Tech Tip: Brake pedal sensor causes Chevy Express power loss
The owner of a 2017 Chevy Express brought their vehicle into the shop because it lacked power. It wouldn't go over 25 mph. The malfunction indicator light (MIL) was off.
Case details
The technician took the van for a test drive to verify the owner’s concerns. Indeed, the vehicle wouldn’t accelerate much past 25 MPH, felt like it was starting off in third gear and the engine would rev easily in neutral.
Once back in the shop, the technician connected a scan tool and found the following diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) in different modules:
- ABS - P0110-04 (Pump Motor Circuit Open)
- Airbag - B0085 05 (Left Front Side Impact Sensor High Voltage or Open), and B101D 00 (Electronic Control Unit Hardware Malfunction)
- BCM - C0277 4B (Brake Pedal Position Sensor Circuit Calibration Not Learned)
The technician didn’t see a reason any of these DTCs would be causing the drivability problem, so he cleared all the DTCs and then started studying the parameter identification data (PIDs) on his scan tool. He noticed that one of the brake-system PIDs reported 33 percent when it should have been 0 percent.
Confirmed repair
He cleared all the DTCs and then conducted a brake pedal position sensor relearn procedure, which reset the brake system PID to 0 percent. After that, he took the van on a test drive. It ran fine with no DTCs in any module. Interesting fix!
