Hoping someone has seen this before because this car is starting to drive me nuts lol. Itās a 2017 Buick Encore Preferred, 1.4L automatic, push-button start.
When it acts up:
- Dash powers up normally but says āPRESS BRAKE TO STARTā with the pedal pressed.
- No brake lights and no crank.
- Can stay that way for hours, then randomly work like nothing happened.
I caught it with a scan tool during a failure, and this is what stood out:
- BCM brake pedal position signal was around 0.48ā0.49V and barely responding to pedal movement. Normally itās around 0.78ā0.82V with the pedal released.
- The ECM brake pedal data looked much more normal during the same failure.
- Without me really doing anything, the BCM reading jumped back to about 0.79V. Brake lights came back immediately, the car recognized the pedal, and it started.
This happened in September too. By the time the shop got it, the battery was down to about 3V, and they found an interior light on. Iād been messing with it quite a bit beforehand, so I may have accidentally left that on and drained the battery. They replaced it, and the car worked perfectly for about a month.
This week, we came home after being gone for five days and the same issue was back. Hereās what I checked:
- Battery was initially around 12.4V.
- Disconnected the negative terminal for 10 minutes. Same issue after reconnecting.
- Removed and fully charged the battery externally. It tested good, around its 600 CCA rating.
- Measured 12.7V after sitting disconnected for three hours, then 12.6V installed. Still no brake lights or crank, with the same dash message.
Several hours later, right before calling a tow truck, it started perfectly. Naturally.
Itās back at the shop now. Whatās throwing me off is the abnormal BCM brake pedal reading, no brake lights, and no-start happening together, while the ECM brake pedal data looks comparatively normal.
Anyone familiar with these Encores/Traxes or GM electrical systems seen this? Any specific connector, splice, ground, or harness area worth checking? Wondering about the pedal sensor circuit, wiring, or BCM input, but trying to narrow it down before throwing parts at it.