P0DBA: Hybrid/EV Battery Cell Balancing Circuit D Stuck Off

P0DBA: circuit D refuses to bleed. Toshiba's patent US20130026994A1 lists an open balancing terminal as one of the faults a monitoring chip should report, and this is the typical root of a stuck-off result. Because no charge is taken away from the high cells in group D, the pack's top end is governed by them; the charger and the controller stop earlier and the displayed range creeps down. The fault rarely causes a sudden breakdown. CARB 13 CCR 1968.2 requires balancing to stay functional. Ford uses P0DBA in its hybrid BECM (OBD summary 2015); the stuck-off decision comes from comparing the six cells of circuit D with the pack average at power-up, 75 mV being the limit. The always-on opposite is P0DB9, the overall verdict P0DAB.

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 and battery warning
Range slowly decreasing, charging finishing early

Most likely causes

Open balancing terminal or cell tap in group D
Bleed resistor of circuit D open
Balancing transistor of circuit D failed open

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
Use the scanner to command the movement and compare the actual position with the requested one.
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 affects emissions.

What each character of P0DBA means

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

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep driving with code P0DBA?

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 P0DBA?

The most common causes are: open balancing terminal or cell tap in group D; bleed resistor of circuit D open; balancing transistor of circuit D failed open.

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.