P0C5D: Drive Motor A Position Sensor Circuit B High

P0C5D means the S2/S4 winding circuit of the motor A resolver, Circuit B, reads a reference level above its ceiling. This hints at an open wire whose input floats toward the supply, or contact with a voltage-carrying conductor. GM applies 4.5 V on most of its hybrids, 4.9 V on the 2019 Volt and a much lower 3.0 V on the 2012 two-mode Tahoe, Yukon, Escalade, Sierra and Silverado. On the 2013 eAssist cars, 20 failed samples out of 30 at 10.4 ms set a two-trip Type B fault; the 2011 Volt uses the same count as a one-trip Type A. When P0C5D appears with P0C53, the shared plug or the resolver itself is more likely than a single wire. No bulletin names this code.

Symptoms

• Check engine lamp after one or two trips depending on the vehicle
• Electric assist or drive unavailable
• Auto stop disabled on mild hybrids

Most likely causes

• Open S2 or S4 wire or backed-out terminal
• S2/S4 line touching a voltage-carrying conductor
• Broken S2/S4 winding in the resolver stator
• Faulty resolver input stage in the motor control module

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. Check the sensor's ground and make sure the signal wire is not receiving voltage from another circuit.
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

• Repair difficulty: hard
• It can trigger limp mode.
• It affects emissions.

What each character of P0C5D means

• P: Powertrain: engine and transmission
• 0: Generic code: same on every make
• C: Subsystem depends on the code range
• 5D: Specific fault in that system

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep driving with code P0C5D?

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 P0C5D?

The most common causes are: open S2 or S4 wire or backed-out terminal; s2/S4 line touching a voltage-carrying conductor; broken S2/S4 winding in the resolver stator.

Related codes

• P0C5CDrive Motor A Position Sensor Circuit B Low
• P0C53Drive Motor A Position Sensor Circuit A High
• P0C5ADrive Motor A Position Sensor Circuit B
• P0C5EDrive Motor A Position Sensor Circuit B Intermittent/Erratic
• P0A42Drive Motor A Position Sensor Circuit High

Sources

• gsi.ext.gm.com: 11OBDG01 HYBRID Diagnostics
• gsi.ext.gm.com: 12OBDG06 Hybrid Diagnostics
• gsi.ext.gm.com: 13OBDG05C Hybrid Diagnostics
• gsi.ext.gm.com: 19OBDG01 Hybrid Diagnostics

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.