Proportional brake controller automatically levels when mounted within a 360-degree vertical range. Includes digital display, 3 boost levels, battery protection and continuous diagnostics. Easily transfer between different automobiles.
Features:
Specs:
With a proportional brake controller, you can get heavy-duty emergency braking, general braking or slow-to-an-idle braking for your trailer automatically. The intensity with which your trailer brakes are activated and the rate at which they are applied are dependent on the deceleration of your tow vehicle. This means that, unlike time-delay controllers - which send the same amount of preset power to your trailer brakes every time - proportional controllers are able to adapt to every braking situation differently. So, if you slam on the brakes in your truck, your trailer brakes will activate with that same extreme intensity. And if you merely slow down as you approach a red light, your trailer will gradually brake in the same manner. Just set the initial power level, select a boost setting, and you're good to go.
As long as the P2 controller sits level on a horizontal plane and is pointed in the direction of travel, it will sense - via an internal inertia sensor - how your tow vehicle brakes. This inertia-based sensor responds to the deceleration of your tow vehicle as you brake by signaling the controller to send out enough power to your trailer brakes so that they are activated with an intensity that matches. The result is uniform braking across your towing setup. No push-pull action - just smooth, proportional braking every time.
Aside from smoother, more efficient braking, Tekonsha's P2 brake controller also offers a boost feature that gives you more initial braking power for those times when you're towing heavy loads. You can switch boost levels so that the power output to your trailer brakes automatically starts out at either 14 percent or 28 percent of the predetermined power setting.
So, if you boost the initial power so that your trailer brakes activate with 28 percent of the overall intensity at the start, the brakes will reach maximum braking faster. This is particularly beneficial if you are towing a heavy load because the intensity required to stop that load may be far greater than that needed to halt your vehicle. Therefore, sending out more initial power to the trailer brakes - and causing them to reach maximum braking faster - allows you to better control the trailer so that it doesn't push your tow vehicle before coming to a complete stop.
If your trailer weighs less than your tow vehicle, no boost is needed. But if you wish to set the boost so that your trailer leads the braking of your towing setup, you can select level B1. The following table gives an indication of when you might use the different boost levels and the power increases that they offer.
| Approximate Gross Trailer Weight | Boost Level | Increase in Initial Power Output |
|---|---|---|
| Less than tow vehicle GVW | B1 | 14% |
| Equal to tow vehicle GVW | B1 or B2 | 14% or 28% |
| Up to 25% more than tow vehicle GVW | B2 or B3* | 28% |
| Up to 40% more than tow vehicle GVW | B3* | 28% |
*Both B2 and B3 offer a 28-percent boost in initial power. But the braking curve for B3 is more aggressive than that of B2. This means that, even though you will start out with the same intensity when using these boost levels, you will get an overall more aggressive braking experience with the higher level. So if you use B3, you will reach maximum braking sooner than if you use B2.
Safety Features
The Prodigy P2 offers advanced safety features to prevent damage to various components of your towing setup. Integrated reverse battery protection shields the brake controller and your trailer's breakaway system from shorts. When the P2 is not in use, it will be in power-saving mode. In this setting, the power draw falls to only 3.6 milliamps, minimizing drain on your vehicle's battery.
When you stop at red lights, or any time that your truck and trailer are at a standstill with the brakes applied for more than 5 seconds, the P2's "hold" feature will activate. When this happens, the power output to your trailer's brakes will be reduced to just 25 percent of the preset power setting so that the brakes will not overheat.
If ever there is a time that you need to brake your trailer separately from your tow vehicle - when traveling down a steep incline, for example - the manual override lever is easily accessible. Pushing this lever engages the brakes on your trailer with full power. In addition, when you activate this override, the brake lights on your trailer will illuminate, properly warning those behind you of the braking action of your rig.
In addition to all of those safety features listed above, the P2 offers diagnostics such as:
The self-leveling feature of the P2 ensures that the brake controller continues to function even as you drive up steep hills or through the mountains. Simply mount it in your cab at any vertical angle, and the controller will level itself automatically thanks to its 360-degree rotational range.
Note: The P2 must be mounted on a level horizontal (side-to-side) plane and must be lined up with the direction of travel for the internal sensor to function properly.
Installation is a snap. After mounting the P2 unit in your cab using the included pocket mount, hardwire one end of the included pigtail harness directly into your vehicle. The other end plugs into the brake controller. To transfer the P2 to another vehicle or to remove it for storage, just unplug the unit and slide it out of the pocket mount.
Installation Accessories
For even easier installation, a vehicle-specific wiring adapter (sold separately) is available for most newer trucks and SUVs. One end of the custom adapter plugs into your vehicle, and the other end plugs into the controller - no hardwiring required.
Note: If a custom brake-control wiring adapter is not available for your vehicle, one of the following will be required:
20-Amp circuit breaker (9506P - sold separately) for 2- to 4-brake applications
30-Amp circuit breaker (38630 - sold separately) for 6- to 8-brake applications
See also etrailer.com's exclusive 7- and 4-way brake-control installation kit (ETBC7 - sold separately) if you don't already have a 7-way plug at the back of your vehicle.
California residents: click here
Videos are provided as a guide only. Refer to manufacturer installation instructions and specs for complete information.
Today were going to review part #90885. This is the Tekonsha Prodigy P2 Trailer Break Controller. This is a proportional brake controller, which will activate your trailer brakes in proportion to your vehicles braking action. It will automatically adjust the trailers braking based on the deceleration of the tow vehicle, and it will activate immediately so theres no pausing like with your time-delay brake controllers. This controller does have an automatic leveling ability. Theres an internal sensor on the inside which will detect deceleration, even if the controllers not mounted flat.
You can position it at any angle, up or down in a vertical plane, 360 degrees, but you will want to be able to place it to where you can read this LED display right here. Now as far as horizontal position, you do want to stay horizontal and parallel to the direction of travel, so this way. In other words, not like this. Youll want it parallel that way. And not like that.
So as much as you can, and vertically you can go whichever way you want. Now there are three boost levels. Right here is the boost button. When you push that, it will put you into a boost 1, boost 2, or boost 3, and thatll let you adjust the initial braking power and aggressiveness, so if youre using a heavier trailer with a heavier load, youll want to increase the boost level. This controller also has a continuous diagnostic check, which will alert you to any potential problems.
It does have integrated safeguards, which will protect your vehicle, the trailer, and the brake controller. It does minimize drain on the car battery by drawing only 3.6mA when not in use. Itll prevent the trailer brakes from overheating by reducing power output to them during prolonged stops when your foots on the brake, and itll help defend the brake controller and the trailer breakaway system against any shorts. Right here will be the digital blue LED display, which is easy to read. Now in a minute here, Im going to hook the power up to it and well be able to see that.
On the very bottom here, which you can reach from the front, is a manual built-in rotary-style manual override for emergency braking purpose. Now on the very back, you can see the plug-in. It is a quick disconnect feature, which will let you easily remove and store the brake controller when not in use. It does come with this wiring harness that plugs into the brake controller and the pigtails to wire up to your vehicle. It does come with this type of mounting bracket, which will install with the mounting hardware to the side holes, or the popular pocket style, which you would mount this to your vehicle and then just slide this in, and on each side would be a pin that would slide into those mounting holes. To release it, you would just pull out those. It slides right out. There are also butt connectors to help you connect it to the wiring in your vehicle. We do also recommend that if you are going to move this from vehicle to vehicle, to buy an extra wiring harness and an extra bracket, if you dont use one of these. That way you have one in each vehicle and it makes it easier to remove the controller from one vehicle to another. We also do sell wiring harness that are vehicle-specific, meaning theyll have the plug like this n one end to plug into the brake controller. On the other end, instead of just these bare wires, theyll have a plug that will fit the factory brake controller port on your vehicle. What youll want to do is check the fit guide, if you do have the factory brake controller port, on our website and it will give you the part number of that vehicle-specific brake controller harness. This is designed for trailers with up to four axles or eight brake assemblies. It is designed for use with electric or electric-over-hydraulic trailer brakes. It does come with a limited lifetime warranty. Now what Im going to do is, Ive got a power source here Im going to connect the wires up to, so we can get an idea of that blue LED display and just some of the features. Ill show you how they operate on the controller. Ive got them all hooked up to the power source. Now Im going to snap this in. Im going to turn the power on. Now what youll see, is when the power comes on, youll see a C. Youll see a dot and a C. That means the trailer is connected. Now if the trailer wasnt connected, let me just disconnect this and Ill show you what it looks like, youll see itll flash N-C and that means not connected. Whatll happen is thatll flash for about fifteen seconds, then it will change to just the two dots, and that means you trailer is not connected. Ill show you here in a second. There you go. Now youre just seeing the one dot. Therell be two dots if the boost feature was engaged. If it isnt, theres just one dot. What were going to do is connect the trailer back up. There we go. Now youll see it is connected. Now this boost feature button right here, now youll see when I push it once, itll say b for boost. Now right now it isnt in any boost level, as youll see by just the dot and the C. Now when I hit boost and I go to boost 1, and then theres a boost 2 and a boost 3. When Im in a boost level, watch when that goes off, you should see a dot, a C, and a dot. Therell be two dots. That means the boost feature is engaged. Now to set the power, heres the power over here. If you push this manual override all the way on as far as you can go, and you turn that knob, and thatll set the boost or the power that you want. So lets say we set it at, lets say 6.3. Now I let off the manual override. So basically when you go to hit this manual override, as you push it, its going to ramp up and itll go all the way to 6.3. Thats the power you set it for. So you just set your power control, the dial there, by pushing all the way in and set the power. Theres a feature, if this is connected and its just sitting with no motion or activity for 15 minutes, it will go blank. It still has power connected, but itll go blank just to save on the power going to it. That should do it for the review on part #90885, the Tekonsha Prodigy P2 Trailer Break Controller.
Average Customer Rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars (1891 Customer Reviews)
Proportional brake controller automatically levels when mounted within a 360-degree vertical range. Includes digital display, 3 boost levels, battery protection and continuous diagnostics. Easily transfer between different automobiles.Excellent!! The controller and the install kit came exactly when they were promised and the install instructions were very straightforward. Your average mechanically inclined housewife can do it all by herself, it's that easy. I installed mine on a 2001 Toyota Tacoma Pre-Runner and the only thing that was mildly challenging was finding the brake wire behind the dash, which fortunately the folks at e-trailer explained how to find in their Q & A section. I would definitely recommend the product and install kit. I will be test driving it this weekend with my new teardrop camper. Will amend review and report on that when I get to try it out! Safe towing! 564842
Celia E - 09/14/2019Everything I ordered was shipped and arrived extremely fast. Products are excellent quality with prices that can’t be beat. The technical assistance and videos are very helpful. I have purchased several products and will continue to do so. 572767
I installed this in a 2006 WK Jeep in about two hours. I used the generic pigtail because I didn't have/couldn't find a vehicle specific connector. There are more specific instructions for wiring it online, be a little creative with your search. I was able to find the same sheet as the generic one packaged with the controller, just specific to a 2005-2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The install took me about two hours, working by myself, and was relatively straightforward. Much of the time was taken up by making the install of wire runs neat and preserving the "factory look," if you are not particular about appearance, the install could go much more quickly. This was my first time installing a brake controller. I haven't had a chance to hook it up to a trailer yet, but it seems to be functioning properly. I am a little concerned that the ground wire on the supplied pigtail is a small gauge, 14, so if I encounter any issues I will switch this out with a larger gauge wire. I also noted that the factory wiring harness supplied by the Jeep dealer for the hitch has a 14 gauge brake wire. While this should be sufficient for up to two axles, if I notice any issues, I will replace this wire also with a heavier gauge. The generic pigtail contained a 12 gauge wire for the brake line. All around, so far very pleased with this purchase. 72226
Once again the folks at etrailer came thru for me!!! I asked them to recommend a controller and I bought. It was shipped the day after I ordered (ordered on Sunday) and was delivered way before I expected. I installed it the same day and hooked up to the camper to try it out. Wow I couldn't ask for a better working controller. Set it and forget it. Thanks etrailer. Oh yea, free shipping made it even better. 564962
Eric P - 09/15/2019
Yes I did. Bought towing adaptors/wiring parts for a 2001 Dodge Durango (it came from the factory without a tow package) and a 2014 Honda Pilot (came from the factory with a receiver, and only half of the tow wiring harness). I knew a year ago I needed to get these two vehicles ready for a move we’ll be making from TN to SC using a trailer with electric brakes (by August of this year). You have the list of items I purchased. I finally got around to starting the projects. Just finished the 2014 Honda Pilot yesterday. The installation on the Pilot went somewhat well. I made one mistake (human error on my part) I put the 30 amp fuse from the T-one vehicle wiring harness #118265 in the wrong fuse box under the hood. Also, after installing the plug in wiring adapter for the electric brake controller #3070-P and the Prodigy P2, I discovered I had no power running to the brake controller. I didn’t know why. I happened by chance while reviewing the hundreds of customer feedback comments that I needed an additional 20 amp fuse under the hood in one of the fuse boxes in slot number 14, for e-trailer. It seems to work ok now for the Honda Pilot (going to hook up the trailer today for a trial run). I’ll be installing the other components on the 2001 Dodge Durango this week. E-Trailer dosn’t have a “How To” video for the 2001 Dodge Durango Sport without a towing package. Not looking forward to this install at all. A few years back, I did install a receiver and a 4-pin adapter wiring kit to my rear brake lights on this vehicle. I hope with the the Universal Kit #ETBC7 and the additional Prodigy P2 #90885 I bought from you guys I can get the Durango ready to tow the same electric brake trailer. I did find “Trailer Brake Controller Installation-2001 Dodge Ram-etrailer.com” that I hope will make this installation go ok. Will there be any additional fuses or other things that I will need for this vehicle? Thanks, Garry 539117
Heather A - 07/10/2018Seems to work real well but, I can't really judge to much for My trailer's breaks haven't been used for years. Installation was quick. It took about 15-20mins without my trip to the hardware store for an 8mm nut. Tried it out on my trailer and once you get the adjustment right, it works real well. Definitely worth getting a break controller for whatever trailer you tow and this one is real nice. 77404
Mark A - 04/24/2014this unit hooked up just as the video had shown and works great 90980
neal - 07/24/2014Great Brake Controller This was my first time using a brake controller and installing one as well. The directions were easy to follow for both the install and setup. 2012 Ram 30416
This is my first brake controller so that fact may disqualify me as a reviewer; but then maybe it makes me a better one! I usually do a lot of research before buying something I need that I know little or nothing about, but that was a quick task in this case. EVERY forum, expert review, and installer recommendation had the same two pieces of advice: Buy proportional versus time delay, and buy Tekonsha. Beyond that, it was either buy the Prodigy P2 if you don't need an LCD display or the P3 if you do. I didn't need the LCD display because I'll only be hauling one trailer with the same drag car on it, so now that I have the controller installed and adjusted I don't expect to have to mess with it any more. Installation was easy peasy with the adapter cable for my '10 Tacoma, mounted under the lower dash just beneath the steering column. I did add two slightly beefier sheet metal screws to the dash mount as the two screws provided seemed a little weak. Solid product, works great, took all of 15 minutes to adjust. 44806
The Prodigy brake controller was just what my customer needed for his 3/4 ton Chevy Van to pull a medium sized enclosed trailer. We have installed several of the Prodigies and all our customers love them. 572694
Can't say enough for etrailer.com. The big selling point for me was the incredible number of help videos on their site. I didn't feel a need to read the directions since their installation video was very clear. We are currently getting four trailers updated for DOT inspection, so I'm sure I will be back. 115144
Joe C - 01/30/2015The Brake controller arrived promptly and worked as expected. If you are shopping for trailer accessories buy it here at etrailer. I found etrailer when I started searching for a brake controller for my truck. Their install video was one of the first search results when I searched out my vehicle which led me to their site which had all of the information you could want. Not only did they have install videos for my specific vehicle but for just about every vehicle application. When shopping on their website you are treated to install instructions as well as the video install instruction for your application as well as installation tips. Many reviewers also upload pictures of their installations giving you lots of ideas for your installation. A simple search lead me to etrailer the wealth of information convinced me to buy from them. 154471
Setup was easy and this little guy worked fine for a 2000 mile trip with a borrowed trailer last fall. I haven't used it since then and I actually unplugged the power cord so I don't have to look at the lights all the time. But it's ready and waiting for the next use. It's small enough that it's not in the way and I don't even notice it is there when I'm not looking for it. 575372
Mike L - 02/14/2019Installed and operated in minutes just as the video described. Fast shipping and great prices = PERFECT! thank you 575217
This is the second one of these I own. I was moving the first one around in three trucks. So now I should be swapping less. Extra mounting brackets make that pretty easy. I was worried that because it's inertia based it wouldn't work very well but most of the time it's pretty invisible. If you're using the same trailer and similar loads it's great. If you're swapping trailers and changing weights you'll be fiddling with it. It's not a Max Brake but it's not a Max Brake price either,and Max Brake is unavailable anyway. Since it doesn't know how hard your stepping on the brakes it does it's best to guess. So for 90 percent of your driving it's perfect. Off road every dip and rut it's jabbing on the brakes if your foot is touching the brake pedal. Haven't had it in ice yet. I think i'll use my Max Brake for that. Wish it could tell me the amperage to the brakes so I'd know if a magnetic failed (Max Brake), wish it would dim at night (pretty much every consumer electronic), wish I didn't have to unplug it with an empty car dolly (like every controller except for Max Brake). A note about the "boost" function. It basically starts at either 0 (no boost), 2volts (setting 1), 4volts (setting 2) and so on. To help with heavier loads. So do I recommend it? I'll buy another one, do I miss a real proportional controller? Yea... 422122
Rachael H - 08/25/2017 Mike L - 02/14/2019Excellent company to buy from. A clear informative website. That has all the info needed to install the product you buy. Thanks for the short videos, they fill in any information gaps that may be present. Impressive in every aspect, And I'm hard to impress........Thanks George Chris Krupp 571650
This is the second one I purchased. The first was 10 years ago and installed in my 06 GMC. It has worked flawlessly allowing for safe and smooth stops from normal braking to a few of the panic stops that had to made over the years. The new owner of the truck likes the way it works too. I have multiple trailers and with one initial setup on the lightest trailer was able to tow all of them without changing anything but the boost setting to compensate for the different trailer weights. When needing for a controller for my 07 Silverado there was no other unit that would fill the bill. This P2 looks the same except for the blue display instead of the red. The install took 20 minutes using the direct fit cable ordered with the controller. Setup was easy as with the first unit. I wanted the placement above the parking brake pedal so the OBD II connecter had to be moved. I did the same with the 06 GMC. It is a comfortable place to reach and it keeps the light away from the passenger's eyes at night. As good as the Tekonsha controller is it is even a sweeter deal buying it from etrailer. The quick shipping, excellent pricing and knowledgeable staff are second to none in customer service. 239604
Mike L - 02/14/2019Great Brake Controller, used it with the Universal Install Kit for Brake Controllers and No-Drill Mount Bracket, Short - 18140. It only took me 2.5hrs to have it fully installed in my Jeep Wrangler Unlimited 2013. Videos were great. Also having some 1/4in water tubing helped for phishing wire thru frame. Wish I had watched the video a couple of times before buying and also purchased the extra wire to go from the battery to the brake controller, but had extra wire from another project that worked. This brake controller works great as we tow a <3500lbs Travel Trailer with our Jeep. Comes with a great card that helps with settings, keep it in the glove box for future reference. 243826
This is the second Prodigy P2 controller I have purchased. I have one on my smaller Audi SUV for 15 months. After 5000 miles trailering it has worked perfectly. Easy to proportionally adjust for our off road trailer when 4 wheeling and descending steep mountain grades. This second one is going on a new larger SUV. The dealership did the installation. 439878
Todd E - 10/10/2018I installed this model 90885 Prodigy P2 Brake Controller using the ETBC7 Brake Controller Wiring Kit on my 2007 Dodge Nitro. On a scale of 1 to 10, I consider myself about an 8 where it comes to automotive mechanical and electrical work. I also strive to get as close to perfection as possible. To do the job right, it did take some time and it did require paying close attention to the directions for both the wiring kit and the controller. However, the directions were "right on", and all the needed "goodies" to do the job were furnished. My hat is off to ETRAILER for the informative videos they provide and their customer service, which includes very quick shipments of their products. 122727
I installed the Prodigy P2 brake controller on my 3500 GMC Diesel to pull my 20,000 lb. boat trailer as well as 15,000 lb. work trailers. It is easy to use as I switch from controlling Electric over hydraulic braking (boat trailer) to electric brakes (work trailers). It's sensitivity works great with easy adjustments. I would highly reccomend this unit. 569199
I purchased this controller for my 2005 Jeep TJ. We're towing a 2014 Forest River FLagstaff MAC and, after doing much research, we decided that this unit (along with the universal installation kit ETBC7) was the right one for us! Both the controller and install kit contain everything that you'll need for a clean, professional-looking install! The install took around 2 hours (in my driveway) and the controller works flawlessly! This setup is perfect for a Jeep TJ, the controller fits nicely to the lower left of the steering wheel (out of the way) and the trailer connection is a bolt-on setup that attached to my Reese towing hitch! The trailer connection (with the install kit) has both a 4-pin connection and a 7-pin connection so there is no need for adapters! It is truly a "plug and play" setup!! As far as ordering and customer service goes, this was one of the smoothest transactions I've had in quite some time! There are numerous photos and install videos that will guide you through the install. We'll definitely start with etrailer.com for our next purchase like this! 556457
The online video showing the installation of the Prodigy P2 trailer brake control into a 2011 Ford Ranger was excellent! It made the installation into my Ranger simple and straight forth. I have yet to hook up to my travel Trailer and adjust it for brake setting, but all readout displays thus far are as stated in the instructions. Having previously installed the trailer connector, I did not purchase the installation kit and in retrospect for cost effective and simplicity would recommend anyone to purchase the kit along with the controller. I believe I am going to be very pleased with this product. Thank you 188777
Larry L - 04/28/2016So I purchased a Tekonsha p2 brake control recently after hearing good reviews from friends. After a few weeks of having it installed I have a few gripes: 1. Display - The LED display is super bright and there is no way to turn down the brightness. It is really distracting to have a flashing bright blue light shining up at you at while driving at night. If you are the kind of person who is bothered by a GPS/Phone screens while driving at night then this this will bother you. 2. Wiring - Tekonsha's wiring instructions tell you to wire the brake controller directly to the battery. If you do this the brake controller runs 24/7/365 even when the vehicle is shut off. Do you really want a constant drain on your battery? Instead I chose to use a relay to turn the brake controller on and off with the ignition. It would have been nice if there was a relay included or at least optional wiring instructions. 3. No Off Switch - My previous gripes wouldn't be that big of a deal if you could just manually turn off the brake controller when not in use. But for some asinine reason there is no off switch. So if you don't want the brake controller draining the battery of your parked tow rig, or are tired of the blue light blinding you at night you will have to climb under your dash, remove the brake controller from it's holster and then disconnect the wiring harness... 30936
Patrick B - 11/30/2012 Mike L - 02/14/2019I purchased and installed this brake control for my 2006 Chevy 2500HD. I have installed the Prodigy P2 controller in previously owned vehicles and am very satisfied with the performance. The shipping from etrailer was super fast and the communication was great. Etrailer is a great company to deal with. 454536
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