Pump on Electric Over Hydraulic Actuator Works But No Brakes when Brake Pedal is Pressed

Updated 07/14/2014 | Published 07/13/2014

Question:

why would my electric over hydraulic brake actuator pump be working but no brakes being applied? When the brake pedal is pushed i hear the pump working but have no brakes?

asked by: Theresa

Expert Reply:

If the pump is running but not building pressure it could be a mechanical or electrical issue. Make sure that all of the wiring is intact with no corrosion on the connections. The actuator should be grounded to both the ground on the trailer connector and to the negative battery terminal on the trailer.

You may also need to bleed the brakes. Check the manual of the actuator you have for the bleeding procedure. It could also be a problem with the breakaway system or the battery on the trailer. If the wiring for the break away is corroded or losing connection, that could be the cause. A dead or low battery may also cause some problems.

And it could be the brake controller being used. Only certain brake controllers are compatible with electric over hydraulic brake actuators. I would need to know which brake controller you are using and which specific actuator to determine if the 2 are compatible.

expert reply by: Michael H