Safety Regulations for Hybrid/Electric Vehicles
General
Danger: Follow the safety regulations for hybrid/electric vehicles. The High Voltage Qualified Technician is responsible for the adherence to the manufacturer's service instructions as well as current national legal regulations. Failure to follow the regulations exactly as written may result in serious injury or death.
| • | The handling of high voltage vehicles is subject to various national laws and standards which must be observed at all times. High voltage gloves, high voltage face shields, and protective clothing are personal protective equipment. Their usage is dependent upon the kind of work being performed and the national laws and regulations. |
| • | Only trained and qualified personnel are allowed to work on high voltage vehicles. Depending upon the operation, the following levels of qualification are required: |
| — | High Voltage Qualified Technician |
| — | Electrically Aware Technician |
| • | Furthermore, all qualifications require a vehicle-type specific training. In case of any questions regarding high voltage qualification training, please contact the GM Academy. |
| • | The enabling and disabling of high voltage systems shall only be performed by High Voltage Qualified Technicians. The enabling/disabling of a high voltage system must be documented, and this documentation must be kept and filed with the accompanying vehicle documents. |
| • | Only "Electrically Aware Technicians" are allowed to work on high voltage vehicles. Working alone on high voltage components is not allowed. |
| • | High voltage components can be identified by orange-coloured wiring harnesses. In addition all high voltage components are tagged with warning labels. |
| • | The High Voltage system incorporates the following components: |
| • | (A4) Hybrid/EV Battery Pack |
| • | (S15) Hybrid/EV Battery Pack High Voltage Manual Disconnect Lever |
| • | (X98) Hybrid/EV Battery Charger Receptacle |
| • | (T6) Power Inverter Module |
| • | (T12) Automatic Transmission Assembly |
| • | (K10) Coolant Heater Control Module |
| • | (K118) Electric A/C Compressor Control Module |
| • | High voltage related wiring harness (orange insulation) |
| • | The vehicle has a low front slope angle of 8°. Careful handling is recommended. |
| • | The vehicle can be only towed with a lifted front axle. |
| • | The 12V battery is located in the boot. There are additional ground and B+ terminals in the engine compartment. These terminals have to be used for external charging, but cannot be used for jump-starting other vehicles. |
| • | Installation of accessories to high voltage components or wiring harnesses is not permitted. |
Transportation and Storage of Hybrid/EV Battery Packs
| • | Only instructed personnel are allowed to transport and store battery packs by adhering to the safety regulations. |
| • | If the diagnostic procedure requires replacement of the battery pack, ensure that the following steps are followed: |
| — | Inform the Technical Assistance Centre and ask them to confirm the battery pack replacement. Use the required form. |
| — | Order the replacement battery pack. Use the standard parts ordering system. |
| — | Prepare the defective battery pack for return. |
| • | Use only the specially designed carrier (special tool) for removing, transporting, and storing battery packs. |
| • | For transportation to another location, use only the special aftersales transport packaging including the covers for cooling and high voltage sockets. If not available, these items must be ordered via Parts and Accessories. |
| • | The carrier has to be ordered from SPX. The transportation case and covers have to be ordered from Parts and Accessories. If the battery pack needs to be replaced, these parts will be used in a recycling process. When the new or refurbished high voltage battery pack has been delivered and installed, the transportation case, the carrier, and the covers will be available for the next battery pack exchange. |
| • | Until pickup or re-installation, the battery pack must be stored in a secure place. Storage with other hazardous materials (e.g., chemicals or paint) is prohibited. The storage area must be identified with the correct hazard symbols and must have suitable fire prevention equipment. |
Registration
The Technical Assistance Centre must agree to the replacement of high voltage batteries and their consent is required before the batteries can be exchanged. They will also supply the necessary registration documents. Use the diagnostic tester to read out the high voltage battery's serial number.
Diagnostics
| • | If the high voltage components are in perfect working order, the display shows no error message after "Power on". Vehicles with an active DTC and an error message regarding the high voltage system must not be handed over to the customer. |
| • | While performing diagnostics on high voltage systems, strictly follow each diagnostic procedure. Do not use any other tools than the specified diagnostic tester and/or special tools. |
Repair Information
| • | While working on high voltage vehicles, strictly follow each service instruction and diagnostic procedure. Failure to follow the procedures may result in damage to components, serious injury, or death! |
| • | While working on a high voltage vehicle, the danger zone must be clearly identified with warning cones and warning tape on all sides of the vehicle. Warning cones are available from the special tools programme. |
| • | Disabling the high voltage system must only be performed by qualified personnel. The instructions for disabling / enabling high voltage systems are part of the service manual. |
| • | Always perform the high voltage disabling procedure prior to servicing any high voltage component or connection. To determine when this is necessary, consult the relevant diagnostic or repair procedure. This is also valid for operations close to high voltage components, connectors or harnesses, if there is the risk of damage to these components. |
| • | If a disabling of the high voltage supply is not possible, contact the Technical Assistance Centre. Working on live high voltage systems is strictly prohibited. It is not permitted to open the housing of high voltage components, wiring plugs, or the battery housing. |
| • | Repairs on high voltage components are not permitted. These components must never be opened or modified. Defective components have to be replaced. |
| • | Repair of high voltage cables and harnesses, including plugs and terminals, is not permitted. Defective wiring harnesses have to be replaced. |
| • | High voltage battery and high voltage control units are sensitive to impact and must therefore be handled with special care. They must be replaced after an impact, e. g., in case a control unit falls to the ground. |
| • | Do not expose the high voltage battery to an object temperature exceeding 60°C / 140°F and for a time of more than 60 minutes. |
| • | For sheet metal, soldering, or welding operations always disconnect the ground cable from the 12 Volt battery. |
| • | If the earth terminal of the welding equipment is too far away from the welding point, the welding current can destroy electric and electronic components. Therefore always attach the earth terminal of the welding equipment as close as possible to the welding point. Remove control units and harnesses that are located close to the welding point. |
| • | Ensure availability of all necessary high voltage safety equipment and tools. Before performing measurements on high voltage systems, check all display segments of the voltmeter and the test leads. In addition, a DC test probe (e. g., 12 Volts) is necessary. Defective components have to be replaced. |
| • | High Voltage wiring harnesses must always be replaced if damage is evident. This is the case if |
| — | the insulation is damaged (the shielding is visible) |
| — | defective plug housings, terminals, or lock |
| — | heavily pinched (permanent deformation) |
| • | After each accident a visual check is required by qualified personnel and special attention is required for damages to the fascia, at the underbody, and rear damage. Defective components have to be replaced. |
| • | Especially the battery pack has to be inspected for following damages: |
| — | crack formation and deformation at the housing |
| — | crack formation at attachment points |
| — | damages to the 12 V connectors |
| — | damages to the high voltage connectors including the socket of the manual disconnect lever |
| — | crack formation and other damages at the coolant connectors |
| • | If any of these defects are found, the battery pack must be replaced. |
| • | Please contact the Technical Assistance Centre if you have any questions. |
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