Troubleshooting a Tekonsha Prodigy P2 That Is Braking Too Hard

Updated 09/25/2023 | Published 09/23/2023

Question:

2001 F-250 Trailer brake system problem I have a trailer brake/brake box problem. I plug it in and all is fine. Green light on controller. When driving though, I depress the brake pedal, even lightly the light goes off and the brakes break very hard. If I am going slow, it will lock up the wheels. If I continue to hold pedal down often it will let loose again, the normal red light comes on, and I get normal breaking. If I let off and try again, it does the lockup again. A couple of times I let up on the brakes but they do not release, causing me to lurch several times until they let go. I have looked but can’t seem to find any bad wires. I do have a multimeter, so if there is a systematic way to trace and test the brake system, I would sure like to know. BTW: It all worked fine for a year before this started.

asked by: Stan T

Expert Reply:

I recommend first checking your vehicle's 7-way for any corrosion or debris that may have built up. It sounds silly, but often times these problems can come by after corrosion builds up which can cause your Prodigy P2 # 90885 to act funny; especially since you mentioned it worked fine before.

There could also be a possibility that your boost/gain might be set too high for the trailer you're towing. I'd recommend checking the owner's manual for your Tekonsha and ensure that the settings are correct for your trailer size.

If that all looks fine, and your wiring is good like you say, then the issue is going to be with the unit itself and will need to be replaced. I recommend also checking out the FAQ I've attached that goes into detail a bit on how you can test and check your brake controller.

expert reply by: Bryce D