P0C83: Hybrid/EV Battery Temperature Sensor H Circuit Low

P0C83 stands for a sensor H voltage under its permitted range, which with an NTC thermistor reads as heat: a short to ground or a shorted element makes the cell group seem far too hot. GM's 2016 Cadillac ELR table (16OBDG01) fails it above 87.5 °C, an ADC count below 680, for 1.4 s in a 2 s window, two trips; the Volt bulletin 18-NA-342 files it as the low-voltage fault of sensor 8. Mitsubishi's Outlander PHEV of 2018 reports a short of sensor [07] once the voltage sits below 0.12 V, beyond 125 °C, for 2 s, and points to the battery module or its cell monitoring unit. P0C84 is the matching high-voltage fault, P0C82 the plausibility test. Because the controller must assume a hot spot, it cuts power and may run the battery cooling hard.

High severity. Can I keep driving?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.

Symptoms

Hybrid warning lamp and strong power reduction
Live data shows sensor H far hotter than its neighbours
Battery cooling running at full effort

Most likely causes

Sensor H signal shorted to ground or to the pack housing
Shorted thermistor H
Fault in the cell monitoring unit that reads sensor H

What to check, in order

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

Read the codes with a hybrid-compatible scanner and write down the freeze frame data
With the connector unplugged, check whether the signal wire is making contact with ground.
Make sure the battery cooling air intake is clean
Check the 12 V auxiliary battery, which can also trigger warnings
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 P0C83 means

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

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep driving with code P0C83?

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 P0C83?

The most common causes are: sensor H signal shorted to ground or to the pack housing; shorted thermistor H; fault in the cell monitoring unit that reads sensor H.

Related codes

Sources

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.