Brake light stays on
#12
Mine was the rear brake light switch. Follow your rear brake line and find the switch behind your exhaust. If you unplug one of the wires and your brake light goes out, then it's bad. You will still have a brake light when using your front lever. You can get a replacement switch at Autozone for $8-$10. Make sure that you use some thread tape on the new one.
#13
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
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Other day saw that my rear brake light was *ON* all the time, checked front and rear brakes when I got home, removed the right brake handle and looked inside to see if the front stop light switch was making a 'clicking' sound. It was making a barely clickable sound, but just to make sure I pulled the plug on the rear stop light switch - and light was still on.
I did swap out my rear brake light - just as another step to make sure that it was the switch during troubleshooting, same problem - brake light was still stuck on no matter what bulb I used.
So - visited my dealership - $60 later, have the new switch installed. They *DO* go bad, this one took five years to go bad... but it *DID* go bad...
Just a FYI - on the 07 FLSTC - when you squeeze the brake handle, it relieves the pressure on the switch, which turns on the brake light (the button pops out) - and applies pressure against the master cylinder plunger. When you release your hand on the brake, it applies pressure on the switch (pushing the button in), turning the brake light off.
Also - all the switches do is essentially create a closed circuit. So, if you wanted to test the electrical line, you can short the line (when a switch goes bad, mostly they short *off*, but sometimes they will short *on*, which is why you see the brake lights on) by shorting the line, the brake light goes on, if you break the circuit, the light will go off. This is also to see if you have a short in the wire harness and its not the switch (yet another electrical troubleshooting step...)
Edit: I tested the switch with my ohm meter after I clipped it out - and it was stuck in the closed position, so current was passing through it. Bad switch... I've only seen a few switches like this go bad in twenty years, most of them break in the open position.
I did swap out my rear brake light - just as another step to make sure that it was the switch during troubleshooting, same problem - brake light was still stuck on no matter what bulb I used.
So - visited my dealership - $60 later, have the new switch installed. They *DO* go bad, this one took five years to go bad... but it *DID* go bad...
Just a FYI - on the 07 FLSTC - when you squeeze the brake handle, it relieves the pressure on the switch, which turns on the brake light (the button pops out) - and applies pressure against the master cylinder plunger. When you release your hand on the brake, it applies pressure on the switch (pushing the button in), turning the brake light off.
Also - all the switches do is essentially create a closed circuit. So, if you wanted to test the electrical line, you can short the line (when a switch goes bad, mostly they short *off*, but sometimes they will short *on*, which is why you see the brake lights on) by shorting the line, the brake light goes on, if you break the circuit, the light will go off. This is also to see if you have a short in the wire harness and its not the switch (yet another electrical troubleshooting step...)
Edit: I tested the switch with my ohm meter after I clipped it out - and it was stuck in the closed position, so current was passing through it. Bad switch... I've only seen a few switches like this go bad in twenty years, most of them break in the open position.
Last edited by londo-cat; 06-19-2012 at 11:29 PM.
#15
#16
#17
Very helpful post, reminds me why I come to this forum. Had the problem on the wifes 04 FLSTC, ran through the checks listed, front switch bad (likely my fault from when I changed her grips, although that was months ago). Replaced the front switch - what a PITA - but all fine now.
Thanks guys.
Thanks guys.
#18
#20
Oh well, if I told her I was putting a "fix" on her bike instead of doing it the way the book says she'd be unhappy with me. Happy wife, happy life.
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09-02-2007 04:27 PM