P0E70: Battery Charging System Precharge Contactor Control Circuit High

P0E70 is the high-side counterpart of P0E6F: the coil line of the charging precharge contactor carries voltage although the driver is off. A short to a 12 V feed can energise the coil without a command, which would let the precharge branch conduct unasked; the battery management therefore usually locks out charging. No manufacturer documents P0E70 publicly. For its positive charging contactor GM tests exactly this case in the 2019 hybrid tables (P0D0A): with the driver off, an output voltage above the 12 V battery voltage minus 0.4 V counts as a short to power, confirmed by 40 of 50 samples at 12.5 ms, Type B. Mitsubishi's i-MiEV sets P0AE7 when the coil monitor stays on after an off command. An open coil circuit is P0E6D.

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

Charging locked out with a high-voltage fault message
Contactor clicks without a charging request

Most likely causes

Coil control wire shorted to a 12 V supply
Driver stage in the battery management unit stuck on
Open ground return of the coil leaving the line at supply level

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 P0E70 means

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

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep driving with code P0E70?

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 P0E70?

The most common causes are: coil control wire shorted to a 12 V supply; driver stage in the battery management unit stuck on; open ground return of the coil leaving the line at supply level.

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.