P0D45: Battery Charger 14 Volt Output Voltage Sensor Circuit High

P0D45 is stored when the charger's 14 V output voltage sensor reads too high. GM's battery charger control module in the Volt and ELR fails it at a reading of 16.88 V or above for 400 of 500 ms; the 2011 table rates it Type A, the 2014 table Type B, meaning the MIL comes on only after two consecutive trips. That value lies above the normal regulation band of a 12 V system, so either a genuine overvoltage at the output or a sensor reading stuck high is possible. The low counterpart is P0D44, and the plausibility check P0D43 pauses while either code is active. As with its siblings, the fault sits in the charger's own low-voltage stage rather than in the car's main DC/DC converter.

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

MIL on (GM, after two trips in later model years)
Charging may stop

Most likely causes

Voltage sense signal shorted to a higher potential inside the charger
Charger low-voltage stage regulating too high
Charger module software

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

What each character of P0D45 means

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

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep driving with code P0D45?

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 P0D45?

The most common causes are: voltage sense signal shorted to a higher potential inside the charger; charger low-voltage stage regulating too high; charger module software.

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.