hydraulic brake light switch

[Rabbitist]

hey guys just put a new hydraulic brakelight switch on my ec 250 2000 model but it doesnt seem to be working.. my rear brake light works a treat but not the front??? any ideas or simple tests i can do to determine if its the switch or elsewere down the wire??
cheers luke

[Rabbitist]

Someone must have had problems with there banjo bolt before???

[Cruiser]

do you have a multimeter? check for continuity between the wires and apply pressure the reading should change.. if not quick way, paperclip,, jump the harness side of the connector, bike on, see if the light works with a paperclip,, if it does the issue is the switch,, either its bad or needs to be bled better..

[Rabbitist]

Cheers dude the meter indicates the switch isnt working so I reckon it could need bleeding better.. Strugling to get all the air out tho...

[jostby]

if your lever is flat (no brakes because it isn't bled yet) then the switch won't work. It is actuated by presure, not lever movement.

[Rabbitist]

Still havnt managed to get it to work its bled as best I can however still feels spongy and is binding a little???

[jostby]

there's a ton of threads on this. It is a PITA. Make sure the adjuster on the lever is screwed out all the way to allow the piston full disengagement. It can keep air trapped if not.
Most of my success comes from standard bleeding (using the lever to pump and the bleed screw to let the air out) but combined with back-bleeding by using a syringe and forcing the fluid from the caliper back up through into the reservoir. It will also help if you compress (seat) the caliper piston fully into the caliper. That will also help force any air back up through the line and out the reservoir.
I once had a trials bike that I ended up assembling the whole assembly (caliper, hose, and master cylinder) in a bucket using 2 gallons brake fluid in order to get it to work right.

On another note, has it ever worked since you bought the bike? Some people have had issues with line flex and a spongy feel and changed to a newer model brake hose as they don't swell under pressure as much.

[Rabbitist]

Thanks jostby ill keep trying yes it worked before the wire snapped. Also thinking of a nice shiny new hel braided line or is there any other lines out there you'd reccomend cheers luke

[Todd5774]

Try using a small screwdriver to push the plunger in the housing all the way in when bleeding all the air out, as the lever won't fully depress the plunger.