[Chester Stone]

Today I installed the Brakeswitch which helps manage the jake brake and allows the jake brake to be on at all times, especially in a emergency. The relay engages the jake only when the air brake light goes on, and disengages as soon as the accelerator is engaged. The advantage is that with the jake switch on and you take your foot off of the accelerator, the jake only engages when the brake light goes on. It will be a few days before I can test it to be sure it works. The seller told me that it is essential for the brake light to be on whenever the jake is engaged, and he thinks all Newells do this.
Instillation is very easy and all connections are make in the fuse panel and terminal board located in front of the passenger seat. In my coach, disconnect the two purple & yellow wires located at fuse panel #30. Determine which wire powers the radar detector and which powers the jake switch. Connect the radar detector wire to fuse terminal #29. Connect the jake power wire to one of the red wires from the Brakeswitch, and connect the other red wire to terminal #30. Next, the Brakeswitch purple wire to terminal board #19 (not fuse #19). Insert under the screw with the existing wire on either side. Finally, just connect the black wire to the ground in the panel.

[RussWhite]

I don't think my brake lights work that way. I agree it would be nice for the brake lights to stay on when the Jake is on and you are not pressing the service brake pedal, just don't think it was that way in '99. That modification is on a very long list, but not near the top. Let us know when you have a chance to test on the road.

[lbrachfe]

My brake lights do not come on when using the jake break on my coach, I never leave it on all the time. It's a waste of fuel and not needed for most highway driving. Everyone has their own opinion on this and all are correct for individual needs,use and driving confidence. I prefer to "Free Wheel".....

[RussWhite]

Larry,

That's not good news for Chester about the brake lights.

This is the land of the "free" and it's your coach and your opinion, but I see it a little differently, just as you predicted :-)

You contend "It's a waste of fuel and not needed for most...."

Mileage is distance divided by fuel consumed. If one could use the Jake only when you would otherwise be using the service brakes the fuel used is not changed and the distance is not changed. Where the Jake gets you on fuel usage is when you are using it and would NOT otherwise need braking. In other words, when coasting. If you just want to coast a while, if the Jake is selected you won't coast as far and therefore distance is reduced and so is mileage. Chester has found a modification that fixes that. When he wants to coast he lifts from the throttle and he coasts just like you. But, when he needs to slow for any reason, he presses the service brake and the Jake kicks in. No fuel is added of course and he is slowing either just with enginne compression braking or with that and service brakes.
Where he might have a real advantage is in the last part of your comment "most highway driving". Should some idiot pull across in front of Chester when he hits the brakes he will have the extra help of the Jake - it could make a difference.
Cheers, Russ

[whatsnewell]

This is, and has been an interesting discussion. When I first purchased my coach in March of 2008 I only engaged the Jake when I knew a steep downhill was coming, but, otherwise, left the switch in the "OFF" position. After many discussions with other seasoned Newell owners I now leave it on all the time unless I am on a long stretch of flat, open highway where "free wheeling" makes more sense. I like the extra breaking power, especially when in city, stop and go traffic. If that little edge of safety costs me a few cents per mile so be it. I haven't really noticed any measurable difference in mileage which comports more with Russ' analysis, but again, for me the safety margin gained outways the extra fuel cost. That's my 2 cents and I'm sticking to it.

[Chester Stone]

OK, here is my latest on the BrakeSwitch. I do not know if my brake lights are on when the jake is engaged, and Newell was closed today. Since I am traveling tomorrow and will cross a high pass, I decided to make certain I am safe. I installed a toggle switch on my dash which bypasses the BrakeSwitch when I toggle on. With the new toggle switch off, the BrakeSwitch will engage the jake anytime my brake lights are on as a result of depressing the air brake. If I do not depress the air brake, I can coast without the jake until I depress the brake pedal. Now, if I want to descend a long steep hill when the brake lights are off, I can toggle thereby bypassing the BrakeSwitch with power directly to the jake back to its original configuration. It seems to me that I now have the safest situation. I can leave the jake on all of the time, it will only engage when I am trying to stop (even in an emergency), but can coast without the jake in city stop and go, and when going down a steep grade, the jake will operate as it came from the factory. What am I missing? Cost $100.

[rheavn]

Chester,
Sounds like a good system to me. I would like to have mine operate like you described too. Sounds like a wintertime project.

[Richard]

I also installed a brakeswitch, but I wired it to suit my liking. I used an extra toggle switch in the circuit, so that in one mode, the jake is activated by depressing the brake pedal and releases as soon as I release the brake pedal. The other mode is the normal mode where the jake is activated by the accelerator in the off position. Essentially the toggle switch bypasses the brakeswitch.

When in the flats, I like the extra braking power of the jakes, but I hate that it comes on when I roll out of the throttle too much. So on the flats, I run with the brakeswitch on.

In the mountains, I run with the jakes activated by the accelerator pedal. That way I have braking on the descents without riding the brake pedal.

Here is what I think will work with only one additional wire needed. If you ran a wire from the brake light fuse terminal in the passenger foot well to the downstream side of the jake brake on off switch, then you could automatically have what I described above without adding a brakeswitch and an additional toggle.

[Chester Stone]

Crossed Pacheco Pass yesterday, and it works just as I hoped. I can now run with the jake on all of the time, but it will not engage unless I actuate the brakes, yet I can use the jake going down a long grade.

[RussWhite]

Congrats! I think you will love it. I do.