Add on " brake switch " beware !!!

[rvtips]

I know some of you have my read my pervious post on this site , about the " Brake Switch " not working. here is the rest of the store.
This is the letter I sent to Homer Hawks.
Homer,
Here is a copy of the invoice for the repairs on our 2003 Safari,caused by connecting the wires to a circuit that caused the ECM to burn out.
When I first called you in January and told you the wiring on our Safari did NOT match up with your schematic,you asked me to call Monaco and see what they said.
They did send me the schematic for our Safari,I then sent that to you,You told me to spice into # 204 and # A42.That is what I did and when I road tested it there was no change in the operation of the exhaust brake or the cruise control.
I then called you again and you told me to reconnect # A42 and splice into # B34.
So that is what I did.
Then when I road tested it,The exhaust brake and the cruise control were both inoperative,so I removed all the wires from the " Brake Switch " and put the wires back the way they were and road tested it again,The same thing happened,the exhaust brake and the cruise control were both inoperative.
I then took it to Redlands Truck & RV to diagnose the problem.
That is when they found the problem with the ECM.
It had to be replaced and programmed for a total cost of $ 2,767.21
I assume you have insurance to cover this problem.
I have been a mechanic for over 20 years, I know how to cut and spice a wire.
-------------------------------------------------------
Homer Hawks is the inventor of the " Brake Switch " so I would think he has all the answers.
I have sent him three e mails over the last two weeks and have had no response?
Today 02/12 / 2010 I called him,he said he did not get the e mails.
I sent them it to him again and then called him.
He now tells me there is nothing he can do for me,as per him the " Brake Switch " could not cause this problem.
All I know is there was no problem until the " Brake Switch " was installed.
I thought Homer would man up and take some responsible ,but that is not the case.
Anyone thinking about installing the " Brake Switch " should think twice.

[Dr4Film]

So what does this dang thing supposed to do when it is connected correctly and working? Not that I want to install one, as I don't especially after reading your expensive horror story however, I would like to know for informational purposes.

Sorry for your problems. Maybe you could contact Chuck Campbell at Motorhome Magazine, who author's the Hot Line in the magazine and see if he will intervene to obtain some sort of settlement with Homer Hawks of Brake Switch. He has been successful, well at least in most of the articles that are published.

Couldn't hurt to try.

Good Luck!

Dr4Film ----- Richard.

[moisheh]

I installed the brake switch on our last MH and I found Homer to be a great guy. I had questions and he supplied the answers. There are probably thousands of happy customers who have purchsed this item. Mine worked flawlessly and I would not hesitate to recommend this unit to anyone. I am sorry you had problems but we have only heard one side of the story. One unhappy customer does not make a product bad.

[rvtips]

You would think if he did give bad info,he would stand behind his product.
I did everything he said to do!

Originally Posted by moisheh

I installed the brake switch on our last MH and I found Homer to be a great guy. I had questions and he supplied the answers. There are probably thousands of happy customers who have purchsed this item. Mine worked flawlessly and I would not hesitate to recommend this unit to anyone. I am sorry you had problems but we have only heard one side of the story. One unhappy customer does not make a product bad.

[rvtips]

When it works right, you can have the c/c on and the pac brake at the same time,when you hit the brakes,the c/c goes off and the brakes and pac brake come.

I will get hold of Chuck Campbell and see what he can do.

Originally Posted by Dr4Film

So what does this dang thing supposed to do when it is connected correctly and working? Not that I want to install one, as I don't especially after reading your expensive horror story however, I would like to know for informational purposes.

Sorry for your problems. Maybe you could contact Chuck Campbell at Motorhome Magazine, who author's the Hot Line in the magazine and see if he will intervene to obtain some sort of settlement with Homer Hawks of Brake Switch. He has been successful, well at least in most of the articles that are published.

Couldn't hurt to try.

Good Luck!

Dr4Film ----- Richard.

[moisheh]

This thread is against forum rules( vendor dispute) and I hope MM kills it!

[wa8yxm]

It is possible that the switch was not the problem.. Computer (ECM) Failures do occur.. However I would trust Redlands techincians here as they do tend to know from a hole in the ground as they say. (They are some of the best in the business)

[moisheh]

Or is it possible the ECU failure had othing to do with the Brake Switch. Otr maybe the OP made a mistake in the wiring. The OP is on a mission and has posted his story all over the internet.

Moisheh

[ernieh]

Lets see? As I recall, the BS is installed by tapping the brake light wire and installing the switch in series with the dash mounted Pacbrake switch.

I'm at a loss to see how this could possibly have any effect on the computer if the correct wires are selected and nothing is shorted in the process.

I have had one for about 6 trouble free years and love it.

[Flagelpater]

FWIW I have BrakeSwitch installed and love it. Sorry for your trouble. I would have taken the BrakeSwitch out of the MH before I brought it to the repair facility, why muddy up the water. Homer was at the Brooksville FMCA Rally the first week in February. Did you have to give up the old ECU?

[deadeye916]

Originally Posted by rvtips

When it works right, you can have the c/c on and the pac brake at the same time,when you hit the brakes,the c/c goes off and the brakes and pac brake come.

I drive my coach with the exhaust brake on at all times, and I use the c/c. Without this brake switch what happens?

[Flagelpater]

Most MH's will not let you have the CC and the EB/PB active at the same time. On my Monaco Knight when you turn ON the PB the CC is turned Off. With the BrakeSwitch installed the CC will act normally until you use the service brakes. The service brake peddle/switch becomes the PB ON switch. The nice part is when you are on hilly terrain and really don't want the PB to keep coming ON when you let Off the gas, the BrakeSwitch lets you coast. Only when you touch the service brake peddle does it come On, tap the gas and it goes back Off. The big advantage is that you can have the PB selected to On, Armed, all the time. In a Panic Stop the switch will already be On. If you were in CC mode, you would have to reach and reselect the PB switch without the BrakeSwitch. Every second may count! Later model coaches have better designs and do not require the BrakeSwitch. I think some may even use the PB/EB for speed control while the CC is engaged! Nice!! The BrakeSwitch does not apply the EB/PB while in CC mode, but if the Armed switch is already ON the EB/PB will get the signal to work as you hit the brakes.

[Mandys Man]

Originally Posted by Flagelpater

Most MH's will not let you have the CC and the EB/PB active at the same time. On my Monaco Knight when you turn ON the PB the CC is turned Off. With the BrakeSwitch installed the CC will act normally until you use the service brakes. The service brake peddle/switch becomes the PB ON switch. The nice part is when you are on hilly terrain and really don't want the PB to keep coming ON when you let Off the gas, the BrakeSwitch lets you coast. Only when you touch the service brake peddle does it come On, tap the gas and it goes back Off. The big advantage is that you can have the PB selected to On, Armed, all the time. In a Panic Stop the switch will already be On. If you were in CC mode, you would have to reach and reselect the PB switch without the BrakeSwitch. Every second may count!

The above is how Monaco's started working during the mid 2007 model years. No Brake Switch add-on needed..

[rvtips]

I would say it is more of a warning than a dispute.

Originally Posted by moisheh

This thread is against forum rules( vendor dispute) and I hope MM kills it!