HarleyTechTalk

2009 flhx  bought this bike this spring i know there is a brake light switch recall, away from home and the light stays on, just started.. should i be concerned about my brakes? do not have abs,, is it just a faulty switch i can have fixed later..

You should be able to just pull the wires off the rear switch, se if that cures it.

it's probably the recall switch,, if you want to PM me the VIN i can check for you..,

You really want to ride with your brake lights on ALL the time?  For the short time it would take, try unplugging the rear brake switch ( looks like an automotive pressure activated switch) and see if the light goes out.  If it does, leave it disconnected and make sure the light works with your front brake, then just be sure you use the front every time you slow down or stop.  If it's a front brake switch and you are on the road, you can take it out of the circuit, but it is a little harder to do.  Personally, a brake light that is on all the time is as bad as one that does not work at all.  I'd take the time to fix it rather than continue on a trip of any length with it malfunctioning.

It's kind of surprising to me they are having a recall on this. I guess it is because they are failing so soon after purchase. Mine failed on an 07 and I had a friend's fail on an 04 or 05 and have heard of others. In both our cases we were traveling. I disconnected the switch and just made sure to use the front brake at every stop so the light worked. The switch was replaced but not until convenient. Definitely, I considered this safer than a brake light on all the time.

Quote from: Rags722 on October 10, 2012, 09:41:57 AM
You really want to ride with your brake lights on ALL the time?  For the short time it would take, try unplugging the rear brake switch ( looks like an automotive pressure activated switch) and see if the light goes out.  If it does, leave it disconnected and make sure the light works with your front brake, then just be sure you use the front every time you slow down or stop.  If it's a front brake switch and you are on the road, you can take it out of the circuit, but it is a little harder to do.  Personally, a brake light that is on all the time is as bad as one that does not work at all.  I'd take the time to fix it rather than continue on a trip of any length with it malfunctioning.

This is very good advice.

Quote from: bigfoot5x on October 10, 2012, 01:50:59 PM
It's kind of surprising to me they are having a recall on this. I guess it is because they are failing so soon after purchase. Mine failed on an 07 and I had a friend's fail on an 04 or 05 and have heard of others. In both our cases we were traveling. I disconnected the switch and just made sure to use the front brake at every stop so the light worked. The switch was replaced but not until convenient. Definitely, I considered this safer than a brake light on all the time.

I thought the recall was because the switches were too close to the exhaust and starting to leak/weep brake fluid. I thought the recall either put in a shorter switch or one rated to withstand the heat.  Now I gotta go look it up.

Quotetry unplugging the rear brake switch ( looks like an automotive pressure activated switch) and see if the light goes out.  If it does, leave it disconnected and make sure the light works with your front brake,

Also by doing this your cruise (if you have it) will still work.  BLUF: get it fixed ASAP

Tre'

Quote from: Rags722 on October 10, 2012, 04:42:27 PM

Quote from: bigfoot5x on October 10, 2012, 01:50:59 PM
It's kind of surprising to me they are having a recall on this. I guess it is because they are failing so soon after purchase. Mine failed on an 07 and I had a friend's fail on an 04 or 05 and have heard of others. In both our cases we were traveling. I disconnected the switch and just made sure to use the front brake at every stop so the light worked. The switch was replaced but not until convenient. Definitely, I considered this safer than a brake light on all the time.

I thought the recall was because the switches were too close to the exhaust and starting to leak/weep brake fluid. I thought the recall either put in a shorter switch or one rated to withstand the heat.  Now I gotta go look it up.

Switch appears to be the same size, only difference is the eased edges on the hex rather than sharp edges.  Must be internally more heat resistant.  Recall shows how to tell the difference between the two.
jt

thank you i pulled one wire and it went out and yes the front brake light works

so simple i just didnt think of just disconecting it

replacing that switch is easy too, 2 minutes and a 1/2 inch wrench .

Could be the break lever isn't flush with the hand grip, that will cause the rear break kight to stay on... see this issue creep up periodically on here, if your break lever assembly isn't flush up against the handle it'll stay on or flash on and off while riding...

Quote from: hd06myway on October 11, 2012, 11:07:51 AM
Could be the break lever isn't flush with the hand grip, that will cause the rear break kight to stay on... see this issue creep up periodically on here, if your break lever assembly isn't flush up against the handle it'll stay on or flash on and off while riding...

  What do you mean, flush with the handgrip? He already determined it was the rear switch, the front is working fine.

Quote from: truck on October 11, 2012, 12:33:37 PM

Quote from: hd06myway on October 11, 2012, 11:07:51 AM
Could be the break lever isn't flush with the hand grip, that will cause the rear break kight to stay on... see this issue creep up periodically on here, if your break lever assembly isn't flush up against the handle it'll stay on or flash on and off while riding...

  What do you mean, flush with the handgrip? He already determined it was the rear switch, the front is working fine.

It controls the rear breaklight, it's a grounding thing, I've personally had it happen to me before when changing levers or hand grips... the HD tech told me what it might be and it was that. It's worth a try, to losen up the lever and resnug it up against the handgrip... there have been people here who have taken the suggestion and that was the problem... before you start disconnecting wires etc...

the ony "grounding thing" in this circuit is thru the bulb to the frame. Unplug one wire to prove it's the rear switch, like he did, is the easiest....

There is a switch in your master cylinder that could possibly be stuck (pressed in) simulating your front break lever being pulled (thus the rear break light stays on). It's happened to me on my former bike a couple times ('89 Evo).  May not be your problem, but this is a rather common problem that gets people scratching their heads.. sounds like the new bikes not so much. 

Quote from: hd06myway on October 12, 2012, 07:51:47 AM
There is a switch in your master cylinder that could possibly be stuck (pressed in) simulating your front break lever being pulled (thus the rear break light stays on). It's happened to me on my former bike a couple times ('89 Evo).  May not be your problem, but this is a rather common problem that gets people scratching their heads.. sounds like the new bikes not so much. 

As Truck said, he has already found the issue, the rear brake switch. If you unplug the rear brake switch and the problem goes away, it is the rear brake switch.    The problem is not a surprise either.