P0D13: Battery Charging System Negative Contactor A Control Circuit Low

P0D13 means the control line of negative charging contactor A reads too low, which points to a short to ground or a driver output held down. The coil then receives no current, or too little, and the contactor stays open. No manufacturer documents P0D13 publicly; GM notes that its P0D11 test for this contactor on the Volt and ELR cannot detect a short to ground, and CARB requires plug-in vehicles to monitor charging components. Typical causes are a wire chafed against the body or battery housing and moisture inside a connector. P0D14 is the high counterpart, P0D11 the open circuit, P0D0C the same fault on the positive side. In practice the vehicle refuses to charge.

Symptoms

• Vehicle refuses to charge
• Charging system warning

Most likely causes

• Control wire chafed through and shorted to ground
• Moisture in a connector creating a path to ground
• Shorted contactor coil

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

What each character of P0D13 means

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

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep driving with code P0D13?

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 P0D13?

The most common causes are: control wire chafed through and shorted to ground; moisture in a connector creating a path to ground; shorted contactor coil.

Related codes

• P0D11Battery Charging System Negative Contactor A Control Circuit/Open
• P0D12Battery Charging System Negative Contactor A Control Circuit Range/Performance
• P0D14Battery Charging System Negative Contactor A Control Circuit High
• P0D0CBattery Charging System Positive Contactor A Control Circuit Low

Sources

• law.cornell.edu: 13 CCR 1968.2
• gsi.ext.gm.com: 14OBDG01 Hybrid Diagnostics
• gsi.ext.gm.com: 11OBDG01 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.