P0A41: Drive Motor A Position Sensor Circuit Low

P0A41 reports that a resolver signal of motor A sits below its permitted range, as happens with a sine, cosine or excitation wire shorted to ground, a shorted coil or a broken line pulled down by the input circuit. Kia documents it on the 2011-13 Optima Hybrid: an intermittent MIL or hybrid service lamp with P0A41 in the motor control unit, traced to internal shorts or poor pin fit in the sub-harness between the hybrid power control unit and the motor, checked against resistance specs. Bosch patents describe telling a short to ground from a short to supply by the offset of the coil lines. P0A42 is the high side, P0A3F the general loss of signal, P0A40 a degraded signal. Expect a warning lamp and possibly no electric drive.

Symptoms

• Intermittent MIL or hybrid service lamp
• Electric drive temporarily disabled
• Code returns after clearing, often with vibration or heat

Most likely causes

• Internal short in the resolver sub-harness between power control unit and motor (Kia Optima Hybrid)
• Poor pin fit at the resolver connectors
• Shorted resolver coil inside the motor
• Faulty resolver input stage in the motor control unit

What to check, in order

Start with the simplest. You can tick off each step.

1. Read the codes with a hybrid-compatible scanner and write down the freeze frame data
2. With the connector unplugged, check whether the signal wire is making contact with ground.
3. Make sure the battery cooling air intake is clean
4. Check the 12 V auxiliary battery, which can also trigger warnings
5. Leave any high-voltage measurements to a specialized repair shop

Good to know

• It can trigger limp mode.
• It affects emissions.

What each character of P0A41 means

• P: Powertrain: engine and transmission
• 0: Generic code: same on every make
• A: Hybrid or air and fuel
• 41: Specific fault in that system

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep driving with code P0A41?

If the car still runs, drive as little as possible and go to a specialized repair shop. Do not touch the orange cables: they carry high voltage.

What causes code P0A41?

The most common causes are: internal short in the resolver sub-harness between power control unit and motor (Kia Optima Hybrid); poor pin fit at the resolver connectors; shorted resolver coil inside the motor.

Related codes

• P0A42Drive Motor A Position Sensor Circuit High
• P0A3FDrive Motor A Position Sensor Circuit
• P0A40Drive Motor A Position Sensor Circuit Range/Performance
• P0A43Drive Motor A Position Sensor Circuit Intermittent
• P0A47Drive Motor B Position Sensor Circuit Low
• P0C52Drive Motor A Position Sensor Circuit A Low

Sources

• static.nhtsa.gov: MC 10090607 5448
• patents.google.com: en
• law.cornell.edu: 13 CCR 1968.2

Values and procedures vary by manufacturer. If it affects brakes, steering, fuel or high voltage, see a professional. Updated: 2026-11-04. How we build these pages.