Troubleshooting HydraStar Electric Over Hydraulic Actuator Clicking

Updated 10/08/2018 | Published 10/07/2018

Question:

Brake away works fine but brake pedal in car only makes motherboard relay click any ideas ?

asked by: Gavin P

Expert Reply:

If your HydraStar Electric Over Hydraulic Actuator for Drum Brakes - 1,200 psi # HBA-12 is only clicking when you are putting your foot on the pedal there is some troubleshooting you can do. First, ensure your brake controller is compatible with electric over hydraulic brakes and if so, that your brake controller is in hydraulic mode (if it has one).

There are a number of other things you can do, starting with ensuring you have at least 8.5 volts reaching the black wire and making sure the white ground wire is not grounded only to the trailer - this ground wire must be run directly to your tow vehicle's battery ground.

Next, detach all but the blue, black, white, and yellow or blue with white striped wires on the HydraStar and disconnect it from any other wires going to the tow vehicle or breakaway switch/breakaway battery. Then use a separate 12 volt battery and connect the white wire to the battery's negative terminal and the black wire to the positive terminal. If the motor on the unit runs it indicates a fault in the unit and it will need to be repaired.

If it does run (which is normal), leave the white wire on the negative terminal but connect the blue and black wires together to the positive terminal; the motor should then run and it should pressurize; if it does not, again you will need to have it repaired.

Should this check out you can still leave the white wire on the negative terminal but this time connect the yellow wire or the blue with white stripe wire to the positive terminal and again, the unit should run and it should pressurize.

If this all checks out the last thing you will need to do is reconnect all of the wires at your trailer plug and repeat all but the last step. The results should be the same and if they aren't the issue is with your trailer wiring or brake controller.

expert reply by: Kyle S