Troubleshooting A Brake Buddy Stealth Braking System That Activates When Not Flat Towing

Updated 09/18/2023 | Published 09/16/2023

Question:

2021 Ford Escape Hybrid. Ive had the brake buddy stealth system installed for almost a year. Ive had 2 separate instances of the brakes locking up when the car is not attached to the tow system. Once when I was driving the car, the brake buddy engaged and locked the brakes. We had disconnected from the RV and been driving the car off and on for over a day errands, etc. perhaps 5-10 miles per trip. I felt the brakes engage and once we pulled over they were completely locked. The light on the brake buddy was blinking green. Had to remove the fuse to get going again. The second time, the car was in my driveway and hadnt been driven for almost a day. I was actually doing yard work and heard a clunking coming from the car. It was the brake buddy engaging and disengaging repeatedly. Again, green light was blinking. I now pull the fuse whenever the car is not being towed. Weve never experienced a problem when we are towing and weve probably gone 7500+ miles.

asked by: Robert S

Expert Reply:

A blinking green light on your Brake Buddy Stealth Supplemental Braking System # HM39530 indicates a breakaway event so you most likely have a wiring issue with the all-in-one connector on the vehicle. I recommend checking the harness for any cuts, kinks, or damage and make sure that your ground connection is secure.

You'll also want to ensure that the dust cap is placed on the connector when not flat towing. If you find no issues and have been properly using the dust cap then you'll want to reach out to the manufacturer to see if you can get a warranty replacement of the connector since something is misreading signals and then thinking that your vehicle is in a breakaway event.

expert reply by: Kevin C