Ever Install Brake Controller on Hino?

[Magellan]

Has anyone here ever installed a brake controller on a Hino? These trucks ground a relay at the brake pedal switch (instead of switching the 12V hot side of the brake light circuit, as in most vehicles), so the red brake controller wire - if installed at the switch - destroys the controller (ask me how I know) because the controller feeds 12V to that circuit and when it goes straight to ground via the switch circuit it burns a trace on the controller board. Controllers are meant to see a switched +12V at the brake switch, but Hinos are NOT wired that way.

I wired to the switched hot side of the brake relay instead; that doesn't burn up the controller, but now the brake lights are on constantly (pedal applied or not) anytime the controller is plugged in (the controller may be faulty, but I don't want to jump straight to that conclusion). Does anyone here have any experience wiring a brake controller into a system incorporating a relay?

Thanks ahead of time for any help! I'm at my wits' end here.

 

[lantraxco]

Something's not right there, if you hooked that controller up to any normal brake light system you would have the same problem if in fact the controller is feeding the brake lights. Disconnect the controller from the relay put a test light on that wire with the test light clip lead grounded, if it lights up, and it should if what you're saying is true, then you either have a defective controller or, no offense, you have it wired up wrong. I am very suspicious about blowing a circuit board by taking the sense lead to ground, I'm not saying it isn't possible, it just doesn't make any sense to me. Exactly what make and model controller are you installing?

 

[nowing75]

I put on on an international 4300 and just used a micro switch as to not mess with the factory harnes. Dealer said they have had severl fried exams from miss wiring them .

 

[wheelie]

I also do not understand why a ground would hurt the controller ..

To Clarify.. The lead hooked to the brake light circuit.. (normally a red wire) does not feed the brake light.. It picks up a signal when the brakes are applied and that in turn helps tell the controller how to apply trailer brakes... how much voltage.. and length of time brakes are applied.

most new brake controls...

Black wire.... battery + (through a circuit breaker)
Blue wire... To trailer brake magnet(s)
white or green... ground (be sure it is a good ground)
Red wire.... cold side of brake switch..


On your hook up to the relay you would need to hook up( RED CONTROLLER WIRE) to the normally cold side. IMHO.. not having done that type system myself.

 

[Magellan]

I also do not understand why a ground would hurt the controller ..

To Clarify.. The lead hooked to the brake light circuit.. (normally a red wire) does not feed the brake light.. It picks up a signal when the brakes are applied and that in turn helps tell the controller how to apply trailer brakes... how much voltage.. and length of time brakes are applied.

most new brake controls...

Black wire.... battery + (through a circuit breaker)
Blue wire... To trailer brake magnet(s)
white or green... ground (be sure it is a good ground)
Red wire.... cold side of brake switch..


On your hook up to the relay you would need to hook up( RED CONTROLLER WIRE) to the normally cold side. IMHO.. not having done that type system myself.

I installed per your description above. All 12 gauge wiring, black wire to aux side of 30A circuit breaker, white to battery negative, blue to trailer brakes, red to the side of the brake switch on which I saw ground with an LED test light (this is where I screwed up, because I thought I was identifying the "cold" side of a normal brake switch and just seeing "ground" through the filaments of the brake lamps). After the first controller dumped 12V to ground through the red sense circuit through the pedal switch and burned up, I moved the red wire to the cold switched side of the brake light relay (after hunting it down) and installed a second controller, exchanging a Reese Brakeman for a Valley (I think it was called an Odyssey2, but I'm not looking at it at the moment).

Now, with the Valley controller installed, the brake lights are on at all times and the unit will not calibrate. I think I just got unlucky and have a faulty Valley, but won't know until I pick up another on Monday.

I happen to think that not installing a replaceable fuse on the red sense circuit of these controllers is ridiculous; all it would take is a short to ground at a bulb socket to take out a controller. Seems like a good idea to install one in-line at any rate. Thoughts?

 

[lantraxco]

What makes no sense is there is no reason why there should be any appreciable current coming out that wire..... But then I'm no genius, maybe there is a valid reason for it.

 

[Magellan]

What makes no sense is there is no reason why there should be any appreciable current coming out that wire..... But then I'm no genius, maybe there is a valid reason for it.

You might be a genius, but figuring out why other people design things as they do will still be impossible ;-). I suspect the brake controller is supposed to light the brake lights whenever the trailer brakes are applied, even if the brake pedal is not depressed, but why the engineers who designed the unit did not protect the circuit is beyond me.

 

[lantraxco]

You might be a genius, but figuring out why other people design things as they do will still be impossible ;-). I suspect the brake controller is supposed to light the brake lights whenever the trailer brakes are applied, even if the brake pedal is not depressed, but why the engineers who designed the unit did not protect the circuit is beyond me.

Well slap me silly, of course it's supposed to light the brake lights when you apply the trailer brakes manually! Duh, lol.
ointhead

 

[wheelie]

yepp.. I should have stayed out of this at this time.. got some issues that are involving to many drugs and to much computer time to fill void.. While I have installed many of these things I sure am not helping here so I will apologize and go back to watching for now.. ..

 

[Gooseidi]

The control side of the factory relay uses the negative side of the circuit for switching purposes which is unorthodox but fine, it will work. I am guessing they save some copper as its closer to ground most times than the positive side of the circuit at hand. Chances are that the relay is making and breaking the positive side of the circuit. You can make your connection on the load side ( you guys refer to this as the 'cold' side) of that relay and it will work the same as the traditional system that you are used to. Your brake lights are not coming on because you tied into the wrong side of the relay.

The controller back feeds 12+ to the brake switch wire, that's how the lights work when manually controlling the brakes. The controller burned up because you tied it directly to ground and created a condition for maximum ampacity. The lamps are resistance in the circuit which brings the current down. Good luck and I hope this makes sense and helps you out.