| Author | Message | ||
     7873jake |
Recently added a set of red Whelen LINZ6 LEDs to a license plate frame bracket with a Back Off flasher feeding them. The Whelens aren't on constant burn; they only light when the brakes are activated and flash as they should with the Back Off module in line. All connections are Deutsch connectors. The Whelens and B.O. module are on a separate modular harness I built with the connectors to allow the OEM configuration to be reconnected in under 2 minutes. The Whelen lights light up and flash as they should when the rear brake pedal activates the switch. The front switch does nothing. In fact, the front brake switch doesn't even light up the OEM brake light circuit when I grab a handful. If I pull the new harness and reconnect the tail light without the Whelens and B.O. unit, the brake light stutters and flickers, occasionally fully lighting the brake light. All of this leads me to believe that the front switch might be dodgy. Anyone ever had to replace the switch in the front brake lever housing? Am I asking the front brake switch to do more than it should? The rear brake does it all correctly. The front, wellll, not so much. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Jake- I'd think if the rear brake light switch handles the slight load increase without a problem, the front switch should be OK. I'd guess your front switch was on the way out already and the addition of the new lighting pushed it over the edge. IIRC, you only have to remove one screw to remove the front brake light switch. If you're careful, you can actually disassemble the switch (carefully pry the tabs apart with a knife blade) and clean the contacts with very fine sandpaper (#600 or higher) and it should be good for a few more years. | ||
| Ratbuell |
I've had front brake switches go bad a couple times. I just retrofitted my '06 with the switch from an '07 - the newer piece is larger, seems heavier-duty, has a more positive "click" action, and just seems like it should last longer. All I had to do on the bike side was, split the plastic connector that held the two terminals because the spacing was wider on the '07 switch. All it is, is a tiny momentary switch in a plastic housing that's hung out in the weather all the time, with next-to-no protection. | ||
| Uly_man |
"All it is, is a tiny momentary switch in a plastic housing that's hung out in the weather all the time, with next-to-no protection". I have noticed the same with the clutch lever switch as well. Every time I look at it I think it needs a little Silicon sealer pushed into back end of the connector blocks to keep the water out. I must do that sometime? Ho, Ho, Ho. | ||
| Uly_dude |
Hey Jake. Don't be surprised if changing out your front brake switch doesn't fix it. I bought from Ronmold(past uly owner) a shunt that we spliced inline with the brake light. This device made the brake light flicker before coming on solid, probably like yours. It worked fine for a while, and then I noticed it only worked with the front brake, but not the rear brake. WTF? There's only 1 set of wires going to the brake light. To this day, I don't know how this thing knows the difference between the front brake and the rear brake, but it does. My point is, there is some sort of difference between those switches. Very strange. | ||
| 7873jake |
Thanks to all for the input. Uly_dude, I'm hoping its just the switch but haven't had time to tear in to the whole thing yet. Part of me had a fear that there was potential for something like you describe. In the interim, I've trained my right foot to actuate the brake light even if I don't use the wooden shoe rear brake. I hope to be able to tear in to the unit shortly. I did notice a quarter sized 'puddle' of oil under the front engine isolator which seems to be coming from the rocker box. Just recently re-did the forks because they were leaking. Now its marking its spot with Amsoil. I think I heard one of my Brit bikes make fun of the Uly the other night, saying "d@#% Uly, you leak more than I do!" | ||
| Glenn |
I had my front switch sticking a year or so back on my 2007. You may want to look at cleaning and lubricating it before you decide to change it out. |
