CarScan
P0504Powertrain

Brake switch — signal mismatch

Where to start

The two brake pedal switches disagree. The pedal has two precisely so the unit can compare them. Usually the stop-light switch itself has shifted or worn out — a cheap part, replaced without removing anything. Symptoms: cruise control will not engage and the gearbox will not come out of Park.

A code is not a diagnosis. It says which check failed, not which part to replace. Clearing it without repair only means the car will report it again in a few trips.

How to put together a report a mechanic will actually read

How the code is built

Letter — the systemPowertrain: engine and transmission
Common or the maker's ownGeneric code: the same on every car
Which part of the engineIdle and auxiliary systems
Number of the faultThe serial number inside that group — it does not say how serious the fault is

All codes in «Idle and auxiliary systems»

How the app helps

CarScan reads this code from your car through an OBD-II adapter, shows whether it is active now or only stored, names the module that reported it, and puts it into a plain-text report for your mechanic.

See what the app does

Unfamiliar word? Open the glossary

What the letter and the four digits mean