Brake lights revisited

[mikehw]

Hello all - I am brand new to this forum, and a one week old Stallion owner. I just acquired an Orange 08, number 294, with 6000 miles.

When I got the trike I only had 2 issues, the brake lights didn't work, and one of the fog lamps was out. I found the fog lamp bulb at NAPA and spliced that in.

I did a search for 'brake light' in the Stallion forums here, and it oddly only came up with a few posts. Scanning around, I have found numerous issues/mentions of this problem, centered around the brake light switch.

Called TBMS today, who was very helpful. Emailed the bulletin of how to replace the old switch with the new one (including pictures and diagrams),which he was prepared to send out. When I went to look at it, turns out I have the new one - screwed together, with the yellow ring around the connector. Odd, too, because it didn't appear to be spliced in, the wires just cleanly disappeared into the corrugated black plastic hose shortly after the connector. I tried shorting pins 1+2 with a paper clip, which 'should' have made the lights go on, but with no room to work, no slack on the cable, I don't think I was able to get a sure connection with the clip. Wasn't ready to splice wires until/unless I could put this on a lift so I would have the room to work.

Let me backtrack, the fuse is good (and has current), and the bulbs are all good. I have no issues with the gearshift lock, or the cruise control. I DO need to apply more than just a tap on the brakes to cancel the cruise, but only enough to shave a couple mph off speed, not the 10 or so needed for the other cancellation system to kick in. I saw one thread talking about a bad ground in the trunk, but the tail lights use the same ground and these work.

Any other ideas to look at? I did see something about the original waterproof switch being replaced by one with better contacts, is there a way to tell these apart?

Thanks in advance,,
Mike

[Gorilla]

If you have the one that has screws in it then I believe you have the redesigned one. I changed the switch but still had issues after awhile so I plumbed a pressure switch into the brake line and ran (spliced of off) the brake light wires to it. Did that 2 years ago and have had no further brake light issues. I left all the original wires and the switch in place for the cruise.

[Ed Hobgood]

I had the problem with the brake lights but my cruze didn't cancel either. It turned out to be in the electrical switch in front of the master cylender. We took it apart and bent the forks/ tabs so they made better contact. Hope this might help.

[tomg]

I also had issues with the switch, even a new one put on by TMS. I took the thing apart and tweaked the bend in the thin contacts( primarily the one on the left as you hold it) and have not have a problem in 25,000 miles. I took a couple of others apart and also found that the contacts were not bent enough to make contact when the brake pedal is pushed in.

Tomg

[mikehw]

Well, I found a solution if not the answer.
Richard from TMS told me I could bring that connector up top through the (removed) seat, to make it easier to test. When shorting pins 1+2, still no lights. Come to find out, the pin 1, the blue wire, which should be live from the 20 amp fuse at #19, had no power - even though that fuse was live. So I put power to pin 2, lights came on. Put power to pin one and crossed to 2, lights came on. So it wasn't the lights or connector.

So, for a temp fix I drug a wire from the fusebox (fused side) to connector, so I could plug back into the 'new' brake switch (one with screws) to make sure it would all work. It does.

Also, the center pin (#3) is supposed to be fed by a 5 amp fuse, but that has no power either, and I'm not sure what I do not have, because all else works.

Since my trike is an 08, it definitely came with the old switch. The previous owner had to have it replaced. They did a nice job, as there is no splice, the wires actually go all the way up into the next larger wire bundle (where it T's in). I pulled the corrugated plastic protector off, and there was no splice. I don't know how they did that, without pulling apart the larger bundles as well, than professionally wrapping it all back together.

Trouble is, they didn't do TOO well, because the power lead had no power. I started thinking (there I go again!) maybe they drew the power from another fuse, so I checked all of them under the seat, and they were all good. I did not check anything under the hood (the box under the air cleaner). If there is an inline fuse somewhere, I didn't see it.

I will need to properly route a clean wire from under the fuse tray into that wire bundle, if I can find any info on pulling the tray. If not I will have someone else do it. In the mean time, at least I have brake lights, and I will find out if they had them off for a reason, like a slow battery drain - or a fast one over bumps!

[Gorilla]

Mike get a wiring diagram for a 2007 Ford Ranger. It will help you get an idea of what is happening. Regrettably it will not help you fine the actual part locations. Most of the wiring ect are from the ranger, they just are run in different places.

[mikehw]

Richard from TMS had sent me the Ford wiring diagram regarding the switch, that was how I figured out which wire was which and which 'should have' been live.

That taken care of, now I have to route the wire into the tube, right now I have it going over the top of the fuse tray. Just hoping I don't have to take too much apart to gain access to where I need to be.

Thanks to this site and TMS, I'm sure I saved at least $500. I know every time I bring one of my boats in it is usually a 'standard' $500, and I don't see this as being anything different. This is a great community, and worth its weight in gold (or at least $500 bills!)

[adonnelly]

Is there any chance that you might s till have the diagrams to help locate the switch. I have the weekend off and would like to get it fixed. Don't think I can contact TBMS till Monday. I can't seem to find the switch you all are talking about. Would really appreciate any help!

[Gorilla]

Is there any chance that you might s till have the diagrams to help locate the switch. I have the weekend off and would like to get it fixed. Don't think I can contact TBMS till Monday. I can't seem to find the switch you all are talking about. Would really appreciate any help!

Angie, the switch being discussed is located on the brake master cylinder on the left side of the trike in front of the rear axle. You will see the brake booster and the master cylinder is bolted to the front of the booster. It can also be kind of seen from the top after you remove the seat. The switch is at the front of the cylinder where the push rod is. If I remember right there are 5 wires going into the switch with a flat connector. A Ford Ranger 2007 wiring diagram will show you which wires do what. The wire that goes to the 5 amp fuse is not power up for some reason but that does not effect the operation of the stop lights and the cruise cancel.

[Dragon]

Good morning

In the first picture shows exactly what a replacement brake light switch includes. I have gone through a switch a year for 4 years. tbms has replacement under warranty but said this was my last one. at over 250.00 a switch I am going back to stock at 20 dollars. my problem has been the plastic button inside the switch, the head gets mashed up and the button will not travel back and forth to energize wires. it is hard to see in 2nd pic.





Dragon

[tomg]

Good morning

In the first picture shows exactly what a replacement brake light switch includes. I have gone through a switch a year for 4 years. tbms has replacement under warranty but said this was my last one. at over 250.00 a switch I am going back to stock at 20 dollars. my problem has been the plastic button inside the switch, the head gets mashed up and the button will not travel back and forth to energize wires. it is hard to see in 2nd pic.





Dragon

That is the newer switch which all you should have to do is unplug and remove the old and replace with the new. Hopefully that will correct your issue. I actually took mine apart after replacing 4 of them in the early days and tweaked the thin blades inside to work with the plunger. Than was probably about 60k miles back and still working fine. Tomg

[adonnelly]

Thanks, everyone.

Found it!!

[trikervet]

I just checked my records and I installed the upgraded brake switch in April of '10. That was the last maintenance I have done on the brake lights. I did replace the oem bulbs with led's a couple of years ago. That's it.

[tomg]

I just checked my records and I installed the upgraded brake switch in April of '10. That was the last maintenance I have done on the brake lights. I did replace the oem bulbs with led's a couple of years ago. That's it.

At least you found it without any major issues. I as others have also upgraded our bulbs but not with led bulbs. Tomg

[Dragon]

Good morning

I have a question for the people who installed remote brake light switches. are you still using them with the new improved switch and did you remove them after you installed the new switch or are you still using remote switch also

Dragon

[Gorilla]

dragon I put a brake pressure switch in the brake line to make sure the brake lights always worked. I recently rigged a relay off the same feed that took care of the cruise control. so basically I no longer use the original switch at all.

[ezcnc96]

Would you have the part number for that break switch?

Good morning

In the first picture shows exactly what a replacement brake light switch includes. I have gone through a switch a year for 4 years. tbms has replacement under warranty but said this was my last one. at over 250.00 a switch I am going back to stock at 20 dollars. my problem has been the plastic button inside the switch, the head gets mashed up and the button will not travel back and forth to energize wires. it is hard to see in 2nd pic.





Dragon

[Gorilla]

Dragon not a popular answer but I quit replacing that switch. Went down to NAPA picked up a couple of the old pressure switches that were installed into the brake line. Re wired into them one to control the taillights and the other the sensor for the cruise control. That was 5 years ago and have not had another issue in the switch area.