P0E40: Charge Status Indicator A Control Circuit High

P0E40 is logged when the drive circuit of charge status indicator A carries voltage although the light is commanded off, typically because the line touches a live wire. P0E40 has no public documentation from any manufacturer. In GM's 2012 Volt tables (12OBDG01A) this is the second case inside P0D2C: with the LED switched off, the hybrid controller looks for a short to battery and needs 40 bad samples out of 50 at 100 ms. A light that glows while nothing is charging, or keeps glowing after charging has ended, is the visible result and can mislead the owner about the charge state. Suspects are wiring near the dash or charge port, water in a connector or a driver stage that no longer switches off. P0E3F is the low case on the same light.

Medium severity. Can I keep driving?If the car is running normally, drive in moderation to a repair shop. If it loses power or another warning appears, do not continue.

Symptoms

Charge status light on although nothing is charging
Owner misled about the actual charge state

Most likely causes

Indicator wire shorted to a battery-fed circuit
Output driver no longer switching off
Moisture bridging pins in the indicator connector

What to check, in order

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

Check the battery, connectors, and wiring
Check the sensor's ground and make sure the signal wire is not receiving voltage from another circuit.
Read the live data with a scanner
Follow the manufacturer's service manual

Good to know

Repair difficulty: medium

What each character of P0E40 means

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

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep driving with code P0E40?

If the car is running normally, drive in moderation to a repair shop. If it loses power or another warning appears, do not continue.

What causes code P0E40?

The most common causes are: indicator wire shorted to a battery-fed circuit; output driver no longer switching off; moisture bridging pins in the indicator connector.

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.