Brake light intermittent flashing.

Andy B

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My mate, following on a ride yesterday, commented that my brake light was coming on intermittently when I went over bumps. One of those moments when Bluetooth headsets are great! My foot well away from the pedal and hand nowhere near the front brake so we eliminated user error!

I wondered about a dicky sensor switch but I cannot find it on the microfiche and I haven’t had time to have a really good hunt around the bike. It’s a 2014 GSA LC.

Any thoughts about a cause?:nenau
 
My mate, following on a ride yesterday, commented that my brake light was coming on intermittently when I went over bumps. One of those moments when Bluetooth headsets are great! My foot well away from the pedal and hand nowhere near the front brake so we eliminated user error!

I wondered about a dicky sensor switch but I cannot find it on the microfiche and I haven’t had time to have a really good hunt around the bike. It’s a 2014 GSA LC.

Any thoughts about a cause?:nenau

I would think your rear brake switch requires a little adjustment. Probably set in such a way that there is too much pressure on the spring connecting pedal to switch.


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Just a thought but could it be that you were decelerating hard with engine braking? My understanding is that your rear brake light will flash if this is the case to warn others that you are slowing down quickly (even without touching the brake).
 
Just a thought but could it be that you were decelerating hard with engine braking? My understanding is that your rear brake light will flash if this is the case to warn others that you are slowing down quickly (even without touching the brake).

Thats a new one on me, if true thanks for the info. Must be like lorries when the engine brake is switched on, when they lift from the accelerator the brake lights come on too.


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No - I don’t think there is a connection with decelerating. It seems to happen randomly and not under deceleration. I can make it do it if I ride over a bump or pothole so I think adjustment is the most likely explanation. I need to find some time to dig in around the brake peddle and see what I can find that might be adjustable. It was just that on casual inspection when I got back from the ride on Sunday I couldn’t see anything obvious and as I don’t have a Haynes manual I was hoping that microfiche would give me an insight into whether adjustment was possible.
 
No - I don’t think there is a connection with decelerating. It seems to happen randomly and not under deceleration. I can make it do it if I ride over a bump or pothole so I think adjustment is the most likely explanation. I need to find some time to dig in around the brake peddle and see what I can find that might be adjustable. It was just that on casual inspection when I got back from the ride on Sunday I couldn’t see anything obvious and as I don’t have a Haynes manual I was hoping that microfiche would give me an insight into whether adjustment was possible.

Its a plastic nut AFAIR on the switch.Just need to take it off a little to release the tension on the spring. Switch on ignition an put your hand behind brake light and just give brake pedal a gentle tap and see if it actuates the light.


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Its a plastic nut AFAIR on the switch.Just need to take it off a little to release the tension on the spring. Switch on ignition an put your hand behind brake light and just give brake pedal a gentle tap and see if it actuates the light.


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Fab. Thx. Will have a proper look at the weekend when I’m back.:thumb2
 
Just a thought but could it be that you were decelerating hard with engine braking? My understanding is that your rear brake light will flash if this is the case to warn others that you are slowing down quickly (even without touching the brake).

My thoughts to as when pushing its been noticed that my rear light flashes as well , always lead so not yet seen on another one but will, check.
 
Dynamic brake light.
The brake light's additional function, which is currently still limited to the EU and ECE area, is split into two levels. Level one is activated by rapid deceleration from speeds over 50 km/h. The brake light warns following traffic with a frequency of 5 Hz. In level two, the hazard warning lights system is additionally activated by panic braking to at least under 14 km/h. This remains active until the vehicle accelerates to a speed of at least 20 km/h again.
The dynamic brake light is only available as a piece of optional equipment ex-works in connection with ABS Pro (in connection with optional equipment Pro Riding Modes) from model year 2016 onwards for the models R 1200 GS and R 1200 GS Adventure and the S 1000 XR. The tourers K 1600 GT, GTL and GTL Exclusive will have this safety advantage as standard from model year 2016.
 
Dynamic brake light.
The brake light's additional function, which is currently still limited to the EU and ECE area, is split into two levels. Level one is activated by rapid deceleration from speeds over 50 km/h. The brake light warns following traffic with a frequency of 5 Hz. In level two, the hazard warning lights system is additionally activated by panic braking to at least under 14 km/h. This remains active until the vehicle accelerates to a speed of at least 20 km/h again.
The dynamic brake light is only available as a piece of optional equipment ex-works in connection with ABS Pro (in connection with optional equipment Pro Riding Modes) from model year 2016 onwards for the models R 1200 GS and R 1200 GS Adventure and the S 1000 XR. The tourers K 1600 GT, GTL and GTL Exclusive will have this safety advantage as standard from model year 2016.

Agreed. My bike is much too early for this technology!
 
Dynamic brake light.
The brake light's additional function, which is currently still limited to the EU and ECE area, is split into two levels. Level one is activated by rapid deceleration from speeds over 50 km/h. The brake light warns following traffic with a frequency of 5 Hz. In level two, the hazard warning lights system is additionally activated by panic braking to at least under 14 km/h. This remains active until the vehicle accelerates to a speed of at least 20 km/h again.
The dynamic brake light is only available as a piece of optional equipment ex-works in connection with ABS Pro (in connection with optional equipment Pro Riding Modes) from model year 2016 onwards for the models R 1200 GS and R 1200 GS Adventure and the S 1000 XR. The tourers K 1600 GT, GTL and GTL Exclusive will have this safety advantage as standard from model year 2016.

I've never understood what ex-works means in this context, and whether indeed our bikes come with these features already activated.
 
I've never understood what ex-works means in this context, and whether indeed our bikes come with these features already activated.

Id say it has to be fitted at the time the bike is built, and isn't something that can be retro-fitted at a dealership. But im probably wrong. I have no idea whether or not its fitted to my bike or not either. :nenau
 
So numpty-features here had a poke around by the rear brake pedal last night. I am clearly not looking in the right place because there is absolutely nothing around the brake pedal mechanism to indicate any sort of sensor/switch for the brake light. Can someone put me out of my misery please? Where is the damn thing?! Is there a relevant page in the Haynes manual that someone might be prepared to put up here?

Many thanks
 

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So numpty-features here had a poke around by the rear brake pedal last night. I am clearly not looking in the right place because there is absolutely nothing around the brake pedal mechanism to indicate any sort of sensor/switch for the brake light. Can someone put me out of my misery please? Where is the damn thing?! Is there a relevant page in the Haynes manual that someone might be prepared to put up here?

Many thanks

Ok so it must be a pressure switch somewhere in the system id think. I said before that it was a spring but i assumed it was like most other bikes. obviously i was wrong.


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I searched the BMW microfishe sites last Sunday to try and find it and it doesn't seem to come up. Yet more bamboozlement!
 


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