MadaboutKitcars

When I collected my Sportster fron the garage after a succesful MOT, the guy said "Yes its passed but your brake light is on, looked at your fluid and it looks a little low, I should check it out if I were you".

So I drove it home with the light on but brakes seem fine, longish travel on the pedal but it stops ok. Not as good as my everyday car but adequate.

Topped up the fluid, was down by about an inch. Did not make any difference to the light, still on.

Any ideas please ?

Also decided to take it for a spin as it was dry, but fuel gauge not very accurate as I ran out of petrol about a mile from home. Had to push it home. Bit out of puff after that. No one stops these days to help. Big lesson learnt, don,t trust the fuel guage.

As its new to me I found I have to concentrate on the steering as the bumps in the road will make it change direction slightly and its incredibly sensitive being a small steering wheel. Not much input required. If you have ever driven a go kart you will know what I mean. I am sure I will get used to that as well.

Is that your experience too ?

Dennis

Fuel gauge - mine changes depending I the angle of the road and how much I accelerate. You get a feel for it after a while.

Steering does give you a good feel of the road but I didn't really find it too gittery. You might need to have a look at and play with the camber, castor and toe.

The brake fluid indicator sounds more like it could be the wiring. Or it could be the switch on the handbrake - very easy to bend if lean on it which results in an always on light.

Thanks Patrick,
Looked at the switch on the handbrake. Removed the gaiter and there was a bent bracket that holds the switch to the handbrake. Someone must have stood on it. I straightened it but it was not a smooth operation for the plunger, therefore buying a new one. The light goes on and off when the plunger is operated proving that was the problem.

Being out of touch with suspension setting up I think I will let my local garage loose on that one.

So thanks again Patrick.

Dennis

Hi Dennis,
glad you found your brake light problem.

A couple of easy things you can try on your front suspension.

Check the tyre pressures as they might be too high. With a light car you don't need the same as a normal car. I run about 20 psi.
Secondly, set you front shock absorbers to just two clicks from nothing. i.e. wind the little adjusters to minimum and then just two clicks towards the '+' sign. You can then gradually increase 1 click at a time if you need too. Hard tyres and hard suspension will make the car skittish.

Not sure what size steering wheel you have, but a slight larger one might help?

...peter

Hi Peter,
Thanks for the advice. I have been reshaping the brake light switch to get it to work properly, seems to work fine until I put the gaiter over whch then creates an interference with the contact. Obviously needs a new one, so will have to source one.

I will check the tyre pressures and your reasoning makes sense, so worth a try. Also I will try the adjustment on the shock absorbers. The steering wheel ( Sparco ) is smaller than my TT but I am sure I will get used to it. But skittish it is. Going to bleed the brakes to see if I can get them better, if not replace various bits to improve them. Unfortunately thats one of the problems of buying second hand, you don't know what was new when it was built. I am sure I will replace lots of bits eventually. As someone on here said it will not be to your liking, there will be things you want to change.

Thanks very much

Dennis