C0560 means the brake control module has no valid calibration for brake pressure sensor A. In the SAE generic list the definition is "Brake Pressure Sensor A Missing Calibration." It is a chassis code (the C prefix) in the C05xx block that the SAE reserved for brake pressure and brake booster sensors, and its meaning is narrower than it sounds. The sensor may be reading correctly. What is missing is the stored data that tells the module how to interpret that reading, or the module's confidence that the stored data is intact.
Severity: moderate to high. Can you keep driving? With care, to a shop. On the vehicles that set this code, the brake pressure sensor feeds the system that blends regenerative braking with hydraulic braking, or the electronic brake booster. When the module cannot trust the sensor it falls back to a conventional hydraulic mode with reduced assist. The pedal still stops the car, but it feels harder, travels further, and the ABS, stability control and regenerative braking warnings usually come on together. Do not drive it in traffic for longer than it takes to get it looked at.
Which vehicles actually set C0560
This is the first thing to establish, because the number is used by fewer systems than the generic definition suggests, and on some vehicles it does not exist.
Ford and Lincoln hybrids and plug-in hybrids use it. Ford's on-board diagnostic system summary for its hybrid electric vehicles lists "Brake Pressure Sensor A – Missing calibration (C0560)" as a monitor in the brake control module, with the set condition described as a checksum comparison between the sensor's stored values and the module's memory that stays unequal for 150 milliseconds. That covers the C-Max Hybrid and Energi, the Fusion Hybrid and Energi and the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, which share the same electro-hydraulic brake system. Aftermarket module suppliers list "brake pressure sensor missing calibration checks for a stored C0560" among the tests performed on the 2016 MKZ Hybrid PCM, which confirms the code lives on that platform.
Chevrolet Volt (second generation) uses it. The GM diagnostic index for the Volt lists "DTC C059B or C0560: Front Brake Pressure Sensor Missing Calibration" in the electronic brake control module section, alongside the master cylinder pressure sensor circuit codes C0571, C0572 and C0574. The Volt's regenerative braking system depends on accurate pressure sensing to decide how much of each stop the motor handles and how much the hydraulics handle.
Older GM trucks do not use it. An owner of a 2008 Tahoe Hybrid who was invoiced for a "C0560" repair was told on a hybrid owners' forum that no such code exists on that vehicle; the closest real codes are C056D and C056E, which concern the brake module's own software and configuration. A JustAnswer technician working a Chevrolet Equinox reported the same thing: neither of his service manuals lists C0560 for that vehicle. On those platforms a scan tool showing C0560 has translated a proprietary code into the SAE definition, and the SAE definition is wrong for the car.
Other brands use a different number for the same fault. Nissan and Infiniti set C1162, "incomplete pressure sensor calibration," after an ABS actuator is replaced without the sensor learn. Toyota and Lexus use C1246 for master cylinder pressure sensor faults and require a zero-point calibration with the factory tool. Honda and Acura require the VSA pressure sensor and steering angle sensor to be memorized after a modulator replacement. Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio owners run a "pressure sensor calibration" routine on the electro-hydraulic brake unit. None of these vehicles will display C0560, so if the scan tool shows it on one of them, read the code again with the manufacturer's definition table before doing anything else.
What "missing calibration" means in the module
A brake pressure sensor is a strain-gauge element that produces a small voltage proportional to hydraulic pressure. Every sensor has its own offset (the reading at zero pressure) and gain (how much the reading changes per unit of pressure). The module stores those two numbers as the sensor's calibration, either learned once at the factory or written in during a service procedure, and it protects them with a checksum.
The Ford set condition explains the failure precisely. The module compares the checksum of the calibration it expects against the checksum of what it holds. If they disagree for 150 milliseconds, it stops trusting the sensor and sets C0560. Three things produce a mismatch:
- The calibration was never written. A replacement brake module, or a replacement master cylinder or sensor on a system that stores the calibration per sensor, has no matching data until the learn procedure is run.
- The calibration was corrupted. A programming session that lost power partway through, a low system voltage event during a key cycle, or an internal memory fault leaves a partial or damaged record.
- The hardware and the calibration do not match. A used module from another vehicle carries the other vehicle's sensor data. The checksum can be valid and still wrong for the sensor in front of it, which is why some systems flag a mismatch even after a "successful" swap.
Nothing in that list is a broken sensor. A sensor that has actually failed, reading out of range or not at all, sets a circuit code instead: C0044 for sensor A, C0571 through C0575 for the master cylinder sensors on GM.
Causes, in the order they are found
A brake module, master cylinder or pressure sensor replaced without the calibration routine. The most common cause by a wide margin, and the one the repair history reveals immediately. On Ford hybrids the routine is run with the factory diagnostic tool; independent shops can do it with a tool that supports Ford module configuration. On the Volt it is an EBCM learn with the GM tool.
Low voltage during a key cycle or a programming session. A weak 12-volt battery on a hybrid is a classic, because the 12-volt system is small and the car does not crank an engine to expose a weak battery. A jump start with the key on, a battery replaced with the module powered, or an interrupted reflash all produce the corrupted-record version of the fault.
A used or mismatched module. A salvage brake module, or one from a different trim or model year, carries someone else's calibration. It may set C0560 on the first drive or after the first pressure event that exposes the mismatch.
Memory failure inside the module. Least common. Suspected only when the calibration is written successfully, verified, and the code returns on the next key cycle with a healthy battery.
A diagnostic order that does not replace a good sensor
- Read every brake code with a tool that shows the manufacturer definition, and note whether C0560 is current or history. If the vehicle is not a Ford hybrid, a Volt or another platform that genuinely uses this number, resolve the translation question first. Pull the freeze frame if the tool captures it for chassis codes; battery voltage at the time of the fault is the parameter that matters most.
- Check the repair history. A brake module, master cylinder, ABS unit or pressure sensor replaced in the last few months, or any programming session, is the answer until proven otherwise.
- Test the 12-volt battery and charging. On a hybrid, load-test the small 12-volt battery and check for parasitic drain. A battery that reads 12.6 V at rest but collapses under a modest load is exactly what corrupts stored calibration data.
- Run the calibration procedure. With the battery healthy and a charger connected, run the brake pressure sensor learn (Ford) or the EBCM calibration (GM) with a tool that supports it. Follow the preconditions exactly: brake pedal released, vehicle stationary, correct ignition state. A failed routine reporting "incorrect conditions" is usually a precondition, not a hardware fault.
- Verify the sensor with live data. With the calibration written, watch brake pressure on the scan tool while pressing the pedal. Zero at rest, a smooth rise with pedal force, and agreement with the second pressure sensor if the system has one. A sensor that cannot be calibrated because its raw reading is out of range needs a circuit code diagnosis, not another calibration attempt.
- Clear the code and cycle the key several times. Calibration codes that are going to return do so on the next power-up, so a few key cycles with a road test is a complete verification. If it returns with a healthy battery and a verified write, the module's memory is the suspect.
What C0560 does not tell you
It does not say the sensor is bad, and it does not say the module is bad. It says the two do not agree on the stored numbers that link them. It also does not tell you whether the scan tool's definition is the right one for the car; on older GM trucks and most non-Ford, non-GM vehicles it is not. Confirm the platform, check what was replaced, fix the battery, and run the routine before any part is ordered; the general principle is covered in what a trouble code does not tell you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drive with a C0560 code?
To a shop, carefully. The brake module falls back to a conventional hydraulic mode with less assist, so the pedal is harder and travel is longer, and regenerative braking is usually disabled. Stopping distances grow. Do not treat it as a warning to watch.
Does C0560 mean I need a new brake pressure sensor?
Usually not. The code means the module has no valid calibration for the sensor, which most often follows a module or master cylinder replacement without the learn procedure, or a low-voltage event that corrupted the stored data. Run the calibration routine with a healthy battery before replacing anything.
Why did C0560 appear after I replaced the 12-volt battery on my hybrid?
Because a battery change with the ignition on, or a weak battery before the change, can drop system voltage far enough to corrupt stored calibration data in the brake module. Run the brake pressure sensor calibration with the factory-capable tool and the code should not return.
My scan tool shows C0560 on a 2008 Tahoe Hybrid. What does it mean?
Nothing, on that vehicle: GM did not use this number on that generation, and owners who were invoiced for it were told by other owners that the real codes are C056D and C056E, which concern the brake module's software and configuration. Read the code again with GM-specific definitions.
Related codes
- C0044: brake pressure sensor A circuit. The sensor reading itself is out of range, as opposed to the calibration being missing.
- C0561: on GM, "system disabled information stored," a general brake module status code that often accompanies other brake faults. On some other tools it is translated as a brake pressure sensor correlation code; check the manufacturer definition.
- C056D / C056E: brake module software and configuration codes on older GM trucks, the real codes behind a mistranslated "C0560."
- C0571 / C0572 / C0574: brake master cylinder pressure sensor circuit codes on GM, listed next to C0560 in the Volt diagnostic index.
- C1162 (Nissan) / C1246 (Toyota): the same "pressure sensor calibration not performed" fault under a manufacturer number.
The code number itself tells you the family and the domain; how to read an OBD2 code number explains what each character means and why a C code can carry a generic definition that the vehicle does not use.