Brake Malfunction warning?

[Michael211_2000]

The fluid level sensors get triggered well before you reach the Min levels... it's a design problem, IMO. The sensors should have been lower than they are, and the message should be better worded too BRP!

If you haven't tried adding just a little more fluid to both chambers, you should! Mine hasn't had a "Brake Failure" again since I added just a little fluid. :thumbup:

- Michael

 

[gnirtsnod]

The fluid level sensors get triggered well before you reach the Min levels... it's a design problem, IMO. The sensors should have been lower than they are, and the message should be better worded too BRP!

If you haven't tried adding just a little more fluid to both chambers, you should! Mine hasn't had a "Brake Failure" again since I added just a little fluid. :thumbup:

- Michael

I thought the brake failure warning was required before leaving the garage for a ride! Mine's been on for months. The dealer checked everything and reset the programming. The warning was back within a week. I recently completed a 5-state, 1500+ mile ride with it flashing on the screen. Heck, the Goldwings even let me ride in the back - that's how much they trusted the Spyder brakes even though the warning was prevalent.

I will try some of the tips from this thread. Maybe it will go away. ...Don

P.S. We went thru the dragon on the last day of the trip. Now there is some trust in my Spyder.

 

[crazyspyder]

same here!

I had the same "brake failure" flashing on my screen. I looked at the brake fluid and it looked fine, everything check out fine. So I added about 2 tablespoons of brake fluid and it went away.

hellooo every one-
My spyder this week started doing the same thing '' brake failure '' intermittently staying on.....whhaaaat kinda mickey mouse setup is this crapp, yeah added about 2 table spoons of
brake fluid ass well and it stopped. talking about stupid .. no good ..thumb zucking engineering!:banghead::banghead: anyways I did have a nice ride today on my spider:thumbup:
FYI ..... I didn't realize it requires DOT-4 . DOT 3 went in today....

 

[ARtraveler]

Most of the time, a fill of fluid to the max lines does the trick. I have had this happen many times on all :ani29:'s owned.

 

[Dan McNally]

hellooo every one-
My spyder this week started doing the same thing '' brake failure '' intermittently staying on.....whhaaaat kinda mickey mouse setup is this crapp, yeah added about 2 table spoons of
brake fluid ass well and it stopped. talking about stupid .. no good ..thumb zucking engineering!:banghead::banghead: anyways I did have a nice ride today on my spider:thumbup:
FYI ..... I didn't realize it requires DOT-4 . DOT 3 went in today....

I'd rather get a brake warning when the fluid started going down, but the brakes still worked, than having nanny tell me there is a brake failure as I put my foot on the brake . . . and they don't work . . . just my opinion

 

[hchays]

I'd rather get a brake warning when the fluid started going down, but the brakes still worked, than having nanny tell me there is a brake failure as I put my foot on the brake . . . and they don't work . . . just my opinion

I agree, but not when it's only down a two tablespoons. That would be like your low fuel light in your car coming on as soon as the gauge goes off of full.

 

[crazyspyder]

I know wat yur saying-

I'd rather get a brake warning when the fluid started going down, but the brakes still worked, than having nanny tell me there is a brake failure as I put my foot on the brake . . . and they don't work . . . just my opinion

I think the point I was trying to get across is that the sensors are toooo far up my reservoir still looked full and see fluid by the cap neck and it took 2 table spoons to over flow it..you kno!
that was my rant anyways :cheers: but- you are right on the warning , just too soon to lit up!

 

[Michael211_2000]

Well mine's starting to do it again... saw the brake malfunction red light come on and the Brake Failure message started to scroll for just a second this afternoon. :banghead:

What is really troubling me though is this: brake fluid is definitely being forced out of the fluid reservoir caps when it's filled up far enough to keep the sensors happy and brake fluid is both highly corrosive (once exposed to oxygen in the air) and flammable (exposed to heat it has a very low flash point). This fluid is starting to show up as a dirty light film along the top of my rear shock (clearly working it's way down from the hole the shock goes thru in the body above), and appears to even be making it to the exhaust pipes now.

I started my RS yesterday and was letting it idle for a bit (after being parked for a couple bad weather days), this time I didn't just take-off riding like I usually do, and as the pipes heated up I noticed smoke coming out from under the machine! Got down on knees and looked under to see where the smoke was coming from and it was the exhaust pipes smoking like there was some kind of oily residue on them burning off and I'd bet it's brake fluid (last oil change was over 1000 miles ago so that had nothing to do with this smoke); a little goes a long long way. :dontknow:

After about 2 minutes the smoke stopped. If I'd immediately gone riding before the exhaust got heated up I would never have known it was doing this though.

I'm worried now about corrosion setting in on the frame rear shock/coil and of course the exhaust pipes directly below could easily become a fire hazard. I'm not at all sure what this fluid might be doing to any wiring in the area back there under the reservoir. This is a rather series design flaw IMHO. And I'm not spilling the fluid when I add it, it's just oozing out from under the caps on it's own.

Does anybody know of a good solution (short of disconnecting the sensors completely or overfilling the fluid reservoir to keep these sensors happy)? Cold brake fluid doesn't take up as much space in the system as warm brake fluid, and those darned sensors are so close to the top you have to fill it up almost to the caps to keep the sensors from triggering the brake failure warning!

BRP aught to be aware of this issue... or is a YouTube video required? IDK. :dontknow:

This cannot be good for the machine and seems very unsafe IMHO. I still have extended BEST warranty on this machine but not sure there's any point taking it to a dealership if this is a known problem with no solution...

- Michael

 

[DrewNJ]

Seriously, pull the sensors, lower your fluid level, and ride on. Its a stupid setup to begin with. There is no reason to have it that full. If you have a leak in your system its either going to be so large that your loosing brake pressure way before that message will be of any help, or the periodic drip that you really should notice on the garage floor just before pulling out for a ride.

Most bikes don't even have a low level sensor to begin with and most other bikes have WAY smaller reservoirs.....

 

[Cruzr Joe]

I had the same "brake failure" flashing on my screen. I looked at the brake fluid and it looked fine, everything check out fine. So I added about 2 tablespoons of brake fluid and it went away.

Just my thoughts here, if you added two tablespoons ..................... you were low, remember that as you go up and down hills and stop and go the fluid may move away from the sensor for just a second and that may trigger the BRAKE FAILURE notice. I always keep the brake reservoir full.

Disabling the sensor is not a good idea under any circumstance, also be sure that when you put the cap back on that it is tight and there is a little symbol on the cap that shows which end is up.


These bikes require a little maintenance, check your fluids (all of them) regularly



Cruzr Joe

 

[DrewNJ]

Disabling the sensor is not a good idea under any circumstance....




Cruzr Joe

Please elaborate as to why....

 

[DrewNJ]

I highly doubt he was even close to being low enough to allow air to be drawn in the system. No way. A few teaspoons is pointless.
Common sense would be checking the fluid once in awhile.

The only way for the fluid to be truly low is a leak, and it would have to be a good one too. Check and maintain your machine regularly and there will be no issue and one less useless idiot light needed.

 

[DrewNJ]

Again, most motorcycles don't have low brake fluid sensors. They are even more pointless than tpms systems.

 

[Cruzr Joe]

Again, most motorcycles don't have low brake fluid sensors. They are even more pointless than tpms systems.

I would not be comfortable telling someone to disconnect the sensors when they are asking for advice, as he was.

I would be more comfortable trying to explain why he was getting the signals he was getting, and .................. The Spyder is not like most motorcycles.

Cruzr Joe

 

[DrewNJ]

Whatever you say cruzer Joe......[emoji57] [emoji107]

 

[Cruzr Joe]

Whatever you say cruzer Joe......[emoji57] [emoji107]

It's Cruzr Joe :thumbup:

 

[DrewNJ]

Either way, its still [emoji107]

 

[DrewNJ]

Not arguing about anything, and care even less. So Again, whatever you say crusty Joe...

 

[DrewNJ]

And its still [emoji107] [emoji38]

 

[DrewNJ]

You must be a blast to hang out with. [emoji57]