The large buttons and colored LCD display on this proportional brake controller make it easy to see and easy to use. Store and customize your settings so you can easily swap out trailers and drivers and get towing.
Features:
Specs:
Braking output is the maximum amount of power that will be applied to your trailer's brakes. How much braking output you need is determined by the weight of your trailer; a heavier trailer will need more power to bring it to a stop. Use the arrow buttons on the front of the module to set the output. You want to set the braking output as high as you can without locking up the brakes. Once you've set up the brake controller the first time, you shouldn't need to adjust this setting unless the trailer load changes, you switch trailers, or road conditions change. The LCD display will show the current output setting being used.
The boost setting controls the aggressiveness of your trailer's braking, meaning how quickly the brakes reach the maximum braking level. You can adjust this when you're towing heavy loads and you need more umph to bring your trailer to a stop. Your tow vehicle doesn't need that much power to brake in time, but your heavy trailer does.
Depending on the level of boost, your trailer brakes can start at either 13 percent or 25 percent of the set braking output. What this means is that, instead of starting at 0, the brakes will start at 25 percent and get to100 percent sooner. This keeps the trailer from pushing your tow vehicle forward.
If your trailer weighs less than your tow vehicle, no boost is needed. But, if you want your trailer to lead the braking, you can select level B1.
Boost Levels:
| Approximate Gross Trailer Weight | Boost Level | Increase in Initial Power Output |
|---|---|---|
| Less than tow vehicle GVW | B1 | 13% |
| Equal to tow vehicle GVW | B1 or B2 | 13% or 25% |
| Up to 25% more than tow vehicle GVW | B2 or B3* | 25% |
| Up to 40% more than tow vehicle GVW | B3* | 25% |
*Both B2 and B3 offer a 25-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.
Storable Settings
Customize the P3 and store your settings so that you can easily access them later. If you tow multiple trailers, or the same one but with differing loads, store the desired boost and power levels for each so that you don't have to completely reset the controller every time you switch between trailers. It's easy to swap between drivers as well. Program the P3 display with your desired screen color, brightness, and language, and you can easily return it to your preferred settings the next time you tow.
The P3's LCD display features a distinctive look with multiple color and contrast options. With lots of customized options, you can change the display to make it easy for you to see and check your braking status at a glance.
It also includes comprehensible and detailed roadside diagnostics. The P3 advanced diagnostics not only notify you of potential problems, but they can also tell you where to begin troubleshooting.
Diagnostic troubleshooting displays include:
Diagnostic warning signs include:
Safety Features
The Prodigy P3 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 P3 is not in use, it will be in power-saving mode. In this setting, it draws only 3.6 milliamps, minimizing drain on your vehicle's battery.
The P3 also comes equipped with a hold feature to prevent wear on your brakes. When you're waiting at a red light, you don't need your trailer brakes on at full power. The longer you sit there, the more they will overheat. But with the P3, any time your tow vehicle and trailer are at a standstill with the brakes applied for more than 5 seconds, the hold feature will kick on and reduce power to just 25 percent. This will keep your trailer in place while saving your brakes.
The P3 keeps the manual override within easy reach, great for stopping sway or controlling your trailer's momentum in emergencies. To engage the manual override, just twist the rotary-style lever from right to left. This will activate the trailer's brakes and brake lights without you having to apply the brakes on your tow vehicle, perfect for limiting trailer movement while you're cruising.
The self-leveling feature of the P3 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. This makes the installation that much easier. But keep in mind that the P3 must be horizontally level and parallel with the direction of travel to work correctly.
Installation is a snap. After mounting the P3 unit in your cab using the included bracket, hardwire one end of the included pigtail harness directly into your vehicle. The other end plugs into the brake controller. To remove the P3 for storage when you're not using it, just unplug the unit and slide it out of the bracket. With a replacement wiring harness (sold separately) and replacement bracket (TK5906 - sold separately), you can even transfer the Prodigy P3 to another vehicle.
Installation Accessories
For even easier installation, a vehicle-specific 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.
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.
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
The Tekonsha Prodigy P3 brake controller comes equipped with proportional braking to give you the best towing experience. Proportional braking means that your trailer brakes mimic your tow vehicle's brakes. If you slam on the brakes in your vehicle, your trailer brakes will activate with the same intensity; if you brake lightly, your trailer brakes lightly too. The trailer's braking is in proportion to your vehicle's braking. This saves wear and tear on the tires and the brakes on both your vehicle and trailer.
The Prodigy P3 uses an internal inertia sensor to detect how your vehicle is braking so it can send the right amount of braking power to your trailer. It measures the inertia of your tow vehicle and activates the trailer's brakes to slow at the same rate. The result is uniform braking across your towing setup. No push-pull action - just smooth, proportional braking every time.
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Average Customer Rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars (5641 Customer Reviews)
The large buttons and colored LCD display on this proportional brake controller make it easy to see and easy to use. Store and customize your settings so you can easily swap out trailers and drivers and get towing.This was a very easy installation of the hitch, wiring harness and trailer brake. Less than 2 hours with some help from my wife. All of the electrical was plug-n-play. I'm sure doing it myself (with help from [online]) saved me a lot of money.
Tekonsha P3 brake controller was easy to install. Stacey got me the right wire adapter f ou r my 2022 Frontier. Basically Plug and Play install.
I mounted my Tekonsha P3 on the dash just to the left of the steering wheel. Has very easy access to quickly activate the lever on the bottom of the unit to apply maximum trailer brakes. But I needed a wiring harness almost double the length of the Tekonsha Wiring Adapter so I just purchased two and spliced them together to make one long one......yea I could have saved money and just sliced in longer wires....Am very happy with the Tekonsha P3, With this mount it makes it easy to disconnect and put into my Ford F150 or my Tacoma.
Wayne - 08/01/2022This Tekonsha Prodigy P3 was recommended to be by a friend who works at an RV dealership service center. This is my fifth trailer brake controller over a forty-year period, and my first progressive controller. I really love this controller. My truck has a factory towing package, but was manufactured prior to inclusion of integrated controllers. Since the truck has factory towing, the installation was very simple. The installation instructions were clear and complete. I would definitely recommend this controller to anyone looking for a dependable, easy to install and easy to use controller.
Ronald - 04/27/2022I’ve used a Prodigy P2 for 8 years and have been pleased with its performance. I now have a new tow vehicle and will use the P3. The detailed product information on your website and the availability of wiring harness adapters is a convenient bonus.
Bob G - 07/16/2023The new controller is working great! Do like P3, better control than the primus. Chased 3 different issues getting brakes working again, all of which the online support from etrailer helped me solve.
The support bracket for this is unacceptable because the standoff from the dash is more than 1" and it puts the controller against my right knee. The mount for the controller in your video was almost flush against the dash and that's what I thought I was getting.
The Prodigy P3 came on just as the instructions said it would. Although I have not used it yet it looks good in my ‘15 LX. I look forward to great service towing my 20’ flat trailer with tractor, rotary cutter and box blade. My to the staff at etrailer.
Dennis - 08/29/2022This product, the P3 Trailer Brake Controller, is replacing the in dash Ford brake controller. I was previously unable to get a dashboard readout, even though the brakes were working. I had replaced the brake controllers twice, the first one quit working completely, when I decided to install this one. So far I am very happy with it and it was very easy to install using the plug in wire adapter, #22292, I purchased with the brake controller. I installed it on a 2016 Ford F-150. We are pulling a 24 ft. travel trailer. Thank You!
The Tekonsha prodigy brake controller has been a great purchase. I use the setting for a electric over hydraulic disc brakes on a gooseneck trailer . I also use it on standard drum brakes on a variety of trailers from a snowmobile trailer to a equipment trailer. One of my favorite parts about Tekonsha prodigy is you can have different brake settings for different trailers or conditions. I will definitely buy again.
Hanging the controller was pretty easy—removed my ashtray and used the ashtray support frame’s two screws to attach the controller’s hanger—almost looks professional.
Finding out which stop light wire (there are four on my ‘98 Tacoma) to tap into and then actually doing the tapping was challenging. The four wires are very short (took my dash apart including removing the instrument panel and even so could barely reach/touch the four wires let alone tap into all four to test) and they end in a four-pin female/male plug that forms the top half of the stop light switch.
My solution was to install an 8” long, four-wire pigtail from the female half of the four-pin connector to the male half thus giving me 8” of access to the wiring to determine which stop light wire the controller red wire should tap into. You can purchase said pigtail online for about $XXX plus shipping, or you can make your own using scrap wire and male and female wire ends that plug into the female and male halves of the truck’s stop light switch. That’s what I did, spending $20 in the process. Once your pigtail is installed, it’s short work to test all four wires. After tapping into the correct stop light wire, remove the pigtail and reconnect the halves of the original plug (it’s less likely to come apart than if you used the pigtail permanently).
On my first test drive, the controller read-out showed two to eight volts were being applied to the electric trailer brakes. Obviously this would have huge engine overheating and gas mileage implications if it were constantly occurring but on my second test drive the read-out stayed at 0.0 volts as it should when not braking.
I’ve used this controller for a year, upgraded from the older red, yellow, green Tekonsha. This model has worked great on my 99 F 350 with both an older 5 ton flat bed trailer and a new 8 ton goose neck dump trailer. The proportional aspect works great and is a vast improvement of the on/off concept of older models. The manual control under the unit was also very helpful in breaking-in the new brakes on the dump trailer. I certainly recommend this unit based on my experiences.
This review is not on the controller as I haven't installed it yet but on the condition of the product as received. The controller came promptly but it was not packed in a separate box. The factory box was damaged in several areas and obviously handled roughly. Upon opening I realized as well that the only protection is a single layer of cardboard in the box, no foam or other protection. The controller appears undamaged but I won't actually know until I install and tested it. I would have immediately returned it without opening it but I need it for a trip already scheduled in two days.
Top quality brake controller. Automatic leveling. Get the wiring harness for your tow vehicle. This makes installation easy.
This is a great plug and play controller. Using it on a 2020 Chev Silverado 1500 towing a 22-foot Jayco Travel Trailer. It woke great. Its sensitivity adjustments are extra good. It is 10 times better than the unit I was using initially which was erratic and very jerky at slow speeds. This unit is very smooth at any speed. Great purchase.
Robert - 04/14/2023I have a 2018 BMW X2 that did not come with a factory tow package. I had an etrailer hitch and 4 way plug installed last year and has been perfect since. I just recently purchased a camper and needed to have a Brake controller & Brake controller 7 way deluxe kit installed. My mechanic installed them with the detailed instructions that the units came with without any issues. The Tekonsha P3 is extremely user friendly and is working flawlessly. A bit overkill for my car being I can only tow max 3500 pounds, and my camper is 1 axel. this unit is rated up to 3 axles. I look at it like this way, when I trade in my BMW I will take my P3 with me. etrailer is amazing with the support & products they provide and I highly recommend them to anyone who asks me.
teresa - 12/24/2021installation video was spot on, it did install easiely. I'm very satisfied with my purchase and recommed it
William - 08/23/2023Bought this for my 12 VW Golf TDI. Couldn't figure out the wiring. etrailer was very helpful but in the end had it installed. Has done the job flawlessly so far for a year. Love etrailers customer service.
I have owned this for a year now and really like it. I literally replaced my failed brake controller while on a trip with this unit. The P3 worked excellent out of the box and the adjustability is appreciated. I now have this brake controller on two truck with good success.
Brooke M - 07/13/2023Need to return not working!!replaced my prodigy 2 with this didn't change anything doesnt read brake pedal unless I tilt it manually. Thought it might be wiring harness so I bought a new one didn't help. Not leveling itself?
Jenny N - 08/11/2023First, a huge "Thank You" to Janice!!! You are the best, and the main reason I am the proud owner of Tekonsha P3 Brake Controller! (see, I initially had an issue with my standard online payment service and almost canceled my order because of it) So I went old school and picked up the phone, one with a cord and spoke to a human being. Her name is Janice, and she made me feel confident that I could trust her and etrailer. And as a result, 4 days after placing my order with her I received my package. That's incredible. I am very happy and will most certainly do business with etrailer again in the future because of Janice.
I don't have any experience with brake controllers. So I can't really comment on how much better or worse this one is to any others. But since I am new to the B/C scene maybe this can be considered an unbiased, non professional review of the Tekonsha P3.
My general skill level is "requires supervision around all power tools". But I do have some mechanical ability (snicker). So I will just say, if I could install this thing anyone should be able to do it. Of course I also bought the OEM wiring harness for my vehicle so even I was able to figure out which plug went where. On A scale of 1 to 10 I give it a 3 (I'm somewhat large and getting under the dash wasn't easy or it would be a 1). And as others have said, deciding where to mount it actually took longer.
I attached mine to the top of the lower dash cowl and it fits almost tight to the dash but still within the 180 degree limit. This positions the controller at the same height as my knee and puts it within fingertip reach while resting my hand on my knee. I can see the controller perfectly through the steering wheel spokes. I went with the green screen background. it seemed to provide the best view in all lighting conditions.
The controller itself works perfectly and the set-up was a breeze. Once installed all the functions worked as described. The real time vehicle diagnostics are a plus. I like being able to monitor my battery voltage to the decimal place if I want to. I'm sort of a techno geek so this is really cool. I set the B/C voltage per the instructions and will only use the boost feature if I am in a hurry or feel the trailer is at max load, but my truck is 8k lbs so you may want to set yours to suit your own conditions.
I highly recommend the Tekonsha P3 brake Controller if you want the latest and probably the best controller out there in this price range. I highly recommend the OEM wiring harness if your skills are not pit crew comprable and want the easiest install possible. And, I highly recommend you buy it from etrailer if you want to get it at the best price available (I checked them all) and want the added security you're buying from one of the best online retailers that sells this product. And do yourself a favor, go old school for a change, use the phone and call them, and ask for Janice, although I'm willing to bet everyone there is as nice as her.
Rob
Installed this on my GMC 3500 Duramax with factory integrated brake controller. Not happy with the integrated brake controller on my truck, had problems from the start on 3 different occasions with "Service Trailer Brake" warning on DIC, which of course means NO TRAILER BRAKES. Decided the P3 was the perfect solution. Many more features than the IBC, plus the P3 will also work with electric over hydraulic disc brakes should we ever need that in the future. Fairly easy install on this particular truck, the most difficult thing was running the brake wire from the controller to the 7-pin plug. (This is only required when installing in a vehicle with a factory installed brake control) Well worth the extra effort.
A year ago, I switched from a "dumb" brake controller to this computerized one with numerous features. It really gives you proportional control, and knows to ease off as you come to a complete stop (my last controller would always give me a good jerk at the end of a stop).
Other features include letting you know if your cable is not making a proper connection with your trailer (if it comes out of the receptacle or you forget to connect it, you get a big red "No Trailer" message on the screen. That might help you avoid damage, embarrassment, an expensive repair, or a tragedy.
Gary - 12/19/2022We replaced a 30 year old Tekonsha Voyager with this P3. On the first test run to adjust, the brakes have never worked this well!! Easy to install! I’ve added photos of our project trailer that we have inherited. 30 years old, garaged its whole life, not many miles on it. With your help, we have been upgrading and replacing things that didn’t work, from lack of use. I can’t say enough good things about Etrailer! Your people are the best!! Thank you ETRAILER!!
Carl - 02/14/2023This brake controller works flawlessly. Easy to install and easy to adjust. I do pull several trailers with electric/hydraulic brakes and it works great.
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