E16
General Motors Excessive Leakage Current / Nuisance Tripping

GM charger displays E16 and the home’s GFCI breaker or RCD trips when charging starts.

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Safety Warning

This repair may involve working with high voltage components or water connections. Always unplug the appliance before removing any panels.

If you are not confident in your ability to perform this repair safely, we strongly recommend contacting a professional technician.

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Possible Causes

Cumulative leakage from charger EMI filters, Shared neutral/ground issues in panel, Incompatible upstream GFCI device with built‑in GM ground monitoring, Degraded insulation in charger power module

How to Fix / Troubleshooting

Safety first: Do not repeatedly reset a tripping GFCI/RCD without identifying the cause.

Steps:

  • Dedicated circuit: Confirm that the GM charger is on a dedicated circuit with no other loads connected.
  • Breaker type: Check that the breaker type matches GM’s installation recommendations (some models require standard breakers, not GFCI, because the charger has internal ground fault protection).
  • Panel inspection: Have an electrician verify that neutrals and grounds are correctly separated and that no shared neutrals exist on the charger circuit.

If E16 and nuisance tripping continue with a correct installation, internal leakage in the charger’s EMI filter or power module may be excessive. Replacement of the charger is recommended.

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Repair Difficulty

Professional Required 5/5

Required Part

GM EMI Filter / Power Module Assembly
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