Brake Light won’t turn off.

[Loukiii]

Backstory: bike went down replaced rear brake lever,  also replaced right handlebar so had to take everything off of the handlebar too.

So I replaced the rear brake lever and the right clip on. Reused all the stuff like brake reservoir and throttle etc on right handlebar. Made sure everything was plugged in etc. Brakes work. But light stays on.  Also the on the rear brake switch the hook got disconnected from where it connects to the rear brake lever. So I don't thing that would cause it as I think when you stomp the brake it pulls the hook turning on the brake light.
Also it doesn't stay hooked when I connect it to the backside of the brake lever.  I wonder if that might have got messed up when the brake lever got jacked up from the slide.  But that still wouldn't make the brake light stay on would it? 

[red]

So I replaced the rear brake lever and the right clip on. Reused all the stuff like brake reservoir and throttle etc on right handlebar. Made sure everything was plugged in etc. Brakes work. But light stays on.  Also the on the rear brake switch the hook got disconnected from where it connects to the rear brake lever. So I don't thing that would cause it as I think when you stomp the brake it pulls the hook turning on the brake light.

Loukiii,

Either the new brake pedal is not like the old one, or it is not coming up far enough to allow the switch to open (as it should).  Another possibility is that the problem is in the front brake lever switch.  Disconnect the rear brake light switch wiring, and check to see if the front brake light switch works normally.  If it does, proceed:

First, re-connect the rear brake switch wiring.  Disconnect the spring that pulls the rear brake switch.  See if the brake light goes out (as it should).  If not, clean or replace the switch, as needed.  If the rear brake light switch works by a hand pull, add a custom-length link to brake puller spring.  Make this link from a heavy paper clip wire (for now).  Adjust the length of the new link, until the brake light switch works as it should. 

If it is possible for any part of the switch-pull linkage to come apart, use heat-shrink tubing to keep those ends covered, and impossible to separate.  The best (marine grade) heat-shrink tubing has a layer of hot glue inside, and you can make it waterproof by squeezing the ends flat (while hot) with pliers, to seal out water.  Do not cover the spring coils with heat-shrink tubing, because the spring has to stretch.

If the added link has the brake switch working correctly, then make a new custom link of that length from strong non-rusting stainless steel wire, add heat-shrink tubing where needed to cover the ends of that link, and call it good.
Keep us posted.

[Old Rider]

After red exelent tip you can also check this...
Hi Loukii .I think your brakelightswitch has rusted / or got damaged in the crash.I had same problem on my bike that the rear brakelight stays on ,so i took a closer look inside by cutting it in half
You can see that water has found its way inside the switch and made the spring rusted in pieces,when spring cant push the "thing" back the light stays on .I let the picks speak for them self.

[racerrad8]

New brake light switches are not expensive.

http://www.rpmracingca.com/proddetail.asp?prod=M%2FC%3ARBLS

Randy - RPm

[Loukiii]

I think I need to take that whole right side pedal assembly off and see if there is something funky going on behind there.
Any gotchas I need to know about before I take it off?
I ordered a clymer's service and repair manual from Amazon but it is supposed to take a week to get here lol I guess I will wait.
I have looked at several exploded diagrams online but Im not sure what Im looking at and think there are some parts not shown like little springs and stuff.

[RPM - Robert]

There is a single spring from the rotating pedal assembly piece to the brake light switch to pull it. That is all.

[Loukiii]

Thanks. I think that spring got stretched because when I put it back in that rotating assembly piece it is not really tight enough to pull on the brake when I stomp the pedal. In fact it is so loose it falls out.
I figured out the brake light does come on when I manually pull that switch. But I don't think it is coming on when I grab the front brake. Might have crossed the wires when I plugged them back in after replacing the right handel bar.

[red]

Thanks. I think that spring got stretched because when I put it back in that rotating assembly piece it is not really tight enough to pull on the brake when I stomp the pedal. In fact it is so loose it falls out.

Loukiii,

That is exactly the opposite of the symptom you stated in the title of this thread.  My advice changes, as you change the symptom.
Yes do check the front brake light switch wiring.  Until you get the rear brake switch sorted, I would leave the front brake switch wiring disconnected.

You can adjust the rear brake light switch by disconnecting the wires, loosening the locknut on the switch, and unscrewing the switch as far as needed.  Re-connect the wiring and test the rear brake pedal to switch on the brake light as it should.  Repeat as needed. 

If the switch will not unscrew far enough to work correctly with the pedal, screw the switch back in fully and either get a new (OEM) spring, or shorten the rear switch puller spring.  Do that by heating the hook end of the spring in a flame briefly, let it cool, then bending the end of the spring to form a shorter hook.  Test, adjust, and test again, until the brake pedal turns on the brake light properly.

Tighten the locknut, to secure the rear switch setting.  Then check out the front brake switch, to see that it works normally.  If your bike gets inspected, both switches need to working correctly, to pass.

[Loukiii]

Update time...
I reattached the spring for the rear brake switch and made adjustments to get it to stay in place. The brake light still stays on, but when I press the rear brake the rear light dims instead of getting brighter.
I have tried unplugging the front brake wires from the front brake lever, light stays bright. I have reversed the wires in case I attached them backwards...light stays bright.

I am about ready take it into a shop if I cant get this figured out. If I can find a shop that will even work on it.
I cant get it re-titled if I cant the the brake light fixed. Everything else on the bike is fixed and ready for inspection.

[red]

Loukiii,

The brake light gets Voltage all the time, normally.  The brake light switches make the brake light come on by putting Ground on the other wire to the bulb.
Something has shorted that grounding wire to ground, somewhere.  Trace out the path of that grounding wire, along the wire harness.
Isolate that grounding wire from any metal framework, and the brake light should go out.  Look for chafed, burned, or pinched wiring.
Best of luck in finding a shop that will try to repair it.

[Sparky84]

Loukiii,

The brake light gets Voltage all the time, normally.  The brake light switches make the brake light come on by putting Ground on the other wire to the bulb.
Something has shorted that grounding wire to ground, somewhere.  Trace out the path of that grounding wire, along the wire harness.
Isolate that grounding wire from any metal framework, and the brake light should go out.  Look for chafed, burned, or pinched wiring.
Best of luck in finding a shop that will try to repair it.

From my understanding Red,  is that the brake and tail light ARE grounded (-v)all the time and that the switch gives +v to light it up.

(But I'm only going off a 1100 schematic)
Loukii, need to isolate the front and rear brake switches by disconnecting them to start with.
Then check to see if your brake light is on ?
If OFF, then reconnect front and check operation and then disconnect front and reconnect rear and see results.

Check switches with a meter to make sure they are working correctly.

This will at least inform us exactly what you have, without this information ..... we are all shooting blanks mate  

Sorry to hear you went down Loukii, hopefully you were ok  

[Loukiii]

UPDATE. I replaced the rear brake switch with a switch I ordered from RPM. That fixed the rear brake issue.
But the front brake doesn't turn the light on...so I removed it, touched the wires together and the light got bright. Soooo. Now I need a front brake switch too. lol
Good news that is the last thing I will need and my bike will be ready for inspection!

[Loukiii]

Here's the culprit. I saw somewhere someone said they pried it open and cleaned the contacts and it worked. I see little screws of some sort though. Does anybody know what size/shape I need to remove them? are they tiny allen bolts?

[Loukiii]

well... I ordered a new one anyway and decided to fiddle around with the old one... slipped my thumbnail in the crack and it open right up... hmmm... Maybe I will clean it up and see what happens.

[Loukiii]

Ordered a new front brake switch. Came in today. Issue resolved. I cleaned up the old one too and it works as well. lol oh well. I was tired of waiting. Now everything is working ... except the damn horn now... wtf? lol
Does anybody even use the damn horn on a motorcycle?