Charge Session Terminated High Voltage Fault

Common Symptoms

• Charge session stops abruptly and the touchscreen shows a charging error or yellow/red charge icon
• App notification reads 'Charging Stopped' or 'Unable to Charge' shortly after plugging in
• Car will not charge at home Level 2 or public AC stations but may accept DC fast charging temporarily
• Charge port light flashes orange or red instead of turning solid green
• Estimated charge time on the touchscreen disappears or resets to dashes after a few seconds
• Repeated plug-unplug attempts do not resume the session
• No visible burn smell or blown fuses, making the fault hard to localize without a scan tool

Probable Causes (Ranked by Likelihood)

• On-board charger (OBC) internal high-voltage fault or failed power stage Very Likely
• Corrupted or failed charge session handshake caused by a weak or inconsistent AC supply voltage at the EVSE Likely
• High-voltage wiring harness chafing, loose connector, or corrosion between OBC and HVP module Likely
• BMS detected a cell-group voltage out of tolerance during inrush, triggering a protective shutdown Possible
• VCFRONT or HVP module firmware fault misreporting voltage threshold exceedance Possible
• Faulty or incompatible third-party EVSE delivering voltage spikes above OBC input tolerance Possible
• Thermal runaway pre-cursor: a battery module voltage imbalance causing OBC to see apparent overvoltage Less Likely

Step-by-Step Diagnostic Procedure

1. Step 1. Try a different charging source first. Plug into a different Level 2 EVSE (or a Tesla Wall Connector at a friend's home) and attempt a charge session. If the car charges normally, your original EVSE is delivering bad voltage -- check the outlet wiring and EVSE firmware before anything else.

2. Step 2. Attempt a Supercharger session. DC fast charging bypasses the OBC entirely. If Supercharging works without fault, the fault is isolated to the OBC or the AC charging path, which is critical information before spending money on parts.

3. Step 3. Read live fault codes using the Scan My Tesla app with an OBDLink MX+ or Veepeak adapter. Look for companion BMS or HVP codes fired at the same timestamp as CHARGE_a160. Multiple simultaneous codes pointing at the HVP module shift suspicion away from the OBC.

4. Step 4. Open the touchscreen service menu (long-press both scroll wheel buttons until the Tesla logo appears, then navigate to Service). Check the charging tab for any stored sub-faults or voltage readings logged at the time of fault.

5. Step 5. Inspect the charge port and cable for physical damage, bent pins, moisture, or scorch marks. Use a flashlight. A damaged charge port can cause the handshake voltage to spike and trigger this code before the OBC even starts drawing current.

6. Step 6. Measure your home panel supply voltage at the EVSE breaker with a multimeter. You want to see 240V AC plus or minus 5%. Voltages above 253V sustained can push the OBC input outside its design window. If you measure high voltage, contact your utility.

7. Step 7. If all external sources check out and the fault fires on every AC charger, the OBC itself is the prime suspect. At this point, further diagnosis requires Tesla Toolbox 3 (dealer-only) to read OBC internal fault registers. Contact a Tesla service center or an independent shop with Toolbox 3 access before authorizing an OBC replacement.

8. Step 8. Do NOT repeatedly attempt to force charge sessions if the fault is accompanied by any BMS codes indicating cell overvoltage or pack temperature anomalies. That combination warrants immediate professional inspection, not continued home troubleshooting.

Common Fixes by Vehicle

What techs usually find when diagnosing TESLA-CHARGE_A160 on specific platforms — tap a platform for the fix and the exact part:

Frequently Asked Questions