Can am commander brake light switch

Many of us have been plagued with brake light issues including,

- Failure to activate brake light
- Hard to activate brake light
- Constant replacement of hydraulic switch

This is a known issue especially in hotter areas.

Here is the low down.

The brake light switch is activated by pressure supplied by the braking system to complete a ground to the brake light and supply a signal to the ecm lighting the "brake" light on your pod. The issue is the switches lack of a heavy enough membrane to withstand its working condition And a stiff internal spring causing Hard to activate conditions. This switch is the same as used with early 60-70's VW beetles and also in that case was a constant headache.

May I offer my fix?

After alot of trial and error I found the key!

Autozone RB401 $8.99 Lifetime Warranty

The catch is you have to change the connectors on the pigtail that feeds the current switch from failure prone, water holding bullet connectors to long proven Spade connectors. Thats it!

But Mr. Joe how do I install it?

Simple! Get the new one and have it ready for installation before removing the old one. Wrap threads with teflon tape and have the terminals installed. Unscrew old one and quickly install new one. Dont over tighten the old term a little dab will do ya is key here! You will lose a very small amount of fluid, Just top off as needed. No bleeding needed on this procedure. Plug in new sensor and ride.

This new switch will reduce activating pressure by a whopping 50 percent! And holds up to almost double our braking systems operating pressure increasing lifespan 2-3 times over! Hope this tip helps! I have tried everything before this including harley davidson switches, Oem replacements, Autozone, Napa and Oreilly replacements trust me this is the ONE!

For you techies Like me if you want to install aftermarket LED brake lights lights etc this is awesome also! Simply unplug stock pigtail and tie it off, This will not affect anything starting etc. Run a 12v lead from a switched source pod etc to one terminal of new brake switch. Then run the other terminal to the positive lead of your brake light. Ground the other lead to frame. Wala you have a positive switched system now! This is how I run my LED system

Nice fix !!! I'll have to check this out!!

Nice write up. Just did this very thing yesterday and was gonna post what I did. I ended up using Napa/Echlin SL134 $5.99 that has the correct posts on the ends so you don't have to replace your plugs with the boots. I strongly suggest to really coat them good with dielectric grease.

The problem is in most cases the sl134 is the exact clone of our oem its not about the post types, Its a completely different switch that has a lighter spring and heavier membrane. If the problem persists you need to switch. The sl134 lasted me 2 hours in 116 degree heat here in arizona.

Yeah you may be on to something. I too was thinking the same thing but couldn't find the specs on the switches themselves. I also thought that maybe it's a fluid issue for some reason. The OEM switches when used on other vehicles say to use DOT3 while our bikes say to use DOT4. Just weird that these switches fail so often. I don't think heat has anything to do with it. I'm in Ohio and it doesn't get near as hot although my bike has had a lot of river bed traveling so maybe water/moisture is the culpret?

Never seen Truck Nuts on an ATV before....... that's funny, got to get a set

great write up. if my switch fails again i will definitely try this switch. i like your box and brake light set up as well.

Thanks Guys.....have the same problem, and this sounds like the cure! On my way to store in the A.M.

Just a quick update. After several months still no more issues! This is the solution. With only switching over to spade terminals I havent had any water corrosion issues like the bullet terminals. This is a must do if your brake lights wont activate or are very hard to activate!

i just replaced my brake light on my outty 800 with leds looks great , but i keep on getting signal to the brake light with pressing brake pedal .
where / what can i test ?? park light works 100 %

regards

You are suppose to get 12v when you press the brake pedal!

When I put LEDs on my Harley you have to install a inline resistor because of the low amp draw of the led. If not the blinkers would flash rapidly as if the bulb was burned out

great write up. if my switch fails again i will definitely try this switch. i like your box and brake light set up as well.

You like his box, you like his nuts......
gonna ask for his number?:th_smiliebanana2:

Great thanks for the tip. My G2 does not work and I did not know why. Maybe this is it.

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Can you still start the atv in gear by pressing the brake after making the switch a positive system?

I replaced the switch now my brake lights work when I use the back breaks but not the front.

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Couple questions regarding this issue:

1. Does the brake light act as a tail light when the headlight switch is on? Currently my brake light does not work and I am going to do this fix but I was wondering if it should act as a tail light even if the brake light is not working.

2. For those running LED brake light, do you have a certain one that you bought that works better than others or looks the best?