When servicing a hybrid vehicle and removing the high voltage service plug, how long should a technician wait before beginning work?

When servicing a hybrid vehicle and removing the high voltage service plug, how long should a technician wait before beginning work?

• A. 0 minutes
• B. 5 minutes
• C. 15 minutes
• D. 1 minute

Answer: (B)

When a hybrid’s high‑voltage system is opened, energy can remain stored in the battery and capacitors even after the service plug is removed. To reduce the risk of electric shock or arcing, a brief waiting period is used so that this energy can dissipate through the system’s safety pathways and bleed off to a safe level before any work begins. This waiting time is specified by manufacturers and is long enough for the high‑voltage energy to drop to a safe value, but not so long as to be impractical. After this wait, technicians typically verify that the system is at a safe voltage with the proper measurement tool before proceeding.

When a hybrid’s high‑voltage system is opened, energy can remain stored in the battery and capacitors even after the service plug is removed. To reduce the risk of electric shock or arcing, a brief waiting period is used so that this energy can dissipate through the system’s safety pathways and bleed off to a safe level before any work begins. This waiting time is specified by manufacturers and is long enough for the high‑voltage energy to drop to a safe value, but not so long as to be impractical. After this wait, technicians typically verify that the system is at a safe voltage with the proper measurement tool before proceeding.