Just add about a tablespoon very carefully, brake fluid is like acid.................and also try and remove key from Spyder ...about 30 ft. wait 10 minutes and see if it clears the code...............and you can also dis-connect both terminals from the battery ....and touch them together.............re-connect and see if that works ....................good luck..................Mike
You can reset it without the buds press down on the brake till you hit the 2 switch and the the key out and walk away and come back and check it again or PM me I will walk you thru it on the phone
Fyi 2 times it happened to me I was splash low (tblspoon) & on incline. It dont take much to freak out. The inclines were no more than a handicap ramp up a curb fyi. But as it boots up & checks everything, the tolorance level sux. Take key out & away for 10 min. If u need to move to flat level surface, do so then try again. & yes check your fluid. As you should anyway peace of mind.
BRP needs to redesign that brake fluid reservoir and do a recall... the thing has to be so full of brake fluid that it seeps out the caps, or else you get "Brake Failure" messages scrolling across the display with a red warning light. It's ridiculous.
I've already complained about this in the RS/RSS forum, and many many people are experiencing the exact same stupid problem.
BRP needs to redesign that brake fluid reservoir and do a recall... the thing has to be so full of brake fluid that it seeps out the caps, or else you get "Brake Failure" messages scrolling across the display with a red warning light. It's ridiculous.
I've already complained about this in the RS/RSS forum, and many many people are experiencing the exact same stupid problem.
Regards.
- Michael
Put the caps on the right way and they won't leak. Vents to the rear.
Had to get flashlight and go look... back cap did have vent to the back, front one was to the side though. Never really realized they even had vents in them that went to the fluid inside, usually you don't want brake fluid interacting with air as it absorbs moisture. IDK... but rotated the sideways cap to have the vent to the back and will see how long before "Brake Failure" scrolls across my dash again (usually it's every 2 months though).
Interesting tip, hope it makes a difference! Here's hoping! Thanks.
Had to get flashlight and go look... back cap did have vent to the back, front one was to the side though. Never really realized they even had vents in them that went to the fluid inside, usually you don't want brake fluid interacting with air as it absorbs moisture. IDK... but rotated the sideways cap to have the vent to the back and will see how long before "Brake Failure" scrolls across my dash again (usually it's every 2 months though).
Interesting tip, hope it makes a difference! Here's hoping! Thanks.
- Michael
The caps have been the same since the beginning. The same discussion comes up regularly about the leaks. Vents to the back don't leak. Next someone is going to look inside the cap and see a u shaped slit and freak out that it was damaged. Then get new ones and freak out some more that the new ones are the same. That's just the way they are designed. It's just new people learning about their toy and that's OK.
Uhhh..... not new here, had it over 2 years now and have put some 12K miles on it thank ya very much. I've also spent a LOT of time reading the forums here, and read the owners manual cover to cover... this is the 1st I've heard of positioning the caps a specific way. And there sure isn't anything on the caps or the reservoir indicating a proper orientation either!
But hey if this works, I'll be a very happy and grateful camper to ya! Now I just have to wait and see...
Take a cap off, look at the top of it there's a raised bar that goes from the center out to the edge. Flip it over and look at the edge of the cap, you'll notice a small hole that's directly under where the bar on top meets the edge. It's a darned vent!
I didn't know that's what it is either, till tonight.
Uhhh..... not new here, had it over 2 years now and have put some 12K miles on it thank ya very much. I've also spent a LOT of time reading the forums here, and read the owners manual cover to cover... this is the 1st I've heard of positioning the caps a specific way. And there sure isn't anything on the caps or the reservoir indicating a proper orientation either!
But hey if this works, I'll be a very happy and grateful camper to ya! Now I just have to wait and see...
Thanks.
- Michael
Dealer told me about the vents to the rear or the 11 o clock postion.
Next someone is going to look inside the cap and see a u shaped slit and freak out that it was damaged.
Ok I'm really freaking out now because the inside of my cap doesn't have a u shaped slit in it! Or are you referring to the little notch on the inside of the edge of the cap that is the vent?
Am I misunderstanding your description of this slit? Or was there a design change made to the caps by BRP since the one you describe? It looks like there is a rubber diaphragm inside the cap to me... which would expand and contract as the fluid level changes as the brake pads wear and the brakes are applied and released... why fluid can even get into the diaphragm and out the cap vent I do not understand as brake fluid and fresh air really do not mix well.
This afternoon I took the panel off from above my rear tire so I could get a look up inside there where the brake reservoir sits and to see how much brake fluid might have leaked down into that area.... there are signs of some kind of oil leakage in there, a little on top of the shock/strut assembly some on the inside of the panel I took off near the shock/strut cutout area and inside the right-side body panel I see where something's been oozing down the inner lip of the panel and then dripping down the plastic right behind my right foot peg. Not sure if that's brake fluid or what though, the underside of my fluid reservoir feels dry to the touch to my surprise! Could be that soapy water from washing the bike's topside cleaned the brake fluid reservoir off as it ran around the sides and under the bottom? IDK. I'm going to get some engine foam cleaner and spray up inside this area let it soak a few minutes then wash off with a water hose to clean whatever this oily fluid off though while I have it opened up I guess....
Sorry it's a V shaped slit. That's close ain't it.
Motor vehicle manufactures for the most part,have not made brake master cylinder caps without an air vent since sometime in the 1980's. They are designed to let air in as the pads wear.
Brake fluid is not oil and is fully water soluble. If what your seeing is spilled brake fluid it will clean up with soap and water.
I forgive you, but I still do not see the V you are referring to inside of my caps.
The brake fluid reservoir caps on both my Camaro and my GMC truck have a rubber diaphragm that expands and contracts as the fluid levels change... the fluid has no access to air outside of the reservoir. The diaphragm is of course vented so it can expand and contract with the fluid level, but no air reaches the fluid inside once the cap is securely put on the reservoir. Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air and causes extreme corrosion in the system if given the chance. That's all I know about it.
I forgive you, but I still do not see the V you are referring to inside of my caps.
The brake fluid reservoir caps on both my Camaro and my GMC truck have a rubber diaphragm that expands and contracts as the fluid levels change... the fluid has no access to air outside of the reservoir. The diaphragm is of course vented so it can expand and contract with the fluid level, but no air reaches the fluid inside once the cap is securely put on the reservoir. Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air and causes extreme corrosion in the system if given the chance. That's all I know about it.
- Michael
Clean the brake fluid off the diaphragm. The V slit will become easier to see.
Found it! It's a little triangle shaped stamp near the middle that's cut-out on 2 sides (the V you referred to). Whew! Now I can stop freaking out about not having them in my caps!
The little cut-out flap leads to a small channel in the plastic cap that runs out to the edge of the cap forming the vent. I do not like this design 1 bit though, brake fluid should not be exposed to air like this even small amounts of air getting sucked in is bad for the fluid and obviously fluid managing to leak out that vent is bad for everything else! My car and truck are far older than this Spyder yet have much better designed brake fluid reservoir caps!
Anyhows.... I learned a lot today. Thanks for the information.
I never read nor searched the Shop Talk forum before... always stayed in the RS(S) forum or the General Spyder forum. So no, I never saw that discussion before but reading it now I pretty much agree with the OP of that thread... this is a poor design, venting the inside of the reservoir to atmosphere.
Well I'm already getting "Brake Failure!" alerts scrolling across my display again.... this is ridiculous I tell you! I've barely ridden it since topping the reservoirs off and resetting the positions of both caps as suggested!
Well I'm already getting "Brake Failure!" alerts scrolling across my display again.... this is ridiculous I tell you! I've barely ridden it since topping the reservoirs off and resetting the positions of both caps as suggested!
- Michael
I sent you a PM with some info that may help.
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Just thought I'd post an update... with the brake fluid reservoir caps oriented so that the cap vents are to the rear, I get the "Brake Failure" message a whole lot less now I must admit! I was getting it every few weeks, now it only comes on every few months (which I would attribute to the pads wearing and more fluid being retained in the brake calipers... but those sensors are still far too high in the tank IMHO).
I'm just over 15K miles on my RS now, the tires are wearing evenly and other than the now rare Brake Failure message it's smooth riding.
Brake failure help
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Originally Posted by Tazzel
sux. Take key out & away for 10 min. If u need to move to flat level surface, do so then try again. & yes check your fluid. As you should anyway peace of mind. 
Or are you referring to the little notch on the inside of the edge of the cap that is the vent? 
