Rear brake light stuck on

[chrisd1984]

Hey just wondering if anyone has any advice for adjusting this? I know there is a small adjustment knob under the seat on the side of the bike but I turned it both ways and the light is still on. Does anyone have a photo of what the switch looks like in case I'm using the wrong one?

 

[xschris]

There is a switch on the front hand brake also have you checked to see if that one is ok?

 

[chrisd1984]

So it's located beside the right handle grip? Hate to do this but I suppose you couldn't circle it in your pic could you? Also, for the one under the seat, should that be centered or more up/down? I was just twisting this black thing

 

[cafenewb]

^ in his first photo it's the one that isn't the brake cable. the only other thing going on up there. Think about the way a switch works. When you depress the brake level it pushes in a little pin (for lack of a better work) and completes the circuit. If it's not the on on your handlebar lever it could be the rear brake switch. There is a spring attached to it. you can probably find it looking under your bike.

 

[chrisd1984]

Ok I'll take a look thanks, I had a feeling I knew which one it was.

 

[xs400newbie]

Most likely the front brake switch. Common problem, and my bike experienced this last year. Try pushing the switch in toward the lever to see if the light goes out. There are two tabs on that switch that hold it in place. They can become worn or break causing this problem where the switch does not make good contact.

 

[chrisd1984]

Hey so I took a look and couldn't find any switch at all on the right handlebar. I took a photo as well. Is it possible my maxim doesn't have this switch? The one under the seat doesn't seem to effect anything.

 

[Maxim-umm]

remove the rubber dust cover from the lever then you should see it. like this...

 

[chrisd1984]

Ok I'll have a look thanks

 

[XSLeo]

On either switch, front or rear, follow the wires to where they plug into the harness. Unplug the wires, does the brake light go out? If so then the switch has a problem.
On the front it has a pin that comes out and hit the brake lever. In the closed position the switch contacts are not touching. When you pull the lever the pin, under spring pressure move out, letting the contacts close sending power to the brake light.
If the clips that hold the switch in are eak or broken this lets the sdwitch move out of the perch and the contacts close.
I looked up the rear brake switch on boats.net. It is mounted on the side of the bike It has a springloaded linkage to the brake linkage. The switch has a plastic nut on the body of the switch. You adjust the nut to get just a bit of slack in the spring loaded linkage. Not enough slack and the brake light stays on, to much slack and it never comes on.
Leo

 

[chrisd1984]

Hey so i took a look last night and uncovered the rubber near the brake cable and there doesn't seem to be any button there. Could it be the small screw in the photo? Perhaps my Maxim doesn't have a button on the brake and just the one under the seat only?

 

[XSLeo]

In that pic the switch will be up in the center at the top of the pic. It has two wires going to it. You can see it in Maxim-umm's pic. post #8
Leo