Brake Controller

[Diamondpilot]

Prodigy is a good all around controller. For guys wanting top of the line look a MaxBrake. I will be installing one this spring for a client and will leave feedback. The only negative I see is the $350 price tag.

Chris

 

[Ken45101]

I really liked the Prodigy but I suspect I have a problem: I am no longer getting heavy braking, even with it cranked up to maximum setting.

At first I assumed it was the trailer brakes or the trailer wiring. But then I realized it's happening on three different trailer (horse, dump, flatbed).

The Prodigy booklet doesn't give any hints on troubleshooting beyond the display codes.

Does anyone have suggestions as to what might be wrong?

Ken

 

[Diamondpilot]

Check your ground to the controller itself along with all other connections at the controller. If that's not it toss it and get a new one.

Chris

 

[jwstewar]

I have a Tekonsha Prodigy on my Silverado. I installed it about 2 years ago. It is really nice. I had a Tekonsha Voyager before that. I thought it was good (it went bad and I replaced it with the Prodigy) until I used the Prodigy. Now I think it was a piece of crap. Just installed a Tekonsha P3 last night in our Suburban. Can't give any feedback on it yet. I'm having an "issue" with it. It will give you how much voltage is coming from the CHMSL (Center High Mount Stop Light - or brake light switch) and I'm getting .4 volts continuesly. Until I step on the brakes and then it drops to something like .27. I didn't believe it so I put my multimeter on it and it said the same thing. Not sure if it is a problem, haven't gotten to tow yet. Not sure if I'll have brakes or not. Needless to say, I'll try the trailer empty first.

I was able to get my issue resolved with this. When I was hooking this up originally I hooked the 12v & brake wires up, but when I was hooking up the ground & the stop light switch I must have dropped one of them and picked the other one up (ground is white, stoplight wires is white w/ a thin light blue stripe) and hooked them up backwards. I immediately switched them back when I did it, but I still wasn't getting juice from the brake light wire. But I checked the fuse I thought it was and it was good and the CHMSL worked. A day or so later Monica called me and asked why the cruise control didn't work. That fuse was blown. Replaced that fuse and immediately had 14 volts going to the controller when I stepped on the brakes.

Incidentally, I borrowed a horse trailer to help the in-laws move this weekend. Ended up pulling the trailer with the Suburban and the Silverado. Both are fantastic contollers, but the P3 applied the brakes just a bit smoother - not enough for me to replace the Prodigy with one though. I actually towed the same load w/ both vehicles and the '99 1/2 ton ECSB w/ 5.3 still tows better than the '08 1/2 ton Suburban w/ the 5.3 and more HP & torque. Same gears (3.73) in both.

 

[JohnDeere4300]

I was able to get my issue resolved with this. When I was hooking this up originally I hooked the 12v & brake wires up, but when I was hooking up the ground & the stop light switch I must have dropped one of them and picked the other one up (ground is white, stoplight wires is white w/ a thin light blue stripe) and hooked them up backwards. I immediately switched them back when I did it, but I still wasn't getting juice from the brake light wire. But I checked the fuse I thought it was and it was good and the CHMSL worked. A day or so later Monica called me and asked why the cruise control didn't work. That fuse was blown. Replaced that fuse and immediately had 14 volts going to the controller when I stepped on the brakes.

Incidentally, I borrowed a horse trailer to help the in-laws move this weekend. Ended up pulling the trailer with the Suburban and the Silverado. Both are fantastic contollers, but the P3 applied the brakes just a bit smoother - not enough for me to replace the Prodigy with one though. I actually towed the same load w/ both vehicles and the '99 1/2 ton ECSB w/ 5.3 still tows better than the '08 1/2 ton Suburban w/ the 5.3 and more HP & torque. Same gears (3.73) in both.

Glad you got it fixed, when i had problems with my brakes it was not getting a good ground.

 

[radioman]

A day or so later Monica called me and asked why the cruise control didn't work. That fuse was blown. Replaced that fuse and immediately had 14 volts going to the controller when I stepped on the brakes.

Ok - now that is interesting. Does anybody sees that as a potential safety issue ? I just hope your CC never blows a fuse ever again, because if it did you would have no brakes on your trailer while towing. I wonder if there is a different wire you can use to in case the CC fuse blows and you can still stop the trailer ? have a safe trailering.

 

[jwstewar]

Ok - now that is interesting. Does anybody sees that as a potential safety issue ? I just hope your CC never blows a fuse ever again, because if it did you would have no brakes on your trailer while towing. I wonder if there is a different wire you can use to in case the CC fuse blows and you can still stop the trailer ? have a safe trailering.

Note sure, but I could always apply the brakes manually. I don't really want to splice into wiring that GM doesn't want me to since the Suburban is only a month old.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I believe the only reason it blew the fuse is the controller was wired wrong. The reason the CC did not work was it runs through a self check and if the brakes circuit is not there for cut out it will not activate. Plus in this case it would not work because he had caused a short by miss wiring the controller.

So just because the CC fuse blows he should still have brakes to the trailer and tow vehicle both.

Chris