D-Celerator® Unified Tow Brake Installation Instructions
D-Celerator® Unified Tow Brake Installation Instructions |
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Improve SafetyProtect your investment |
Test the Breakaway Switch on a Regular Basis and Make Sure the Lanyard Cable
Is Not Damaged
When testing the switch, disconnect umbilical cord from towed vehicle. Pull lanyard
pin out of the breakaway switch. This will take approximately 20 lbs. of pull. You
should hear the vacuum pump running and the brake pedal will be activated.
When test is completed be sure back of lanyard pin is flush with the switch. The
black washer should disappear. Reconnect umbilical cord to motorhome.
The manual thumb lever on the remote control allows you to activate the brakes in
the towed vehicle without applying brakes in the Motorhome.
Before driving your motorhome using the Unified Tow Brake, be sure that all wiring
harness connections and breakaway switch lanyard between the two vehicles are attached
and are secured so that neither is allowed to drag the ground or is pulled/stretched
when making a hard left or right turn. Place the ignition switch in the towed vehicle
in its normal position for towing which unlocks the steering wheel.
Testing the Wiring of Your Controller to the Brake Light Switch
Perform this simple check to see if your Brake Controller is being affected by the
emergency flashers. You do not need to be moving to perform this check. With your
towed vehicle and Unified Tow Brake connected to your motorhome, activate your "emergency
flashers." If the red lights on the Brake Controller flash in conjunction with
the emergency flashers, your Brake Controller is wired into a location of the brake
light switch which is energizing your brake lights. If this condition exists you
may use your emergency flashers only if your motorhome is standing still. Under no
circumstances should you use the emergency flashers while the motorhome is in motion
until the wiring is corrected.
If your motorhome is equipped with a "factory-installed" exhaust brake,
you can perform the same system check, but instead of turning your emergency flashers
on, activate your exhaust brake. Again, you do not need to be moving to perform this
check. If the red lights on the Brake Controller light up, your Brake Controller
is wired into a location which energizes your brake lights. In this case you should
not use your exhaust brake while towing until the wiring is corrected in your motorhome.
INSIDE THE TOWED VEHICLE
1. The solenoid is set at the factory, but it is possible that, during shipping,
the solenoid could move out of adjustment. To verify the correct setting for the
solenoid, pull the plunger all the way back and measure from the end of the machined
clevis to the face of the stop plate. The measurement (gap) must be exactly 1-3/8".
The Unified Tow Brake will not function properly if the 1-3/8" measurement is
exceeded.
2. Locate an area to place the solenoid assembly. The primary consideration in placing
the solenoid is that it is out of the way when driving the towed vehicle. A secondary
consideration is that the solenoid is hidden from view. In most installations the
preferred location is high on the floorboard under the dash on the passenger side,
but practically any location is acceptable (for example, under the driver's seat,
beside the driver's seat, behind the driver's seat, in front of the driver's seat,
under the passenger seat, under the back seat, in the trunk) as long as you have
sufficient cable to reach the brake pedal from the solenoid.
Once you have determined the location of the solenoid, use the 1/4” x 1” self tapping
screw to anchor the solenoid so that it does not move around the passenger compartment
of the towed vehicle.
The cable assembly included in the kit is 4’ long. Longer cable assemblies are available.
If you prefer an 8’ (part # CA-6081) or 12’ (part # CA-6121) cable assembly, you
may order them from your selling dealer or from U.S. Gear.
The solenoid does NOT have to be in a straight line with the brake pedal. Remember,
the most important factor in placing the solenoid is the operation of the towed vehicle.
Be sure that the solenoid, and all the components of the Unified Tow Brake are out
of the way for driving the towed vehicle after it has been separated from the motorhome.
Before mounting the brake pedal bracket, perform the following procedure to ensure
proper operation of the Unified Tow Brake. If the towed vehicle is equipped
with adjustable pedals, install this product with the brake pedal assembly adjusted
closest to the driver seat. (Refer to Fig.1)
1. Start the towed vehicle’s engine. Using a ruler, locate a reference point on the
brake pedal bracket which appears to give a 11/4" stroke 
from a relaxed brake pedal to brake-applied.
2. Apply pressure to the brake pedal with your little finger (pinky) until brakes
are applied. Measure the distance the reference point moved.
3. If there is more than a 11/4" stroke at your reference point, slide your
point up the pedal bracket. If the stroke is less than 11/4", slide the point
down the pedal bracket. Note: Mount the bracket as low as possible on the
brake pedal lever while maintaining the 11/4" stroke.
4. If a stroke of exactly 11/4" cannot be achieved, fine adjustment can be accomplished
with the threaded button at the end of the inner cable.
Check Procedure:
To verify that the pedal stroke is adjusted properly, use the following procedure.
With the towed vehicle engine running (idle), and the breakaway switch applied (plunger
removed from switch), put the transmission in gear. The towed vehicle (only) should
not move against its own power. If the towed vehicle moves, then the brake pedal
bracket will need to be moved closer to its pivot point to achieve the desired results.
Note: This test can be performed when the towed vehicle installation is completed.
3. Slit the carpet 7" to 8" in front of the solenoid bracket to slide the
cable through.
4. Pull the carpet up to expose the insulation on the floorboard of the driver side.
Remove the rocker panel if necessary to gain access to the edge of the carpet.
5. If the towed vehicle is equipped with adjustable pedals, install this product
with the brake pedal assembly adjusted closest to the driver seat. After
you have determined the location on the brake pedal bracket which allows the 11/4"
stroke, place the mounting bracket on the brake pedal and attach it using the two
screws supplied. The mounting bracket can be placed on either side of the brake pedal
bracket. IMPORTANT: Before securing the brake pedal bracket, project a vertical
line from the pivot point (it may not be possible to actually see the pivot) down
through the area that you are placing the brake pedal bracket. Then place anything
with a 90-degree corner on it (piece of cardboard, triangle, etc.) on the top of
the block and slide the backside (vertical) to that imaginary line and tip the block
up and down until it lines up. It is important to pull the brake pedal at a 90-degree
angle from the pivot point to achieve maximum pull force from the solenoid. (See
Fig. 2)
6. Establish a location for mounting the pulley, but do not attach the pulley. NOTE:
Be sure the brake pedal will not make contact with the pulley when full braking is
applied to the pedal. Move the pulley bracket to the left or right on the firewall
to avoid contact with the brake pedal.
7. Slit the carpet under the dash just behind the location of the pulley to provide
an opening for the cable to enter.
8. Center the small cylinder at the solenoid end of the cable in the support bracket
on the solenoid plate. Place the cable into the slot in the support bracket to complete
the connection of the cable to the solenoid assembly. Tighten the #5 Allen screw
snug against the ferrule at the end of the outer cable which you have dropped into
stop block slot.
9. Guide the cable assembly through the slit in the carpet in front of the solenoid
and up through the slit behind the pulley location.
10. Place the brake pedal end of the cable in the slot on the side of the brake pedal
bracket and screw the threaded ferrule into the brake pedal bracket.
11. Mount the pulley system in the location you determined in step 6 against the
inside of the firewall behind the brake pedal. To mount the pulley you will need
to "straddle" the inner cable with the pulley bracket with the pulley pin
hole on the side farthest from the stop bracket. Thenattach the pulley using the
four self-tapping sheet metal screws supplied. Before fastening the screws, be
sure there are no vehicle components on the engine side of the firewall which could
be damaged by the screws (booster, brake line, etc.). Insert the pulley pin through
the hole in the pulley bracket and secure with the pin clip.
12. Be sure to leave approximately 1/4" of slack in the inner cable. Then mount
the outer cable support bracket in a location which is in a straight line with the
pulley. The outer cable support bracket can be at any length below the pulley. The
way to determine its proper location is to slide the bracket over the ferrule at
the end of the outer cable until the ferrule bottoms out in the hole of the support
bracket. Tighten the #5 Allen set screw snug against the ferrule on the end of the
outer cable in the support bracket.
13. Determine the layout of the cable assembly on the floorboard or firewall. The
cable assembly can be routed across the floorboard to compensate for any excess length.
You may curve or loop the cable assembly with a big, sweeping radius, but be sure
not to have any tight radius curves or loops in the cable which would cause the cable
assembly to bind or hang up when the tow brake is being used.
14. Once you have determined the layout of the cable assembly, score the insulation
and place the cable in the slot to allow the cable to lay flat on the floorboard.
15. Lay the Power Module under the dash out of the way. The Power Module will be
secured under the dash at the end of the installation procedure using wire ties.
Leave the carpet pulled back and the rocker panel exposed until installation is completed.
16. Once these connections have been completed in the towed vehicle, check to
make sure that the brake pedal is in a completely relaxed position when the system
is not in use. One way to double check is to make sure that the towed vehicle’s
brake lights are not lit. If necessary, make fine adjustments to the inner cable
using the threaded ferrule you have screwed into the brake pedal bracket.
UNDER THE HOOD OF THE TOWED VEHICLE
1. Mount the vacuum pump as close to the power brake booster as possible. The vacuum
pump can be secured to an existing hose or wiring harness using wire ties.
2. Cut the 3/8" or 1/2" I.D. hose from the engine to the brake booster
and install the appropriate-sized T-connector. Install the appropriate-sized check
valve between the engine and the T-connector. Make sure the flow arrow on the check
valve is pointing toward engine.
3. Run the supplied vacuum pump tube from the vacuum pump to the T-connector. Connect
the tube to the nozzle marked "In" on the vacuum pump. The nozzle
marked "Out" will not have anything connected to it. Cut the tube to the
appropriate length and attach to the T-connector.
4. Mount breakaway switch on horizontal plane of the towed vehicle frame. There should
be no obstacles or strain on the lanyard cable to the motorhome. Also, make sure
the motorhome can make sharp right and left turns without strain on the lanyard cable.
5. The breakaway should be bolted to the frame with 1/4" bolt that will allow
the switch to swivel. Be certain that the breakaway switch is allowed to swivel
so that the switch is always in a straight line with the lanyard.
6. Do not let lanyard cable drag on the ground. Fasten lanyard to motorhome
frame – not on safety chains, tow ball, or the towing hitch system.
7. Mount the 40 amp Circuit Breaker close to the battery with the two screws supplied.
8. Following the wiring details in the middle of this booklet attach the Harness
and Wires under the hood of the towed vehicle.
NOTES on Wiring (refer to Component List):
a) The red 12 gauge wire is the 12 volt power wire. IMPORTANT: Be sure to leave the
red wire that runs from the "battery" side of the circuit breaker to the
"positive" post of the battery unconnected until the rest of the installation
of the Unified Tow Brake is complete.
b) For easier installation, the blue and yellow 18 gauge wires which plug into
the four position connector are are not installed into the connector before shipping.
Run the blue and yellow 18 gauge wires from the engine compartment through the firewall
and insert the metal terminals into the connector with the white and gray wires as
shown in the component rendering in the center of the booklet. Be sure the wires
are seated properly in the connector. Note: Once the wires are inserted into the
connector, they will not come back out.
c) If towed vehicle has been wired for auxiliary lights, or when the towed vehicle
was wired for towing you know for sure that blocking diodes were added to protect
feedback from the towed vehicles’ brake lamps, the action described in this paragraph
are not necessary. If the motor home lamps are tied into the factory towed car brake
lamps, and NO blocking diodes are installed, complete the following step. Locate
the towed vehicle’s brake light switch. It may have several wires. With the ignition
in the "ON" position, use a test light to find the 12 volt supply wire
that feeds power to the switch at all times. (This is the only wire that is "hot"
in all cases.) Cut the 12 volt power wire and attach the gray and white wires to
the two ends of the wire with the butt connectors supplied. It doesn’t matter which
of the two wires is connected to which end of the power wire. This action will deactivate
the brake light switch when the Unified Tow Brake is armed.
d) The black 12 gauge wire (Power Module ground) and the Vacuum Pump ground wire
and the blue 16 gauge wire (Breakaway Switch ground) are separate from the harness.
For the Vacuum Pump and Breakaway Switch ground wires, be sure to scrape down
to bare metal in the area of your ground screw on the vehicle body before attaching
the ground wires. The Power Module ground wire must be grounded to the negative post
of the towed vehicle battery.
e) The Power Module ground (12 ga. black), the Electric Solenoid wire (12ga. brown),
and the Vacuum Pump/Solenoid wire (16 ga. violet/12 ga. red) all attach to the front
of the Power Module.
MOTORHOME
1. Using wire ties, attach the motorhome harness umbilical connector to the lighting
receptacle at the rear of the motorhome.
2. Before running the harness to the front of the motorhome, locate the motorhome
chassis battery.
a) On rear-engine coaches: The chassis battery is normally located in the
engine area, or at least in the rear-half of the coach. Remove the red 14 ga. charge
wire from the harness lume in the area of the chassis battery and connect charge
wire to the positive post of battery.
b) For front-engine coaches: The chassis battery is normally located at the
front of the coach. Leave the red charge wire in the wiring harness loom to attach
to the positive post of the battery.
Run the balance or entire wiring harness to the front of the motorhome and thread
the connector through the firewall into the cabin under the dash on the driver side.
NOTE: Be sure that the wiring harness is not placed near any source of extreme
heat (manifold, exhaust system, etc.) under the motorhome.
3. Attach the controller to the gear shift lever, or use the dash mount supplied
to place the controller at a convenient location. Wrap electrical tape around the
gearshift lever or dash mount post to assure a tight grip. (Refer to the Controller
Angle supplement included in the package with controller.)
4. Run the 2’ harness from the controller to the connector of the main harness under
the dash. Plug the connectors of the two harnesses together.
5. Mount the 20 amp circuit breaker in the engine compartment close to the chassis
battery with the two screws supplied.
6. Refer to the wiring details in the middle of this booklet to attach the wires
in the motorhome.
NOTES on the Wiring (refer to Component List in the middle of this booklet):
a) The red 12 gauge wire is the 12 volt power wire. IMPORTANT: Be sure to leave the
red wire that runs from the "battery" side of the circuit breaker to the
"positive" post of the battery unconnected until the rest of the installation
of the Unified Tow Brake is complete.
b) The 18 ga. Red Wire is the Ignition Wire. IMPORTANT: LOCATE A
FUSE POSITION THAT IS "HOT" ONLY WHEN THE IGNITION IS "ON".
c) The Black Wire is the Ground Wire. Be sure to scrape down to bare metal
in the area of your ground screw on the vehicle body before attaching the ground
wire.
d) The Orange Wire connects to the "cold" side of the brake light switch/air
switch.
GASOLINE CHASSIS APPLICATION: The brake light switch is found under the dash up at
the top of the brake pedal lever arm.
DIESEL CHASSIS APPLICATION: The air brake switch is normally found in one of two
places. First, look to see if the brake pedal lever under the dash of the motor coach
goes through the floor or out through the front bulk-head. If the pedal lever goes
through the floor, the air switch can be accessed from the driver-front wheel well
area. If the pedal arm goes through the bulk-head, the air switch can be accessed
on the outside of the bulk-head.
With the motor home ignition in the "ON" position, use a test light to
locate a wire on the brake switch/air switch which is "hot" only when the
brake pedal is depressed, and "cold" when the pedal is released (some late
model Roadmaster chassis’s use a "negative" switched air switch. Refer
to the Roadmaster Chassis supplement for those applications).
GASOLINE CHASSIS: You may have more than one wire that reacts "cold/hot".
Once you have found the wire(s) that react this way, we then must identify the one
which controls the brake lights on the back of the motor home. The only way to do
this, other than contacting your chassis manufacturer to see if they can tell you
which wire, is to cut a "cold/hot" wire and apply the brake pedal and see
if the brake lights on the rear of the motor home is dead. If so, this is the correct
wire. If the brake lights are still working, then the wire you cut is not the correct
wire that controls the brake lights and must be re-connected and then proceed to
cut another wire that is "cold/hot" and again check to see if the brake
lights are off or not until you have correctly identified the brake light wire (NOTE:
The reason you may find multiple wires that are "cold/hot" is because of
other accessories utilizing the brake light switch. Such as the cruise control, torque
converter lock-up, ABS, etc.).
GASOLINE AND DIESEL CHASSIS: Once you have identified the correct "cold/hot"
wire from the brake switch/air switch, connect the Orange wire from the Controller
and install the Blocking Diode supplied with the kit to the factory wire. Instructions
for the Blocking Diode Installation are packaged with
the Diode. Be sure to install the Blocking Diode as close to the brake switch/air
switch as possible and that there are no other wires between the brake switch/air
switch and the Diode.
COMPLETING CONNECTIONS IN TOWED VEHICLE
1. After connecting the towed car harness to the electric solenoid, route the harness
along the rocker panel or under the carpet. Re-install carpet and rocker panel which
were removed earlier in the installation.
2. Before using the Unified Tow Brake, attach the tow bar, safety chains, breakaway
lanyard, and umbilical cord(s) between the towed vehicle and the motorhome. Make
sure the motorhome can make sharp right and left turns without strain on the umbilical
cord or lanyard.
SYSTEM CHECK
After completing the installation and making all the wiring connections, perform
the following tasks to ensure proper operation of the Unified Tow Brake.
After the breakaway switch has been installed and wired, slowly pull out pin and
make sure brakes engage. Push the pin back into switch until the flange on the pin
is against the switch and the black neoprene washer disappears. Do not leave the
breakaway switch activated for more than 2-3 minutes at a time while testing.
With the ignition of the motorhome in the "ON" position,
1. the green light on the far right of the controller should be illuminated. This
light indicates that the circuit is complete.
2. depress the motorhome brake pedal or press down on the manual thumb lever on the
controller. You should hear the vacuum pump in the towed vehicle running. (The vacuum
pump will continue to run for 20 seconds after the brake pedal or thumb lever is
released.) Also, the brake pedal and the solenoid in the towed vehicle should move
when the thumb lever is depressed. NOTE: The motorhome/towed vehicle combination
must be in motion to check to see if the brake pedal in the towed vehicle moves when
the brake pedal is depressed in the motorhome. The brake pedal in the towed vehicle
will NOT move when you depress the brake pedal in the motorhome if the rig is stationary.
3. after test driving, check the brake lights on the towed vehicle to make sure they
are off. This will confirm that the brake pedal is rebounding completely to an "off"
position. (If brake lights in the towed vehicle are on, check for inner cable binding,
or some other mechanical impediment which is causing the brake pedal to remain partially
depressed when the brakes are released.)
4. unplug the umbilical cord. The green light on the controller should go out and
a beep will be emitted from the controller. This indicates that the circuit is broken.
(This result will also occur in a breakaway situation.)
After completing system check, be sure that all wiring harness connections and breakaway
switch lanyard between the two vehicles are attached and are secured so that neither
is allowed to drag the ground or is pulled/stretched when making a hard left or right
turn.
Be
sure to give the customer the spare breakaway switch pin, key ring, and two (2) electrical
connector plugs and the Customer Information Envelope which contains warranty registration
card and warranty policy.
This completes the installation of the U.S. Gear D-Celerator® Unified Tow Brake.
Item Part Number Description Quantity
1 EC-4115A Wiring Harness (Motorhome Side) 1
2 TC-6000 Control Module 1
3 LP-6060 Breakaway Lanyard 6' 1
4 BS-6000 Breakaway Switch 1
5 EC-4115B Wiring Harness (Connector) 1
6 CV-6000
CV-6120 Check Valve 3/8"
Check Valve 1/2" 1
1
7 TF-6000
TF-6120
TF-6516 Tee Fitting 3/8"
Tee Fitting 1/2"
Tee Fitting 5/16" 1
1
1
8 VH-6000 Vacuum Hose 7/32" x 24" 1
9 VP-6000
VP-6000C Vacuum Pump
Vacuum Pump Cover 1
1
10 TS-6000 Self-Tapping Screw 1/4" x 3/4" 2
11 SS-6002 #5 Allen Set Screw, 1/4" 1
12 UTBJ02155 Flat Block Pulley 1-1/2" O.D. 1
13 TS-6001 Self Tapping Screw 3/16" x 3/4" 4
14 ST-6003 Outer Cable Stop Bracket 1
15 UTBJ02241 Brake Pedal Bracket Adjust Side 1
16 UTBJ02240 Brake Pedal Bracket Clamp 1
17 LW-1001 Lock Washer 1/4" 2
18 SH-6000 Socket Head Cap Screw 1/4-20 x1 2
19 EC-4115E Wiring Harness (Car Side) 1
20 PM-6001 Power Module 1
21
Optional
Optional CA-6001
CA-6081
CA-6121 Cable Assembly 4'
Cable Assembly 8' (not shown)
Cable Assembly 12' (not shown) 1
0
0
22 UTBJ02242 Solenoid End 1
23 JN-1000 Jam Nut 5/16-24 1
24 ST-6001 Solenoid Stop 1
25 SS-6003 #5 Allen Set Screw, 5/8" 1
26 LW-1003
SH-6001 Lock Washer 5/16"
Socket Head Cap Screw 5/16"-18 x 3/4" 2
2
27 PL-6000 Solenoid Plate 1
28 CB-1002 Carriage Bolt 5/16"-18 x 5/8" 4
29 LN-1003 Lock Nut 5/16"-18 4
30 ES-6001 Electric Solenoid 1
31 PC-1002 Hairpin Clip 1
32 CP-1002 Pulley Pin 1
Not Shown
Part Number Description Quantity
RH-5161D Hose, 5/16" I.D. x 2" 1
BD-6000K Blocking Diode Kit 1
DM-4056 Double Faced Tape for Dash Mount 2
DM-6000 Dash Mount for Controller 1
DP-6000 Spare Plunger Only 2
EC-4115D Electrical Connector Plugs 2
KR-6000 Key Ring for Extra Breakaway Pin 1
LW-1001 Lock Washer 1/4" for Breakaway Bolt 1
NT-1100 Nylon Ties 20
SB-6000 Breakaway Switch Bolt 1
SN-6000 Nut for Breakaway Bolt Pin 1
TS-6001 Screws for mounting Circuit Breakers 4
TS-6002 Self Tapping Screw, 1/4" x 1" 1