2016 RT-S Parking brake will not disengage

[JOEMOTO]

Hello All,

Parking Brake will not release…

2016 RT-S with 2000 miles, parking brake has worked fine up to this point, park trike—engage—walk away. Upon start up, will not release when pressing rocker button. Brake lite flashes on dash showing engaged upon start up, when pressing switch to release, flashing dash brake lite stays on steady, brake will not disengage. Shut down engine, parking brake lite stays solid lit—no flash and beeps for 20 seconds, as if brake has not been set.

Have checked fuses—looks good, disconnected battery-reconnect – same problem.

Any thoughts and advise greatly appreciated…THANK YOU,
JOE

Added on for clarity…

Checked brake reservoir --- level is perfect
Checked locking nuts on back wheel brake assembly--- they are as the factory set

[Centurion]

Will the vehicle start? The parking brake requires 11Vs to operate so if the battery is in poor condition it might not release. Are you getting any warning lights?

[Dray]

This happened to me on my 2017 F3L. Turned out that the locating nuts on the brake rod at the
pawl had backed off and and the pawl was jammed engaged. Take note of where brake rod is located
on the pawl. this will make reassembly adjustment easier. I removed parking brake rod from pawl,
manually disengaged brake, reassembled everything and adjusted brake rod with some minor trial and
error.

Dray

[south GA Farm Boy]

On my 2016 RT Limited, I have had the parking brake lock in place 3 time and I could't get it to unlock! Go to the store and get you a 12mm open end wrench, so when this happens, lay down on the right side of the rear wheel, and back off the two lock nuts on the parking brake cable! when you get it loose enough, you can slide the cable out of the slot leaving lock nuts where they are, This will give you slack in your parking brake cable, so you can ride it home! Then get dealer to replace parking brake switch on your dash, and your problem should be solved! I hate to deal with dealer Tech with all his ear rings and tattoos, so i order the switch ($17) and paid a friend of mine to install it for me! Haven't had any problems since! Please know when you do this, your Spyder still has regular brakes for riding, but no braking brake, so watch when you park it, you may need a rock to put in front or behind wheel to keep it from rolling off!!

[Easy Rider]

Then get dealer to replace parking brake switch on your dash, and your problem should be solved!

That is not the only cause.
Having those nuts come a bit loose seems to be a problem as well.
Also there have been fairly frequent failures of the "parking brake motor" or solenoid or whatever it really is.
Just a LITTLE testing and close observation might be good before you go ordering parts.

[JOEMOTO]

Will the vehicle start? The parking brake requires 11Vs to operate so if the battery is in poor condition it might not release. Are you getting any warning lights?

Starts up perfect.... battery tested at 12.87v... warning lights are as quoted earlier.. parking brake light flashes normal when start up... press release switch and brake light flashing goes to solid on... shut down engine... alarm rings approx 20 seconds

thanks for your imput...

[JOEMOTO]

On my 2016 RT Limited, I have had the parking brake lock in place 3 time and I could't get it to unlock! Go to the store and get you a 12mm open end wrench, so when this happens, lay down on the right side of the rear wheel, and back off the two lock nuts on the parking brake cable! when you get it loose enough, you can slide the cable out of the slot leaving lock nuts where they are, This will give you slack in your parking brake cable, so you can ride it home! Then get dealer to replace parking brake switch on your dash, and your problem should be solved! I hate to deal with dealer Tech with all his ear rings and tattoos, so i order the switch ($17) and paid a friend of mine to install it for me! Haven't had any problems since! Please know when you do this, your Spyder still has regular brakes for riding, but no braking brake, so watch when you park it, you may need a rock to put in front or behind wheel to keep it from rolling off!!

is there a way to test switch for resistance?? i would gladly change switch, but would like bit more troubleshooting before.

thank you for your imput

[JOEMOTO]

This happened to me on my 2017 F3L. Turned out that the locating nuts on the brake rod at the
pawl had backed off and and the pawl was jammed engaged. Take note of where brake rod is located
on the pawl. this will make reassembly adjustment easier. I removed parking brake rod from pawl,
manually disengaged brake, reassembled everything and adjusted brake rod with some minor trial and
error.

Dray

all tight on the locking nuts etc..

thank you for the reply

[Bfromla]

Have heard of the indicator switch failing by not touching the cable cam. Underneath the R side panel about middle of bike there is a electric motor with cam wheel that goes to the brake. You can operate with panel off to see it move & there is a micro switch that reports position to the dash , see if something is not lining up or loose wire maybe. Also good time to just inspect the cable itself good luck keep us informed
(should also be able to just hear the motor engage & disengage during in normal operation)

[Easy Rider]

If ANYTHING changes at the moment that you push the switch, then the switch itself very likely is NOT the problem.

[JOEMOTO]

Hello All,

Parking Brake will not release…

2016 RT-S with 2000 miles, parking brake has worked fine up to this point, park trike—engage—walk away. Upon start up, will not release when pressing rocker button. Brake lite flashes on dash showing engaged upon start up, when pressing switch to release, flashing dash brake lite stays on steady, brake will not disengage. Shut down engine, parking brake lite stays solid lit—no flash and beeps for 20 seconds, as if brake has not been set.

Have checked fuses—looks good, disconnected battery-reconnect – same problem.

Any thoughts and advise greatly appreciated…THANK YOU,
JOE

Added on for clarity…

Checked brake reservoir --- level is perfect
Checked locking nuts on back wheel brake assembly--- they are as the factory set

problem gone--- wont say solved or understood...

In a follow up on parking brake stuck on…

Jacked up bike, took off most starboard side plastic panels. Front end of ebrake cable is attached to a rotating wheel…it would not move, cable was very taught. Removed cable from rear wheel, and front wheel moved normally after. Replaced cable on rear wheel, exactly as was—even counted threads. All working have tested it 40 or so times, and driving 60 miles, using at various times, all good.

Soooo, maybe the cable needs to stretch a bit… seems like it was so tight motor was “locked”. Your guess is as good as mine.

Thank you to everyone for input… appreciate it very much.

[PaladinLV]

Before going insane with nuts, washers, teardown, etc. CHECK your BRAKE FLUID LEVEL in the front reservoir make sure it is OK. If so then proceed to the other options.

AJ

Hello All,

Parking Brake will not release…

2016 RT-S with 2000 miles, parking brake has worked fine up to this point, park trike—engage—walk away. Upon start up, will not release when pressing rocker button. Brake lite flashes on dash showing engaged upon start up, when pressing switch to release, flashing dash brake lite stays on steady, brake will not disengage. Shut down engine, parking brake lite stays solid lit—no flash and beeps for 20 seconds, as if brake has not been set.

Have checked fuses—looks good, disconnected battery-reconnect – same problem.

Any thoughts and advise greatly appreciated…THANK YOU,
JOE

Added on for clarity…

Checked brake reservoir --- level is perfect
Checked locking nuts on back wheel brake assembly--- they are as the factory set

[Bfromla]

problem gone--- wont say solved or understood...

In a follow up on parking brake stuck on…

Jacked up bike, took off most starboard side plastic panels. Front end of ebrake cable is attached to a rotating wheel…it would not move, cable was very taught. Removed cable from rear wheel, and front wheel moved normally after. Replaced cable on rear wheel, exactly as was—even counted threads. All working have tested it 40 or so times, and driving 60 miles, using at various times, all good.

Soooo, maybe the cable needs to stretch a bit… seems like it was so tight motor was “locked”. Your guess is as good as mine.

Thank you to everyone for input… appreciate it very much.

Good to hear , the guess is " was craving attention " just to help keep you on your toes early in the season & now you know lil more about your bike (always a good thing

[Rohi2000]

Hello All,

Parking Brake will not release…

2016 RT-S with 2000 miles, parking brake has worked fine up to this point, park trike—engage—walk away. Upon start up, will not release when pressing rocker button. Brake lite flashes on dash showing engaged upon start up, when pressing switch to release, flashing dash brake lite stays on steady, brake will not disengage. Shut down engine, parking brake lite stays solid lit—no flash and beeps for 20 seconds, as if brake has not been set.

Have checked fuses—looks good, disconnected battery-reconnect – same problem.

Any thoughts and advise greatly appreciated…THANK YOU,
JOE

Added on for clarity…

Checked brake reservoir --- level is perfect
Checked locking nuts on back wheel brake assembly--- they are as the factory set

Sep 16th I stopped to gas up my 2016 RT-S (SE6). After fueling I started the machine and released the parking brake switch....nothing happened. No codes displaying on the instrument panel. After a few additional attempts I did not know what to do. So I pulled out my phone and jumped on this site I have joined in June 2021. I did a search and discovered this has been a problem. After sifting through the threads I learned how to release the parking brake cable near the rear wheel. Once I slid the cable mechanism off the mounting bracket my bike rolled forward just a tad. I used the 13MM wrench in the factory provided tool kit. I know it is a 12MM nuts on the linkage but my wrench worked wonderfully. I rode my bike to the house and did some additional searching on this site. YouTube had a few videos addressing the problem and I learn much. With my new found information I began to troubleshoot the system. I decided to start small and replace the parking brake switch. After 30 minutes and depaneling both sides of the bike I realized the switch could be lifted straight up out of the accessory panel. I went to my local CanAm dealer in Lakeland and ordered a switch. It came in today (23rd) and I installed it promptly. I am happy to report that was my issue. Once the switch was installed I fired up my bike and engaged the switch. I watched the parking brake motor activate and the cable rotate to the rear. Down to the ground I went and sure enough it had released.

Lessoned Learned:
1. This site ROCKS and I am so happy to be able to glean the wisdom and knowledge of all here.
2. While depaneling was unnecessary I certainly learned my bike more intimately.
3. Diagnosing and fixing my bike brings great personal satisfaction.
4. I don't know if I want to upgrade to a newer year Spyder. If I had this problem on it I would have to take it to the dealer for the fix.

[gkamer]

After 30 minutes and depaneling both sides of the bike I realized the switch could be lifted straight up out of the accessory panel.

Where is the accessory panel? Is that the same as the fuse box?

[CopperSpyder]

Where is the accessory panel? Is that the same as the fuse box?

It's the panel below the glove box that holds the rocker switches, i.e. hand grip heat, fog light, park brake etc. he is holding the the rocker switch for the brake. That is the one he replaced. It will pull straight out of the panel.

[Rohi2000]

Where is the accessory panel? Is that the same as the fuse box?

The Accessory Panel (that is what I call it) on my 2016 is located right the glove box and under the handlebars.
AB327C53-C17C-452D-9F99-74CC271071B7_1_201_a.jpgAB327C53-C17C-452D-9F99-74CC271071B7_1_201_a.jpg

[Rohi2000]

UPDATE:::
So after it is all said and done it was my parking brake motor that was bad. I had th dealers replace it...

Sep 16th I stopped to gas up my 2016 RT-S (SE6). After fueling I started the machine and released the parking brake switch....nothing happened. No codes displaying on the instrument panel. After a few additional attempts I did not know what to do. So I pulled out my phone and jumped on this site I have joined in June 2021. I did a search and discovered this has been a problem. After sifting through the threads I learned how to release the parking brake cable near the rear wheel. Once I slid the cable mechanism off the mounting bracket my bike rolled forward just a tad. I used the 13MM wrench in the factory provided tool kit. I know it is a 12MM nuts on the linkage but my wrench worked wonderfully. I rode my bike to the house and did some additional searching on this site. YouTube had a few videos addressing the problem and I learn much. With my new found information I began to troubleshoot the system. I decided to start small and replace the parking brake switch. After 30 minutes and depaneling both sides of the bike I realized the switch could be lifted straight up out of the accessory panel. I went to my local CanAm dealer in Lakeland and ordered a switch. It came in today (23rd) and I installed it promptly. I am happy to report that was my issue. Once the switch was installed I fired up my bike and engaged the switch. I watched the parking brake motor activate and the cable rotate to the rear. Down to the ground I went and sure enough it had released.

Lessoned Learned:
1. This site ROCKS and I am so happy to be able to glean the wisdom and knowledge of all here.
2. While depaneling was unnecessary I certainly learned my bike more intimately.
3. Diagnosing and fixing my bike brings great personal satisfaction.
4. I don't know if I want to upgrade to a newer year Spyder. If I had this problem on it I would have to take it to the dealer for the fix.