CAUTION - Always use new, DOT 3 or DOT 4 brake fluid, from a sealed container.
Never attempt to reuse old or dirty fluid. Do not overfill the unit. Take care to protect painted surfaces
from contact with the brake fluid. Wash off any spilled brake fluid.
MOUNT the emergency breakaway switch and emergency breakaway battery on the trailer as detailed in the
instruction sheets provided with the emergency breakaway kit.
CAUTION – Do not attempt to tow the towed vehicle unit until the emergency
breakaway battery is fully charged.
C. ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS
WIRE SIZE IS CRITICAL / LOW VOLTAGE CONDITION – Failure to follow these
guidelines will damage theHydrastar™ unit and void your warranty.
It is critical that the BLACK power lead and WHITE ground lead from the tow vehicle to the input of the
Hydrastar™ actuator are sized and terminated, (i.e. dedicated 25-40* amp circuit on the tow vehicle –
12 gauge wire minimum). 10 gauge wire is recommended to optimize performance. Consult the SAE
wiring guidelines for proper trailer electrical harness design.
It is critical that the solid blue wire from the in-cab electronic brake control is connected to the solid blue wire on
the Hydrastar™ actuator. It is also critical that the yellow or blue w/ white striped wire from the Hydrastar™
actuator is connected to the cold side of the trailer emergency breakaway switch. Under no circumstances should
the solid blue wire and the yellow or blue w/ white stripe wire be connected together.
* = Cold temperature (below 0° F) applications require 40 amp.
REQUIRES AN IN-CAB ELECTRONIC CONTROL – The Hydrastar™ actuator is intended to be
used with an in-cab electronic brake controller. The unit will operate with a wide variety of controllers but provides
optimum performance when used with a CTS electronic brake controller. Contact your dealer for a list of approved
brake controllers. The list is also available online at www.Cargobrake.com The in-cab controller must have an
output capacity of at least 5 amps for proper operation of the Hydrastar™ actuator.
ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS – Make sure all electrical connections are clean, dry, weather
tight, and secure to prevent damage to the wiring from dragging or becoming entangled with
foreign objects. CTS highly recommends soldering all electrical connections. A dedicated
ground connection between the tow vehicle and trailer is also required.
BREAKAWAY BATTERY REQUIREMENT - To comply with federal requirements, the
trailer must be equipped with a breakaway switch and battery. The breakaway battery needs to have a
minimum capacity of 5 amp hours and needs to be maintained in a fully charged condition at all times.
The breakaway battery should be checked for proper charge level before every use. CTS offers a
17 amp hour battery as a means to provide additional insurance in the event that a trailer breakaway
condition were to occur.
CHARGING THE BREAKAWAY BATTERY – A separate battery charger is included in
the Ca
rgo breakaway battery kit that draws power from the keyed accessory terminal on the tow vehicle.
Attempting to charge the breakaway battery directly from the keyed accessory terminal without the appropriate
charger will over heat and damage the trailer breakaway battery.
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