Hydrastar Actuator Troubleshooting and Do I Replace or Repair?

Question

Question:

I’m helping get this trailer back up and operational. It is being towed by a 2005 Ford F450. As you can see by the photos there is a hydrastar brake control already installed. This trailer is a twin axle with disk breaks and rated at 20,000 pounds. I disconnected the original wiring and tried to troubleshoot and see if the hydraulic brake control would run per the troubleshooting directions in the manual. After connecting directly to a 12 V truck battery the hydraulic actuator did not run or pressurize per the manual. One of my questions is can this unit be removed and repaired? If repair is not an option, would HBA – 16 Hydrastar be a good option for replacement considering the trailer size and disk brakes? Assuming the HBA-CAM is working that is already installed, will this model work with the factory brake control in the 2005 F 450? Thank you for the help!

asked by: Aaron P

1

Helpful Expert Reply:

Thanks for the pictures! I would be happy to help you. Since you have already gone through the recommend troubleshooting steps and verified it is not a wiring issue I think its safe to say the actuator is the problem. Carlisle's troubleshooting directions are extremely thorough. I have linked a question below that details them step by step so you can verify you have covered all grounds. I have also attached a wiring diagram so you can 100% rule out any wiring issues before you move onto the repair or replacement stage.

There is not a rebuild kit for your Carlisle hydraulic brake actuator so I would recommend replacing it with the Hydrastar Electric Over Hydraulic Actuator for Disc Brakes item # HBA16. You can call around your area and see if there are any local repair shops that have experience and success rebuilding Carlisle actuators if you prefer to go this option and not wait for a replacement to arrive.

Carlisle does indicate that on the early model Ford factory integrated brake controllers you will need to use adapter # HBA-CAM with generation 6 or newer electric over hydraulic brake actuators. So it will be compatible with the item # HBA16 assuming yours is still working.

expert reply by: Jerred H

1

Carlisle Wiring Diagram
(click to enlarge)

HBA-CAM
(click to enlarge)

Brake Actuator
(click to enlarge)

Answer 1

The first thing I would do is check the brake output circuit on the 7-way of your tow vehicle. You will want to use a circuit tester like our part #3808 to check for voltage at this circuit when the manual override of your brake controller is…

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Answer 2

The first step to bleed the brakes is to have the Carlisle HydraStar Electric-Hydraulic Actuator #HBA16 activate so that hydraulic pressure is being made in your brake system. You can do this by having somebody step on your tow vehicle brakes while…

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Answer 3

There are a few things you can check on your HydraStar Electric Over Hydraulic Actuator #HBA16 if it is running but doesn't actually build pressure. This could potentially be an electrical problem or issue with the motor. It's also possible…

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Answer 4

It sounds like your husband had to cut a hydraulic brake line to free-up your trailer's locked brakes. Causes for this kind of issue could be anything from a bad master cylinder in your actuator/coupler, to a blockage in one of the brake lines,…

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Answer 5

One wheel locking up on your trailers brakes could be for a few reason. Most likely it's due to a brake assembly that is out of adjustment. You want to adjust the assemblies so there is only a light drag on them when they are turned by hand.…

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Answer 6

This could be a magnet wiring problem. It is unlikely that the magnets are bad on newer assemblies, but if the wiring is not properly connected, it could cause problems. Check to see that the magnets are properly grounded to a clean, bare metal…

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Answer 7

Both the Titan BrakeRite I Plug and Play Electric-Hydraulic Actuator Kit part #T4813102 and the HydraStar Vented Marine Electric Over Hydraulic Actuator part #HS381-8067 will work well for you assuming you have disc brakes on your trailer. The 1,500…

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Answer 8

For the absolutely best performance and reliability you can't beat the HydraStar electric over hydraulic actuators. We have found that they are the most reliable, react the fastest and just in general work the best. For just the actuator you…

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Answer 9

I was able to go out to our warehouse and measure the Demco Hydraulic Actuator #DM72VR for you. I found that the center of the mounting hole was 1-5/16 inches away from the master cylinder, so I recommend drilling the center of your mounting hole at…

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Answer 10

The manual lockout on your Atwood 85778 surge brake coupler is there so that you can back up the trailer without the brakes locking up on you. Yes you can safely tow your trailer with the broken manual lockout, you just have to make sure you…

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Answer 11

I've never heard of an actual third brake light connector on a camper shell to plug in on a truck and we don't carry any parts to do that. The light generally needs to be hardwired into the truck's brake light circuit. The issue with this…

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Answer 12

Since you have a wheelbase/axle spacing of 38 inches the correct hanger kit for slipper springs would be the part #HAP-105-205-01. And then for a 7k trailer axle the u-bolt kit you'd want would be the part #APUBR-8. I attached the diagram to use…

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Hydrastar Actuator Troubleshooting and Do I Replace or Repair?

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