Community Forums

VACMAN · 08-28-2009, 08:30 PM

A friend was following me this weekend and told me that the only time my brake lights came on was when I applied the brake pedal. I told that is the way they are supposed to operate. But he insisted that they should come on also when the exhaust is braking.. Any one know how it works on my model of DS ?

siggyd · 08-28-2009, 10:07 PM

Whenever your exhaust brake kicks in,the brake lights should come on,because you are braking. I believe this is the law.
Mine work this way on my 05 KSDP.
Siggy D.

Jerry J · 08-28-2009, 11:12 PM

My brake lights work with my engine brake, maybe check with Newmar but I would think that the brake lights should come on.

JWT · 08-29-2009, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by siggyd

Whenever your exhaust brake kicks in,the brake lights should come on,because you are braking. I believe this is the law.
Mine work this way on my 05 KSDP.
Siggy D.

Mine don't come on with the Jake Brake. Brake lights aren't on if you were down shifting a manual transmission to slow you down, to me I think that's a form of braking..........

danf7 · 08-29-2009, 06:09 AM

Brake Lights should go on. I have a Freightliner Fred chassis. ( Front End Diesel ) I finally got mine fixed yesterday after having it for almost a year. Freightliner of Hartford told me it didn't, yet when I called Gaffney, ( FL Headquaters and plant ) they told me yes and have it fixed under warrenty. The place I brought it to, Altrui Brothers in East Providence, RI had never heard of it working that way, but they had the good sense to call Freightliner and get the info. Solved the problem. In my case it was simply not turned on at the factory. All they had to do was hook it up to the computer, run the diagnostics and turn it on. Highly recommend Alturi Brothers if you need repairs. Very personal and kept me in the loop. Keep away from Freightline of Hartford, Ct. Didn't want to be bothered and tried to tell me that the other 6 people I talked to that had a rig like mine were wired wrong and I mine was the only one right!

Dan

Ronnie Bledsoe 2006 Dutchstar 43' · 08-29-2009, 09:25 AM

I have an 06 DS on a Spartan chassis and the brake lights come on when the exhaust brake comes on.

Ronnie

GaryKD · 08-29-2009, 09:58 AM

My brake lights do not come on when the engine brake is slowing the coach. Based on the posts, it may come down to how each coach is made and who was doing the work. I'm not sure what the "rule" is.

Route 66 · 08-29-2009, 02:02 PM

It may be an optional setting with the engine electronics.

We have seen posts over the years with MH's working both ways.

My brake lights do come on when the Jake brake is activated.

I think this is the way it should be as the MH is braking and on the high setting, slowing rapidly. (if that makes sense)

Sharks · 08-30-2009, 05:55 PM

On my DSDP 2004 with Cummins 370 and Allison on Spartan my lites DO come on when engine brake comes on. I would be surprised if it wasnt the law after all the rig is slowing sometimes very rapidly and person following needs to know what is happening in front of them. JMHO and this opinion is worth exactly what you are paying for it.... Don

BobGed · 08-30-2009, 06:13 PM

I would like to have my coach setup where the brake lights are NOT on when the exhaust brake is continually engaged, and believe it or not, I say this because in my case I think it would actually be safer. First of all, and most importantly, I would only consider doing this because I have a Brake Switch installed. I cannot engage the exhaust brake without first stepping on the service brake pedal, which of course activates the brake lights. Second of all I only have a single stage exhaust brake that really doesn't drastically slow the coach down that much when engaged. I have felt a greater slowing effect when the transmission downshifts, which of course gives no warning to those behind me.

Now to the safer part, again JMHO. Living in the west I do a lot of mountain driving with some long down hill grades. As I start my descent I step on the brake pedal to engage the exhaust brake via the Brake Switch, which of course activates the brake lights, and keeps them activated even after taking my foot off of the brake pedal. Those following me now cannot tell when I might again step on the brake pedal to either just scrub off some speed or for some other reason. For the most part they cannot see around me, and after a while they get used to the brake lights being on all the time, and then will tend to ignore them. My only saving grace right now is that my toad brake lights only come on when its brake pedal is depressed by my auxiliary braking system.

RUFINIT · 08-30-2009, 10:14 PM

My coach brake lights come on when the jake engages, but the toad brakes do not come on until the brake pedal in the coach is depressed.

69RoadRunner · 08-31-2009, 05:22 AM

I can't say for sure if mine do (until a recent service trip, none of my rear lights worked), but my brake controller activates the brakes for my trailer when the engine brake kicks in.

Going down some long mountains, I didn't really want the trailer brakes on the whole way down. They're drum brakes, and I didn't want them heating up and fading.

So, I would turn off the engine brake every so often just to let the trailer brakes cool down a little.

VACMAN · 08-31-2009, 08:25 AM

I just sent an e-mail to Spartan and asked them the question I posted. And here is th Awnser from Spartan Tech:

The brake light should come on when the engine brake is activated. There should be a relay or fuse in the rear panel. When you are at Newmar, they will know where to look for it.

If they have trouble locating it, have them call us at Spartan.