Help! Hilo will not raise
 

I recently bought a 2001 hilo from my aunt and when I got it home it would not raise. I have checked fluid and it is full. Initially I had power and could get it to raise about a inch or two and then it would come back down. Recently I went out and completely charged the battery to make sure I had enough power. Once I tried to raise again I got nothing, no power at all. Neither to the interior lights or the hydraulic. What am I doing wrong? does it need to be plugged in also? Please help, any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Do you have the master switch in the raise position?

Yes I do I made sure of that.

Your comment about it raising an inch or two makes me think you either have an open (or leaking) manual lowering valve or, you have an internal leak in the hydraulic system that is allowing the hydraulic fluid to escape back into the reservoir.

I'd check the manual lowering valve first. I'd actuate it full open then closed a few times to maybe free up any dirt in it. Then run the pump with it full open to force anything out before closing it and trying to lift the top again.

If it still just goes up partway, you either are low on hydraulic fluid or have a leaking seal. If it's low on fluid, add Dexron II-V. DO NOT add Dexron VI (6), it is an incompatible formulation, that I think will damage the seals.

- Jack

Your comment about no power to lights or hydraulic pump suggests that electricity is your more immediate problem. If you have checked the breakers and they are on, perhaps the battery and/or the charging system have a problem.

To add to Jack's advice for troubleshooting the hydraulics, and an easy confirmation of a bad seal is to look at the vent/breather hose from the cylinder. If fluid is flowing through it while trying to lift the top, you've got a bad seal.

I hope you are lucky and you are just low on fluid, the cylinder repair I have not quite wrapped up is one I hope to not do again.

Good catch on the electrical issues, Lvnv. I completely overlooked that symptom in the original post!

If there's no electrical power to anything, then either the battery is flat or maybe one of the circuit breakers in the tongue is popped. No, the trailer does not have to be plugged into shore power for things to work if there is battery power.

- Jack

Thank you all for all the quick replies! I am going to look at everything mentioned and see if I can trouble shoot!

Sorry if you already know this, but it doesn't hurt to make sure.

It is clear you are aware that the master switch needs to be in one position to raise the top, so you are probably also aware that most everything else electrical is off for the top-raising and the master switch should be in another of the two other switch positions for lights and other things to get electricity.

There is a small breaker that pops out whenever the battery is drained. Near the fuse panel. In my 95 it was hidden so well it took me an hour to find it. My manual said No reset breaker - it had been relocated.