Troubleshooting Tekonsha 90195 P3 Brake Controller Displaying Output Shorted Error Message

Updated 07/25/2020 | Published 07/23/2020

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Question:

Tekonsha P3: Controller shows Short To Battery, No Trailer Connection What to Check?

asked by: Sam

Expert Reply:

You're receiving this error message because there's a short somewhere in the brake output circuit. There are 3 typical places where you can find the problem:

1) Examine the trailer connector, both on the vehicle and on the trailer. Check the pins and sockets for damage or green/white corrosion. If the corrosion is pretty prevalent, it could have spread to the terminal inside the connector itself, causing two adjacent wires to short out.

2) Trace the brake circuit (typically a blue wire) from the trailer connector back to each brake magnet. Look for pinched wires, loose connections or cracked/worn wire insulation. Anything that would allow the copper conductor inside the wire to short out on the trailer frame. Ideally, any connections in the brake output circuit would be soldered and secured with heat shrink tubing like # DW05450
.
3) Pull the hub/drums off and examine the face of each brake magnet, where it rides against the armature surface of the brake drum. If the magnet is worn to the point where you can see the copper wire encased in it, the copper will short out to the brake drum.

I'll also link you to a help article that explains other troubleshooting strategies.

expert reply by: Mike L