K11 Owners Group

supercat1 · Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2011 10:33 pm Post subject: brake light issues

so i have done some searching on the forum and not found anything exactly like what i am experiencing.

talking to drake about his trick k1 brake light got me to thinking i hadn't checked all my lights for this season yet. so i did that and lo-n-behold my brake light doesn't seem to be right.

with the bike on (engine not started, kick stand up, kill switch set to on) both the brake and tail light come on, warning lights on dash are solid. push brake lever and foot lever and they start to flash, but the brake light never goes off. i took the bike out to ride to see if the warning lights turned off completely, they do. but when looking in my mirrors i never see the brake light get brighter when i push on either brake. thoughts?

i have checked the bulbs, and they both are good and light up. i haven't taken the tank off ever, and didn't want to try that tonight, but is checking the bmu the only place to start? that seems to be the consensus from all previous threads ...

before the bike got put away for the winter i had the front break pads and lines replaced. would it have been conceivable that a wire got crossed or such that made the light stay on all the time? if so, what is a likely culprit?

thank you in advance!
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(formerly) 1993 k1100rs

drikko · Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 1:50 am Post subject:

I'm not so sure you would see it in the mirror would you? I find it best to back up to a wall at night so you can see it.
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K1100RS '97
Laverda RGS 1000 '84
Jim Young Trailer Sailer 5.7M WB

DISCLAIMER:- Anything I say may have been when I was drunk so please don't take it personally.

'Bigamy is having one wife/husband too many. Monogamy is the same.'
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Saltcreek · Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 7:02 am Post subject:

Are you sure the brake light is going off? I once had a sticking lever and thought it wasn't coming on because it never went off.
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Jim

1994 K1100LT Mystic Red, bfd, 37000 miles, sold Sad

2009 Wilderness Systems Zephyr 155 ST
2002 Litespeed titanium

SugarHillCTD · Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 7:09 am Post subject:

I'm with Jim on this one.

Just happened to me on the Supersport I brought home last month.

But do check it with someone working the levers while you look at the lights or backed up against a wall like drikko suggests.
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John & Cathy

'92 K100RS4V Pearl White SOLD
'04 K1200GT
IBA Several-SS1k, BBG, 50CC NYC to S.F.

supercat1 · Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 8:32 am Post subject:

Jim · Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 8:56 am Post subject:

Flying Duck · Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 9:12 am Post subject:

supercat1 · Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 9:16 am Post subject:

well, it doesn't seem to be that the actual brake is sticking, at least not enough that i can tell. hopefully it is just some contact is loose. i'll mess with it next week i guess.
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(formerly) 1993 k1100rs

SugarHillCTD · Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 9:21 am Post subject:

Jim · Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 12:37 pm Post subject:

Flying Duck · Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 2:02 pm Post subject:

Jim · Posted: Thu Apr 07, 2011 3:41 pm Post subject:

That's fine - that's your experience. The front mc on the K was leaking, but it was such a small amount that it wasn't readily noticeable. However, it did have a bunch of crud in it, and the switch was sticking on. Took it apart, cleaned everything, put a kit in it - all has been fine since.

Seems like a lot of people here have had to at least pull the mc apart to clean it, and a number of people have gone ahead and put a kit in while they were at it...

YMMV...
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Jim
1997 K1100LTSE 94,000 - still has gremlins!
1995 R100RT Classic 16,650 crashed - repaired!
1992 K75RTP 46,000

"We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed."

supercat1 · Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 9:03 pm Post subject:

i still haven't gotten this fixed, but i only just looked at it again today.

so under the brake lever it is really disgusting and cruddy. i'm guessing that isn't a good sign. probably a sign of a bad seal or dirty master cylinder?

i couldn't find any "little screws" to remove to look at the switch. i looked in my clymer and it says you have to get under the tank to detach the switch connection and you can test it there. then removing it is another trick it seems like that requires taking all the stuff off.

so it is obviously a much more in depth task than i thought or hoped. seems like something that is going to take me a weekend, which i never have. so we'll see at what point i actually find the time to do this. maybe once the semester is over but that is 4 weeks away. :-\
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(formerly) 1993 k1100rs

552255 · Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 10:01 pm Post subject:

My bike had the same issue when i bought it...brake lights always 'on'....it was the switch under front master cylinder. It is a small plastic pushrod arrangement that is engaged with the lever motion, 'rod/switch' may be stuck in the 'in' position or the contact from lever isnt right.

I had to JB weld a small piece of metal to increase/correct the 'contact/push area' to engage the switch (i think the little white 'pushrod' was broken short)....clean up everything and dissassemble some of it to see the action of the lever/switch and manually push/engage switch, to see if it even works, then u may be able to figure out a plan to fix.

If u "glue" something in, clean/rough up surfaces to get best possible adhesion, a dremel tool was handy in shaping the small piece of metal, it is ad-hoc fix, but is working fine for me. (or buy another switch)
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1997 K1100LT-SE
1996 K1100RS-SE
"Black & Silver Duo"
Lincoln, NE

supercat1 · Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 9:25 am Post subject:

552255 · Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 9:03 am Post subject:

that is slightly encouraging. Did you have to remove the master cylinder to get to the switch?[/quote]

No, master cylinder did not have to be removed...there is 1 or 2 screws that enable a 'cover' to be removed, exposing brake lever underside, u should be able to see the switch thingy, and possibly the screws attaching it. A Allen headed, bolt can be loosened and the whole arrangement will rotate on handlebar, allowing better access if necessary. a single screw again holds on a 'cover' to this.
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1997 K1100LT-SE
1996 K1100RS-SE
"Black & Silver Duo"
Lincoln, NE

552255 · Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2011 4:29 pm Post subject:

that is slightly encouraging. Did you have to remove the master cylinder to get to the switch?[/quote]

No, a cover of sorts, is held on by 2-3? screws (remove), then you can see the underside of the lever/cylinder, where the switch is. You can rotate the whole unit on handlebar some, by loosening the now exposed allen screw, to get a better view if necessary....once things are exposed you can tell whats going on. Clean up with carb cleaner? or WD40 & toothbrush, etc.

Sounds like your master cylinder may be leaking...but if u can get the switch to work (the round plunger is small, white plastic) by cleaning, it may work for a time.

i think there is a similar switch at the rear brake pedal as well...it may need some WD40 too.
_________________
1997 K1100LT-SE
1996 K1100RS-SE
"Black & Silver Duo"
Lincoln, NE

supercat1 · Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 7:55 pm Post subject:

well, i got to looking at the switch finally. pulled it off the bar and played with it but nothing helped. so i moved the tank down and checked the resistances on the connector and it was all negligible which means it is bad. so i need to order that part.

also discovered a whole load of leaking brake fluid when i pulled the cover off. then whenever i pressed the brake lever more came out. however, the sight glass never showed any less. so i'm wondering if maybe the mechanic that worked on the brakes just overfilled the system by a lot. is there a way to safely siphon off some fluid?
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(formerly) 1993 k1100rs

Scott_Anderson · Posted: Sun May 22, 2011 9:35 pm Post subject:

you could drain some from down at the caliper bleeder.
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Ride safe.

1995 K1100LT 0302044
2017 FLHTK Ultra Limited
Garmin StreetPilot 2820
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Garmin Zumo XT
"One who does not ask questions is ashamed to learn" Danish proverb
1997 K1100LT 0302488(R.I.P.)
1997 R1100RT ZC62149(sold)

supercat1 · Posted: Mon May 30, 2011 11:21 pm Post subject:

well i replaced the switch and it is all back to normal. even the brake lever has stopped draining brake fluid, so i'm guessing it has reached an equilibrium on its own from drainage. the sight glass is still full so i don't think it is low ...

of course now the car is experiencing a new issue, so the cycle never ends.
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(formerly) 1993 k1100rs