SE6 paddle switch failing

[Big Mac]

Has anyone else had a problem with the paddle on an SE6 becoming reluctant to return to the center position?

On my wife's 2015 RT Ltd, she sometimes struggles lately to change gear - as does the bike - and we have traced it to the paddle not always re-centering when pressure is released. If I press the "-" button I can feel a decent spring pressure resisting my press, and forcing the paddle back to the center as soon as I release my pressure. With the "+" button, however, I can feel distinctly less spring pressure and it therefore sometimes fails to recenter without a little encouragement.

I have disassembled the clamshell surrounding the paddle mechanism, and I can see that it appears to use a metal flag on each side to press down on (presumbly) a spring-loaded ball bearing, each of which in turn presses onto a membrane switch to tell the ECU to change gear. See first photo.



As you can see in the second photo, one ball bearing has become recessed into the cylinder it moves in. I can attract it back to its normal position with a magnetised screwdriver, but it seems to have virtually no spring pressure behind it.



I guess my next step is to remove the rotating mechanism with its flags and see what exactly lives in those little cylinders - is it a ball bearing and spring, or what? Has the spring disintegrated?

I just wondered if anyone else had experienced anything similar with this mechanism?

By the way, it may not be possible to buy any of the separate pieces of this mechanism - I think you have to buy the entire assembly with built-in harness which runs back to the innards of the bike, requiring about a day's work to replace it all!

 

[bluewoo]

Interesting, please keep us updated and thanks for the great photos!

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

It happened to me ( and others here ) that it does fail …. not frequently but it is a known " could break " part ….. Mine was on the fritz for almost two years before it was diagnosed properly ………. Mike hyea:

 

[RICZ]

If you find a collapsed spring, your local Ace Hardware should have 'em. Take the other spring in as a sample, if you can remove it.

 

[Big Mac]

It happened to me ( and others here ) that it does fail …. not frequently but it is a known " could break " part ….. Mine was on the fritz for almost two years before it was diagnosed properly ………. Mike hyea:

How were they fixed? Am I on the right lines to suspect a collapsed spring? Or does the force to recenter the paddle come from somewhere I haven't spotted yet?

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

How were they fixed? Am I on the right lines to suspect a collapsed spring? Or does the force to recenter the paddle come from somewhere I haven't spotted yet?

The Tech didn't explain in detail the exact malfunction ….. It was completely re-placed under Warranty …… there are a lot of parts in that housing so a lot of possibilities ….. It would not be difficult to DIY it ( re-place ) ……. Mike hyea:

 

[Madison Sully]

Interesting. I just took mine apart last weekend.
If you remove the bolt that holds that metal part with the "flags", do it slowly. In that part, on the other side, is a cylinder containing a spring, which pushes down a ball bearing into a detente which is what centers the switch. That sunken-in ball on the left may be stuck where it is due to grease applied for installation.

Point is, it is not the balls under the flag arms that center the lever, it's the ball located front and center of the main cylinder part.

Take out the bolt that comes up from below, holding that metal part in place.
Then, SLOWLY and carefully remove the metal part, trying to position the front of it NOT over the hole the bolt came out of.
If the ball goes over that center hole, the spring will throw both itself and the ball straight down.
(You could also put a small bag under that hole, and intentionally allow the spring to do the deed.)

The other four balls in the assembly will stay put.

And a 1/8" ball will do fine if you have needs of purchasing a replacement. Just don't lose the spring.

 

[Navydad]

If it is the spring springs can be found at some hardware stores. You may have to find a longer one and trim it, but not a big deal. My vintage Suzuki switch gear had a spring that went bad and try as I might no one had a replacement switch cluster. I have been riding the bike for going on three years now with the spring from an ink pen trimmed and fitted :roflblack: Works just great and you can't see it from the outside hyea:

 

[Big Mac]

Interesting. I just took mine apart last weekend.

Ah, that's very useful!

If you remove the bolt that holds that metal part with the "flags", do it slowly. In that part, on the other side, is a cylinder containing a spring, which pushes down a ball bearing into a detente which is what centers the switch.

I suspected there might be something else doing that job.

That sunken-in ball on the left may be stuck where it is due to grease applied for installation.

It's not stuck – it moves very freely. It instantly jumped to the top of the cylinder it's in when I went near it with my slightly-magnetised screwdriver. That's why I thought the spring behind it must have collapsed.

Point is, it is not the balls under the flag arms that center the lever, it's the ball located front and center of the main cylinder part.

Hmmm....so why does my paddle not recenter easily on one side? Perhaps it relies on the extra pressure from the membrane-pressing spring, and that is clearly lacking on one side in my bike.

Take out the bolt that comes up from below, holding that metal part in place..........

That is excellent guidance – I think I can understand exactly what you are saying.

The other four balls in the assembly will stay put.

FOUR balls? Is there perhaps one on EACH end of the spring where the membrane switches get pressed?

 

[Madison Sully]

FOUR balls? Is there perhaps one on EACH end of the spring where the membrane switches get pressed?

Jealous? :shocked:

Just kidding, there are two stacks of two balls. If I recall correctly you only see the second set if you take off the three Torx screws holding the black plastic assembly on. So one ball pushes the second ball into the membrane switch (which is actually a little post).
I'd not bother with that, as it isn't very interesting in there. Not a big risk though, if you are the curious type.
On second thought you may want to take a peek while you are in there.

Your ride shifts OK, correct?

 

[Big Mac]

Just kidding, there are two stacks of two balls. If I recall correctly you only see the second set if you take off the three Torx screws holding the black plastic assembly on. So one ball pushes the second ball into the membrane switch (which is actually a little post).

Are you saying there isn't a spring in there?! If so, how can the one on the left in my photo be part way down the channel it runs in? Could a ball have escaped from that channel?

Is it just the membrane switch which provides some springiness?

Your ride shifts OK, correct?

Amazingly, yes. I don't know why, because when I press "+" the flag/plunger on the left in the photo barely touches the ball I can see part way down the channel. It is hard to believe it is providing much depression of the membrane switch.

 

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Just a thought …. the Paddle switch functions electrically …. the springs are what makes the paddle center itself after you move it …. this is known as " fly by wire " ….. ….jmho …. Mike hyea:

 

[Madison Sully]

Are you saying there isn't a spring in there?! If so, how can the one on the left in my photo be part way down the channel it runs in? Could a ball have escaped from that channel?

Is it just the membrane switch which provides some springiness?



Amazingly, yes. I don't know why, because when I press "+" the flag/plunger on the left in the photo barely touches the ball I can see part way down the channel. It is hard to believe it is providing much depression of the membrane switch.

The only spring I saw was the one pushing the ball I described.