Circuit/System Description

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2009 Cadillac STS. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

The brake pedal position (BPP) sensor is used to sense the action of the driver's application of the brake pedal. The BPP sensor provides an analog voltage signal that will increase as the brake pedal is applied. The instrument panel module (IPM) provides a low reference signal and a 5-volt reference voltage to the BPP sensor. When the variable signal reaches a voltage threshold indicating the brakes have been applied, the IPM will apply battery voltage to the center high mounted stop lamp (CHMSL), transmission control module (TCM), engine control module (ECM), and stop lamp relay coil. When the stop lamp relay receives battery voltage from the IPM, the relay coil is energized and the stop lamp relay switch contacts close applying battery voltage through the stop lamps fuse to illuminate the stop lamps.