Troubleshooting Tekonsha Voyager That's Locking Up Trailer Brakes

Updated 07/23/2015 | Published 07/21/2015

Question:

I have a 2004 Toyota 4Runner and a 23 ft hybrid camper. The brake controller installed is a Tekonsha voyager. I have had issues with my brakes locking up when I use them, but this didnt happen until after I had driven the camper over 1,000 miles. Ive spent several hundred dollars on supposed fixes including replacing the brake magnets, the controller and all the wiring, but I still have the problem. The last serviceman came to the conclusion that its the controller and that I should get an upgraded one that automatically adjusts. I have an option to get either a Tekonsha Prodigy P2 or a P3. The P3 may be a couple years old, the model number is 90195. I had read about the upgraded accelerometer in the newer P3 and was wondering if the model number changed when it was upgraded. Im a little apprehensive about spending a lot of money on a new controller, if that may not even fix the problem. Do you have any ideas about that?

asked by: Linda B

Helpful Expert Reply:

Assuming that your trailer brakes are properly adjusted, I'd be leaning toward the brake controller as being the problem.

The Voyager was a pretty decent controller for its time, but technology has pretty much passed it by. The controller uses an internal pendulum to sense how quickly the vehicle is coming to a stop, instead of the solid-state accelerometer used in modern controllers like the Primus # TK90160, Prodigy P2 # 90885 or P3 # 90195. The Tekonsha Primus, Prodigy P2 or P3 all self-level, while the Voyager needs to be manually leveled. If the controller isn't correctly leveled or if the leveling mechanism was faulty, It would indeed affect the operation of the controller.

How do the brakes operate with the controller's manual lever? If you can move the lever over very slowly and feel the trailer braking progressively harder, instead of locking up immediately, it would mean that the leveling adjustment for the pendulum is in need of adjustment or that portion of the controller is faulty.

The P2 or P3 would be much more reliable, not to mention easier to use. According to Tekonsha, the P3 has had the same part number since its original release and its accelerometer hasn't physically changed, but the software has been upgraded a few times.

Have you tried towing the trailer with a different vehicle? Doing so would pretty quickly isolate the location of the problem.

expert reply by: Mike L