Prodigy P3 Overload Warning

Larry gave you good advice. The way most manufacturers run the wires is down one side and then through the axle to get to the other side. The inside of the axle is not smooth and over time vibration wears holes in the insulation. As the wires move the bare spot touches and shorts. This is a very common cause of intermittent issues.

Thanks to all for the good tips. The part that has me stumped is how to figure out which magnet/wheel is causing the problem. I did mess with the P3 diagnostic, but that measures amps on the whole system.

I give the compass test a try first, but suspect all are working until the brake assembly on one of the wheels is torqued to engage the brake shoes against the drum. Then something gets shorted...a bare wire or a bad magnet. Then it quits when the brake is released.

The only solution may be to cut the wires on one magnet at a time until the warning doesn't pop up going down the road. Would rather find an easy way to figure it out in the driveway though.

Might be seeing a disk brake conversion in my future - sure tired of the drum brake problems.

Got a compass....a real hand held one

Hold it down next to wheel where brake magnet is

Then have someone apply trailer brakes via manual level on brake controller

Watch for deflection of compass needle
No deflection....magnet not energizing

You have a P3 use the diagnostics available. Set the P3 to indicate the current draw.

Most 4 wheel trailers will draw about 1 amp for each volt applied.

Monitor the current when you are stopping.

We had this problem in the summer of 2001 but before we were home it was good so on our 1st trip south for the winter it started again. over load and the short signal came on with the trailer brakes working or not working or really working. Wire going though the rear axle had a bare area and was shorting off and on depending on toad conditions plus on that axle a magnet was bad.

Easy fix for the rv shop in Stockon ca.

chevman