Troubleshooting Prodigy P2 Brake Controller Working Intermittently  

Question:

Expert Reply:

Since your brake controller is older there may be an issue with it and the unit will need to be replaced, but before that there is some troubleshooting you can do.

You will need to find out if the issue is on the brake controller, truck, or trailer. To test the brake controller, sever the blue wire a couple inches from the back of your controller. Then use a circuit tester such as # PTW2993 to test the end of the blue wire coming out of the controller. It should only have power when you apply the manual override; if it shows power at idle then there is an issue with the controller, it will need to be replaced.

If the controller tests fine, reconnect the blue wire and move on to the truck side trailer connector. Often, corrosion or dirt may be the cause of a short in a trailer connector. Check the plug to see if there is any type of corrosion built up that may be hampering its functionality.

You will also want to test the brake output pin on the 7-way socket; it should only show power with the manual override. If it shows power any other time, then there is a short somewhere between the connector and the brake controller you will need to find.

If the truck side checks out, then it could be the wiring to the brake magnets or possibly the magnets themselves. Inspect the power wires to the magnets and look for wires that may be pinched or otherwise damaged and fix as necessary. You'll also need to make sure the ground wires are attached to bare metal surfaces and free of any paint, dirt or corrosion.

You'll want to visually inspect the magnets; if you can see the copper windings coming through the magnets will need to be replaced. To test the magnets, you can follow the help article I have linked. I have also attached some help articles on testing and troubleshooting brake controllers for you to check out.

If you do need to replace your brake controller a great option is the Prodigy P2 # 90885 which is one of our most popular options due to how easy it is to use and how reliable it is. If your 2004 Ford has the factory 7-way you will only need Wiring Adapter # 3035-P to install the controller.

expert reply by: Kyle S

0

Wim

9/28/2018

Thanks for your respons. I performed the following test: Gain of the t.b.c. set on max., manual override full to the left and I messured on the truckside of the 7-way socket 14 volts (with a multimeter) between the white (ground) and the blue pin. Any other time there was no power. So it seems that at that time the truck part and the t.b.c. are ok. However after towing the trailer a whole day, sometimes the t.b.c. seems not to work and shows an output of 0.0 when applying the brakes of the truck and at that time the trailer brakes are indeed not working. Than, a couple of second later I suddenly have a reading of the t.b.c (still applying the brakes of the truck) and than the trailer brakes also works, what I can clearly feel. So probably the trailer brakes are also ok. So I think it still can be a problem of the Prodigy what happens now and than. Please advise if it is necessary to buy a new t.b.c.

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Kyle S.

9/28/2018

It sounds like you have done all the troubleshooting and have not found any issue with the wiring but your brake controller is intermittently turning off. Since that is the case I do recommend getting a new Prodigy P2 # 90885 brake controller as your current 12-year-old unit has likely reached the end of its lifespan.

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Philip S.

6/30/2020

With no trailer connected Numbers on display cycle from 1.0 to 4.5. Tested wiring. Cleaned terminals at 7 pin connector. Tested blue wire from brake controller. Has low voltage without brakes applied. 2011 Cadillac Escalade ESC With trailer connected lights normal. Haven't tried to see if brakes work when towing yet. Connected 4 wires from controller. Two wires under hood. P2 controller.

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Chris R.

7/6/2020

Have you tested the blue brake output wire to see if it gets full voltage when applying the manual override? I would start there. If it tests good I would honestly take the trailer out for a controlled test-drive in an empty parking lot to test out the actual braking performance. This will at least give us some more information to work with if something still isn't right.

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