Troubleshooting Compatibility Issues With A Tekonsha P3 In A 2024 Honda Ridgeline

Updated 05/20/2024 | Published 05/15/2024

Products Featured in This Question

Tekonsha Plug-In Wiring Adapter for Electric Brake Controllers - Honda

(440)

$13.21

Tekonsha Prodigy P3 Trailer Brake Controller - 1 to 4 Axles - Proportional

(6643)

$169.94

Question:

Are you aware of any compatibility issues with the Tekonsha Prodigy P3 brake controller with 2024 Honda Ridgelines? I purchased one on Amazon, sorry, and wired it in using the default Tekonsha harness and the Honda harness. When I apply the brakes manually with the lever on the bottom of the unit, the Hondas brakes are applied. Is it possible theres a back-feed signal from the P3 going to the Honda? I mounted the P3 in a very convenient location that happens to be near the new wireless phone charging port. Is this a bad idea? And if the Tekonsha is not a good controller to use with my truck, can you recommend other controllers that have proven to work well with the 2024 Ridgeline? Any advice would be appreciated, thank you!

asked by: Jonathan S

Expert Reply:

Hey Jonathan,

We haven't heard of any issues with the P3 # 90195 and plug-in harness # 3070-P with a 2024 Honda Ridgeline. How are you sure that the brakes are being applied on your Honda when applying the manual override on the P3? What are you experiencing?

expert reply by: Kevin C

Jonathan S.

5/16/2024

Hi, Kevin, Thanks for getting back to me! Level road, about 20 or 30 mph, in drive with my foot steady on the gas pedal: apply the manual override on the P3, and the vehicle slows noticeably, as though I had applied the brake (which I didn't). No change in engine sound, so I assumed the brakes were applied. The other oddity is that it's an intermittent problem: it doesn't always happen, but when it does, it's very pronounced. The reason I wondered about a back-feed signal is because I saw a post elsewhere (on etrailer.com, I think) that described a back-feed with the P3 interfering with the ABS on a Toyota truck, and the solution was to use the Tekonsha harness for that truck. Which made me wonder if there was a similar solution for the Ridgeline. Thanks!

Kevin C.

5/17/2024

@JonathanS When you manually apply the brakes with your P3 the trailer is pulling you back, especially at 20 to 30 mph. We usually test brake sensitivity at that speed range to see if the trailer can stop the vehicle during our installation videos so unless you were seeing something a bit more strange I wouldn't say you're out of the norm. That being said, you could be having some kind of issue that we just won't be able to determine without actually looking at the setup in person. If you live nearby our Wentzville, MO location I could take a look personally. If not, you could check with a local mechanic to see if they spot any weirdness. You could be the first case of this issue and need a special harness to prevent issues like you were referring to with Toyota.

Jonathan S.

5/17/2024

@KevinC I forgot to mention the most important part: I got that behavior without the trailer attached! Without the trailer, I would expect nothing to happen on the tow vehicle. But it slows down anyway: Very strange! Thanks for your replies, Kevin. Even knowing that nobody else is having the problem helps. I am thinking of trying a different controller, like the Redarc, to see that works better in my situation. I've heard that the P3 is supposed to be the gold standard, but if there's a particular brand and model that you'd recommend, please let me know. This is to tow a small camper, well under the 5000 lb limit of the Ridgeline. Again, thank you!

Kevin C.

5/17/2024

@JonathanS I would call your local Honda dealer to see if they've ran into this issue before because there's no reason for a brake controller to activate the brakes of the tow vehicle unless there was something wrong with the factory wiring of the vehicle. If after checking with them you still want to get the Redarc Tow Pro Liberty you would need part # RED24FR and adapter # 331-TPH-017 to connect to the # 3070-P wire harness you already have.