P0CAFHybrid/EV Battery Temperature Sensor N Circuit Low
- Generic OBD-II code · Powertrain
- Turns on the check-engine light
- Matters for the ITP
- Can trigger limp mode
- Needs a drive cycle to confirm a fix
- How the car detects it
- P0CAF sets when the signal of sensor N is pulled under its lower voltage limit. A ground fault in the lead or a shorted thermistor causes this, and because the NTC sensor works against a pull-up resistor the controller interprets it as an implausibly hot module. GM's 2017 HPC2 table 17OBDG02 records a failure once the computed temperature tops 160 °C in 8 of 10 readings, classed as Type B, provided the supply is above 10.2 V and code U179C is not active. The 2012 Volt table accepts N up to 87.5 °C, equal to a raw value from 680 upward. On the Outlander PHEV, Mitsubishi calls it a short of sensor [13], judged below 0.12 V for 2 s and fixed by replacing the battery module or cell monitoring unit. Genuine pack overheating is reported as P0A7E.
- What you may notice
- Warning lamp and markedly reduced battery power
- Battery cooling running at full effort
- Likely causes
- LikelySensor N lead shorted to ground
- PossibleThermistor N internally shorted
- RareMeasuring input of the cell monitoring unit defective
- Inspection (ITP)
- Matters for the ITP. While the check-engine light is on, the car fails the emissions check.
- Repair
- Workshop only · Usually a job for a workshop.Typical cost: €150 – €3,000
- Related codes
Explanation from obdex (CC0), exactly as the app shows it. Guidance only; confirm with a workshop.