Using Hydrastar HBA-10 Electric/Hydraulic Brake Actuator with OEM Brake Controller on 2008 Ford F350

Question:

I have a 2008 Ford F-350 and I just bought a used trailer with HBA-10 already on it. The HBA-10 works when the trucks on board brake controller is manually activated by pressing the manual button. But NOT when the brake pedal is applied going down the road. The wiring is redone correctly and triple checked . I was reading on your site that HBA-10 is not compatible with Ford models from 2008. Here are my questions: What I describe is the result of the incompatibility between HBA-10 and the trucks controller? The HBA-CAM should resolve this? Thanks in advance.

asked by: G. G

Expert Reply:

The factory brake controller on your F350 isn't compatible with electric over hydraulic brake actuators, which explains why the trailer brakes aren't operating with the brake pedal. You have two options for getting the vehicle and the electric/hydraulic actuator on the trailer to work together.

If your Hydrastar is a Generation 6 or newer model with a serial number of 313800 OR HIGHER, the # HBA-CAM would work for you.

As an alternative, you could use an aftermarket brake controller like the Tekonsha Prodigy P2, part # 90885. This controller is compatible with your brake actuator, and over time has proven to be much more reliable than the Ford OEM brake controller.

expert reply by: Mike L