the problem.

It needs to be troubleshot to find the source. So far, it appears my source for the fault code was the HV manual disconnect under my arm rest. Note... I didn't pull it out and reseat it... I simply pushed on it and noticed it had some play. That disconnect has a set of pins with a certain resistive value that the computer wants to see else it throws a P0D17 fault. There are other points within that loop (in addition to the disconnect) where problems could occur. It needs to be traced out by someone with experience in the system. I'm an electrical engineer with experience with HV systems, and I'm not willing to go past the simple check of the disconnect and recommend you shouldn't either.

 

[SmjVolt]

yes you are correct in that the check engine light is illuminated whilst driving. I also do not want to fry myself and am not an electrical engineer. I just had it into the dealer a week ago and they did some reboot/reprogram and said they probably fixed it...NOT. The same codes keep getting thrown, so I tried to just clear and it worked multiple times. However since I wrote that a while ago it back to the same to codes always being thrown. Now I'm not clearing the codes but it is charging again, I mean not every time, some times I go back to find nothing and replug and it works. Looking to this forum I'm only speculating this is one of the Volts that has a problem with the plug, any suggestions. I'm not one to keep bringing my Volt into the dealer to have it sit while they don't know or have a clue of the problem?!