High Voltage Wiring
All high voltage wiring used within hybrid vehicles has been standardized. The harness may contain up to 600 volts and is heavily insulated with orange shielding.
General Motors has standardized all wiring: orange being high voltage (300 to 600 volts), blue being 43 to 299 volts, and standard wiring for low voltage (below 43 volts). This is something that the SAE is considering implementing, but hasn’t put in place yet.
The high voltage cable is surrounded by a copper sensor. In the event of an accident or other event where the sensor is damaged, the system shuts down.
If you are ever presented with a situation where you need to handle the high voltage cable, precautionary measures must be taken first.
The vehicle must be shut down and the energy for the high voltage components must be isolated and disabled.
Only properly trained personnel should touch this wiring, and with proper equipment. We’ll be covering the how’s and why’s in this course.