Sticking switches

[kb2vdr]

I've read where so many people use WD 40 and many other products to flush and/lubricate the hazard, cruise control and other switches. I was afraid some of these products would ultimately damage the plastics of the switches. I went to Radio Shack and bought a can of tuner cleaner/lubricant as it states it will not harm plastics and I removed the screws holding the switch housings on the handlebars and preceded to flush the switches as best as I could and let it set over night and did it again in the morning. After cleaning up any excess from inside the housing I reassembled and happy to say it has been a year and a half and no problems since.
Good luck and Happy riding. Gary

[dingdong]

Great stuff and what it is designed for. Unlike WD-40, which made for displacing water. The end result from WD-40 is a sticky mess that is worse than what you started with.

[Steve F]

I've used WD as the PO stated, and then followed it up with the contact cleaner to remove the WD residue. The WD is cheap, and works great at flushing crud out of the switch...the contact cleaner freezes things! Yes, the contact cleaner DOES work well. Now, I gotta take apart the right side controls to get at the REV switch. That sucker got stuck last fall (and has since been released after some considerable fiddling), and I've been putting off cleaning it. Don't want to get stuck somewhere with that problem again!

[Dogsled]

When spraying the switches, don't forget the starter button. This may be a common Wing thing but I never heard of it happening to anyone. I had recently had issues with my headlights not coming on, I sprayed the lo/hi beam switch and they worked. I used the Radio Shack cleaner, works great. So the otherday I'm behind a car at a light and see no reflection on the cars rear body of my Head lights being on. I hit the hi/lo switch and the dash light wasn't on. To make a long story short, omitting how I figured it out.

When you go to start your bike and push the starter button in, your headlights cut out to stop the drain on the battery and give the engine full cranking. Well my starter button stopped a hair from the top when I started my bike and the light stayed off. I pulled back on the button and it was so minute I could barley feel it move, if I even felt it at all and the lights came on. The button stuck at the top. I sprayed it up and I guess it's OK. But if you ever have your lights go out on the road after you just started it, try just pulling back lightly on the button as your first step.

[pfysch]

Thanks for the help! Need to clean my cruise button. The cruise drop out occasionally.

[k1w1t1m]

Thanks for the tip. I have to clean the hazard and cruise buttons on my new to me 1500. I managed to free them but I have to clean them some more as now they don't stay on when required.

[coxjj]

I move all the switches during the summer months to move the warm grease they use in the switches. I haven't experienced any problems.

[joeincalif]

I use fast drying contact cleaner, works great.

[robojoc]

Hello all,
I test, troubleshoot and rework electronics all day and I must warn against using spray cleaners and especially WD40 to clean the switches. Honda has a habit of using open body switches with electrolytic past lubricants for the contacts, if you get the cleaner into the body of the switch the past could be displaced or you could create a short between components and the contacts will get damaged then you will have to replace components for a greater cost. The switches have very simple mechanisms and are easily cleaned by removing them and doing it manually providing a much longer life, just be careful during reassembly because the components are small. I have attached an image of the cruse control switch for reference.