Front Brake switch

Energy One

LHS

Active Member
Good evening Guys
Well I got my cruise-mate installed love it love it love it.
Ever since I got the bike my brake lights would flicker. Now that I put it back together after installing the cruise-mate the front brake lights don't work at all. I cleaned the wiring plug and put dielectric grease on it before assembly . In the photo that I attached the spot with the green arrow pointing to if I take my little magnet on a telescoping stick poke it in there the brake lights light up if I take a small screwdriver and I put it up against the little magnet the Red Arrows is pointing at it will stick to it. So I'm assuming that it's out of adjustment and not a wiring issue. Does that sound right to you guys. I looked all through the shop manual and it never tells you how to adjust it. Do I have to take the right controller back apart to adjust that or do I just take the brake lever out I looked on the bottom side of the controls and I don't really see anything there where you just loosen up and try to slide that magnet in and out. Any help in the right direction would be awesome.
Thanks
Lewbrake switch.jpg
 
Last edited:

mleach72

Well-Known Member
Good evening Guys
well I got my cruise-mate installed love it love it love it.
Ever since I got the bike my front brake when engaged my brake lights would flicker. Now that I put it back together after installing the cruise-mate the front brake lights don't work at all. I cleaned the wiring plug and put dielectric grease on it before assembly . In the photo that I attached the spot with the green arrow pointing to if I take my little magnet on a telescoping stick poke it in there the brake lights light up if I take a small screwdriver and I put it up against the little magnet that Red Arrows pointing at it will stick to it. So I'm assuming that it's out of adjustment. Does that sound right to you guys. I looked all through the shop manual and it never tells you how to adjust it. Do I have to take the right controller back apart to adjust that or do I just take the brake lever out I looked on the bottom side of the controls and I don't really see anything there where you just loosen up and try to slide that magnet in and out. Any help in the right direction would be awesome.
Thanks
Lew
Yeah, sounds like it is out of adjustment. There is a very small set screw(.050") below the brake sensor. Loosen it up and the sensor should slide in and out. Pull the brake lever slightly and slide the sensor in until the brake lights turn on, then tighten the set screw.
20210514_165555.jpg
 

LHS

Active Member
Well I pulled it back apart try to adjust it and I can run it all the way up till it touches that little magnet and it doesn't light up the tail lights. I can pull it all the way out and hold it about 1/4 from my little magnet on a stick it lights tail lights right up and put it back in there and hold my little magnet up there again and it also lights up so maybe the magnet in the lever is getting weak.?? I would think the sensor is either good or bad.
 

mleach72

Well-Known Member
Well I pulled it back apart try to adjust it and I can run it all the way up till it touches that little magnet and it doesn't light up the tail lights. I can pull it all the way out and hold it about 1/4 from my little magnet on a stick it lights tail lights right up and put it back in there and hold my little magnet up there again and it also lights up so maybe the magnet in the lever is getting weak.?? I would think the sensor is either good or bad.
Hmm, that's weird. I've never heard of that happening. I suppose the magnet can maybe get weak over time. I guess I'll keep an eye on mine. You can get a new magnet from Eric. Wild steed work might have them too.
 

LHS

Active Member
Yeah I just went out and tried to adjust it again it has to almost touch the magnet for it to work. But yet I can pull it out and put my little bitty magnet on a stick about 1/4 inch from it and it lights right up. I'll have to check with those guys and see what they think. Wish I had another one well I could take my screwdriver and stick it up in there and see how well it sticks to the magnet because it just barely sticks to my little screwdriver.
 

mleach72

Well-Known Member
Yeah I just went out and tried to adjust it again it has to almost touch the magnet for it to work. But yet I can pull it out and put my little bitty magnet on a stick about 1/4 inch from it and it lights right up. I'll have to check with those guys and see what they think. Wish I had another one well I could take my screwdriver and stick it up in there and see how well it sticks to the magnet because it just barely sticks to my little screwdriver.
Keep us posted how it goes. Getting that magnet out is a real pain. I got a custom set of levers and I figured I would just pull the magnet out of the old lever and put it in the new lever. It ended up snapping into pieces. I think there was still a chunk left in the old lever. I had to get a new magnet. I don't remember if I got it from Eric or Curtis. Shannon says that if you soak the lever in acetone or paint thinner, it will pull right out.
 

Mr. Wright

Knows some things
Yeah I just went out and tried to adjust it again it has to almost touch the magnet for it to work. But yet I can pull it out and put my little bitty magnet on a stick about 1/4 inch from it and it lights right up. I'll have to check with those guys and see what they think. Wish I had another one well I could take my screwdriver and stick it up in there and see how well it sticks to the magnet because it just barely sticks to my little screwdriver.
Soak the handle in Acetone for about 10 minutes, and the magnet will pull right out.
 

LHS

Active Member
Well I got a new magnet and a new switch and circuit board.
I soaked the lever in Acetone and got the magnet out ( Thanks mleach72 & Mr.Wright ) so I check the old magnet strength against the new one when it arrived ( I swear them parts were in my mailbox before I even finish my order Thanks Eric Derek and Donna ) and the old one would not hold its own weight sticking to a little screwdriver the new one would snap right to the screwdriver and hold its own weight and then some. So I installed the new magnet in the brake lever and tried it with the old switch and it would light up the brake lights but I felt the gap was a little too close to the magnet. It probably would have worked just fine but I had the new switch and circuit board and already had it torn apart so I went ahead and installed them as well and now it has a big gap - you can just barely see it sticking out of the master cylinder housing. I'll just put the old switch and circuit board in the big Dog parts bin for a spare.
But yeah the magnet definitely went weak. I would say 1/2 to 3/4 less strength of the new one.
 
Top