Parking Brake

[Bigmo]

This morning left the house to go to a gas station not too far, about 3 miles. Parked the bike and parking brake as usual. Did my purchase and ready to leave. Started the bike, pressed the mode button and pressed the brake button. Ooops! the brake light start blinking. Put in reverse gear, still blinking and the bike wouldn't move. Shut off the bike, waited a few minutes, start and the same thing. So I disconnected the battery thinking it would clear that. 10 minutes with battery off. Re-attached and the same thing. I looked up the code faults. Wow... 3 faults
C1183 P1571 U0128. I have no idea what's going on. Stuck at a gas station. I called 3 dealers to see if they could help. Nada. Bring the bike. I cannot even do that since the wheel is looked. How to put it on a trailer with a locked wheel? Then I called a friend which lives near by and has the same year (2018 RTL) bike as mine. He suggested to disconnect the parking brake cable. He said he was on his way with some tools. I checked every fuse. All good. While waiting, one of the dealer called. I told him I was going to disconnect the brake cable. He said no way. All I wanted was to bring the bike home and deal with it from there. Anyway, my friend arrived with tools. Started loosening the brake cable lock nut. I can feel the cable being very tight and even with the lock nut off, it was gone be a struggle. Now, I just had an Ultimate seat installed about 2 weeks ago at the Springfield rally. He said to open it and sure enough, the seat sensor was disconnected. Weird. As soon as I reconnected the plug, it released the parking brake and the bike started rolling backward (it was on a slight incline) . I put back the lock nut. Check the fault code and two of the code were gone. Only the U0128 was still there. Got on the bike. All looked good. Parking brake working as it should. Made it home OK. Check again for the code. Still there. I removed the key and put it far away from the bike for several minute. Back in the garage, and the fault code is gone.
Now, how can an unplugged seat sensor cause so much headache?
So, in case some of you face a similar problem, I guess check the seat sensor cable. You never know.....

 

[Navydad]

Hmm. The bike couldn't verify a rider on board so it refused to release the brake. Don't ask me why it waited until you got to the store :dontknow: Is it possible that the seat plug had been connected, but not tight and worked it's way out at the poorly timed moment?

 

[SpyderAnn01]

Seems to be happening on 18 RT and F3 a lot lately.

 

[Bigmo]

I had a new seat installed about 2 weeks ago and the installer (Ultimate) may not have plugged it properly. It has clip on it but I guess, did not push hard enough to seat it.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Interesting that the 2018s lock up the park brake when the seat sensor is disconnected. I did some work on my 2014 RTS a couple of years age which required removing the seat. I forgot to connect the sensor. The only thing I saw was the VSS symbol lit up on the cluster. Everything else worked fine.

 

[Easy Rider]

Seems to be happening on 18 RT and F3 a lot lately.

True. And older models too. Seems that they aren't trying very hard to fix the problem.

But the seat sensor should NOT have any bearing on the parking brake.

I think that was just a coincidence.
It is not uncommon for them to release only to lock up again later.

Part of your warranty is TOWING when the Spyder is disabled.
That can be done with the brake locked if the tow company puts a "dolly" under the locked wheel.

 

[FalconAF]

Part of your warranty is TOWING when the Spyder is disabled.
That can be done with the brake locked if the tow company puts a "dolly" under the locked wheel.

Are you sure that won't void a warranty or at least raise questions with Mother BRP? My 2018 RTL Owner's Manual says (with pictures) my RT should be towed on a flatbed and tied down as shown in the manual. Can you cite where BRP would agree to me having my RTL towed on the ground with a dolly on any of the wheels?

Just askin'.

 

[Easy Rider]

A Can you cite where BRP would agree to me having my RTL towed on the ground with a dolly on any of the wheels?

Just askin'.

Note that I did NOT say to tow it on the ground.......except far enough to get it loaded on the flat bed.

 

[Bigmo]

So, this morning I did a little test (safely in my garage). I started the bike, while NOT seating on it. Started good. Pressed the brake release and brake light started blinking, just like when the problem started. Shut off the bike, removed the key and walked away to my backyard a few minutes. Came back, started the bike and all is normal again. So definitively, the seat sensor has something to do with that.
I think, if the sensor doesn't feel someone on the seat, it will not release the brake. Does that make sense? For safety??????

 

[SpyderAnn01]

So, this morning I did a little test (safely in my garage). I started the bike, while NOT seating on it. Started good. Pressed the brake release and brake light started blinking, just like when the problem started. Shut off the bike, removed the key and walked away to my backyard a few minutes. Came back, started the bike and all is normal again. So definitively, the seat sensor has something to do with that.
I think, if the sensor doesn't feel someone on the seat, it will not release the brake. Does that make sense? For safety??????

No, we turn the brake off every time we do an alignment and this is not an issue. I have read on FB that there is a service bulletin for 18 & 19’s for this issue.

 

[south GA Farm Boy]

Parking brake lock up

No, we turn the brake off every time we do an alignment and this is not an issue. I have read on FB that there is a service bulletin for 18 & 19’s for this issue.

Guys,
I think it is the cheap module control valves on the handlebars on the 2018-2019 year models! My F-3 Limited is about 8 months old and has had the left control module replaced twice, and the right hand module has been replaced once in less than 4K miles! Yes it has had parking brake lock up causing it one time along with cruise control problems. One of the time, the shifter would not allow you to down shift with shifter button or even put it in reverse! I am on my third Spyder ( 2013 RT Limited, 2016 RT Limited and now F-3 Limited), but it is hard for me to recommend a Spyder to possible new customers! Thankfully, I have a good dealer who tries to keep mine fixed, but ordering parts and getting them here in a timely manner using BRP is difficult! Our resale value is falling, and BPR needs to wake up and get a new supplier for these control modules! We didn't have this problem with 2017 year models and down, even those the parking brake problem has been around awhile! When you look in your shop or garage and see your $29,000 Spyder, just think of the nice car or jeep you could have spent your money on! BPR, please wake up and look at our problems and copy Harley if need be to set up a consistent parts location for your Dealers and Customers!

 

[Bigmo]

Amen....

 

[Easy Rider]

So definitively, the seat sensor has something to do with that.
I think, if the sensor doesn't feel someone on the seat, it will not release the brake. Does that make sense? For safety??????

Your ONE test proves nothing......except that yours is still not working right.

I just tested mine and it does not work that way.

AND.....the sensor is for a REAR seat passenger, not the front rider.

 

[Bigmo]

You may be right. May be just a coincidence....

 

[Raprider]

Maybe I'm missing something, but I have on more than one occasion turned off my parking brake while standing beside my ST-S so that I could roll it within the garage to get to the rear tire air valve...no one on either seat.

 

[Bigmo]

Like I said, it may be just a coincidence that this happened after the seat issue. So far, all seems to work OK. I am now thinking it could be a problem with the left switch cluster. I had a problem putting the bike in reverse a couple weeks ago, but it's OK now, so...... who knows?

 

[WaynoJ]

Had this same thing happened to me during my three-wheel endorsement class -- embarassing and very inconvenient! The class had a mechanic available, and he disconnected the cable from the bracket. Parking brake worked fine after that. Must have released enough tension from the cable to unlock it. He had also heard about issues with the '18 parking brake, thought it was a solenoid issue. I had the bike in to the dealer (Lifestyles, in Mount Vernon, WA) for other reasons this past week, and they fixed it, although in the rush to pick it up at closing time, I forgot to ask them what the problem was. Anyway, not an unusual issue with newer Spyders, apparently.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Like I said, it may be just a coincidence that this happened after the seat issue. So far, all seems to work OK. I am now thinking it could be a problem with the left switch cluster. I had a problem putting the bike in reverse a couple weeks ago, but it's OK now, so...... who knows?

I don't have a wiring diagram for the 2018 RT & F3 but based on a pic I found it looks like the park brake button is on the left switch, right? That indicates to me that the PB is controlled via the CANbus in contrast to earlier RTs where the PB is controlled directly by the PB switch connections to the WPM. Probably the only function on the left switch that is not CANbus based is the horn. So I would agree that your recent shifting problem is indicative of left switch module problems. I wonder if there is some sort of unknown gremlin that is affecting the digital signals from the left switch. In early 2014 there was a problem with the CB radio mucking up digital signals with the RTs and causing limp home modes.

Just for giggles, if you have a PB lockup again see if the windshield will move up and down. The same module controls the PB motor and WS motor and the WS motor is also controlled via the CANbus by signals from the left switch. If the left switch is having a problem sending the correct commands then maybe the WS is also affected. See if the joy stick operates cluster choices correctly since they're CANbus also.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

Anyway, not an unusual issue with newer Spyders, apparently.

As I allude to in my post above the PB control system was changed to full CANbus control in 2018. That's why the problems are affecting the 2018s but not older RTs.

 

[FalconAF]

Note that I did NOT say to tow it on the ground.......except far enough to get it loaded on the flat bed.

OK. That's not the way your original post read to me, but OK. I was just asking based on the Owner's Manual instructions. They say nothing about using a dolly, so I asked. And your original post said nothing about using a flatbed, so I asked that too.

We can move on now.