Brake lights working but Prodigy says not connected

[aubiexx]

I posted earlier about my 69 Airstream Overlander and my TV is a 99 2500 Suburban. I have found that the brake controller to be odd about working properly and am trying to find out if the problem is.

Based on forum recommendations I swapped my draw tite activator 2 for a Prodigy 2.

This afternoon I installed it. The trailer brake lights seem to be working and I can hear a noise from the rear passenger wheel on the trailer like it's engaging the brake.

The Prodigy shows two dots indicating not connected. Any ideas?

Is it possible that I have a bad connection on the pig tail wires going to the trailer or my vehicle?

[aubiexx]

Thanks for all the help. I figured it out, and this morning it's working very well.

Re: putting the wire in the right connection points, if anyone else may run across the same problem, I found this link as a quick fix to identify the wires coming from the trailer, no matter what the configuration is at the trailer side.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-VYf5MltgI

Possibly it was more confusing as I am going from a pin style at the trailer to a blade style connector at the end of the umbilical.

[westend]

[wrvond]

While it doesn't do a lot for testing the camper end of the connection, it will eliminate the TV as a suspect in the problem. From Innovative Products Of America -


It also shows signal coming from the brake controller. :B

[aubiexx]

I am pretty sure the wiring on my trailer or the umbilical cord is not standard. I guess I will be re-testing all the wires on the cord to make sure they are accurate.

Is there a best practice for doing this. I expect it will be easy to find the rt and lft blinkers, reverse, and clearance lights, but not necessarily the ground, electric brakes, and Aux power.

[CavemanCharlie]

I just drove my pickup and looked at my Prodigy P2. When I first start it and I'm unconnected from the trailer it flashes something that looks like a n c at me. Then after a few seconds it goes to 2 dots. I know when you hook up it flashes C at me. I don't know what the screen displays after that and I'm not hooked up right now.

[aubiexx]

Swapping the corroded plug this afternoon and I don't think that the wires I have are correct. I purchased new 7 pins for my TV and the pig tail.

I can't seem to find a diagram for this connector. It is a 3101 Signal-Stat.

Does anyone have one? it has 3 connections on top, 3 in middle row, 1 on bottom.

Currently, L-R is TOP Yellow, Red, Green
Middle L-R, Blue, Black, Brown
Bottom = White

[mguay]

colliehauler wrote:

Terryallan wrote:

aubiexx wrote:


The Prodigy shows two dots indicating not connected. Any ideas?

?

Not arguing, as I just have a Prodigy. But on mine, when it shows 2 dots. It is telling me that I have boost set. When I hook up. I get a " C ",. That goes away, and only shows the dots, until I hit the brakes. When it is not connected correctly. I get a " N.C. "

Same here.

x3

If you have 2 dots...it is working!

As far as only hearing magnet noise at 1 wheel...the others might have a problem.

[RCMAN46]

The installation manual gives all the answers.
Two dots means there is power to the controller with no trailer connected.
If the manual lever is activated it will display N.C. Then after 15 seconds it will display
". ." . Then after 15minutes the controller will go to power save with a blank screen.

Boost indication shows only when a trailer is connected. ".C" means trailer connected no boost. ".C." Means trailer connected with boost.

On my IPAD the link I gave for the installation manual does not work. Not sure with a computer but if it does not I am sorry. But the instruction manual can be down loaded from the Tekonsha web page.

[colliehauler]

Terryallan wrote:

aubiexx wrote:


The Prodigy shows two dots indicating not connected. Any ideas?

?

Not arguing, as I just have a Prodigy. But on mine, when it shows 2 dots. It is telling me that I have boost set. When I hook up. I get a " C ",. That goes away, and only shows the dots, until I hit the brakes. When it is not connected correctly. I get a " N.C. "

Same here.

[gmw_photos]

I'm wondering if you have a bad ground in the trailer, and the current you are getting to a brake is simply current from the lights circuit that is finding a path to ground thru that brake ? I must admit, from my vantage point here, it's all wild speculation.

[Terryallan]

aubiexx wrote:


The Prodigy shows two dots indicating not connected. Any ideas?

?

Not arguing, as I just have a Prodigy. But on mine, when it shows 2 dots. It is telling me that I have boost set. When I hook up. I get a " C ",. That goes away, and only shows the dots, until I hit the brakes. When it is not connected correctly. I get a " N.C. "

[aubiexx]

Thanks for the details. I took the 7 way apart on my TV and it's fairly corroded. At the pin there was no reading, but when I pulled the blue wire out, got a great response from the voltmeter directly on the blue wire.

Will replace the receptacle tomorrow and send an update.

[RCMAN46]

aubiexx wrote:
Thanks. If I use a voltmeter to test the electric brake connection on the receptacle on rear of my tow vehicle, should it register amperage when the brakes are pressed and my tail lights are on?

When it comes to the Prodigy P2 and P3 there is a lot of confusion on how the controllers work. Pressing the brake pedal does not always send voltage to the trailer like the time based units do.

If there is no boost programed in there will be no voltage to the trailer when brake pedal is first pressed. But if the brake is held for more than 5 seconds the Prodigy will send 25% of the gain setting to the trailer.

If Boost 1 has been programmed the Prodigy will send 14% of the gain setting then after 5 seconds 25%. If boost 2 or 3 the initial will be 28% then after 5 seconds 25%.

Moving the slider will always send voltage to the trailer. Full travel will be what ever the gain was set to.

When the TV and trailer are moving and the brakes are applied the Prodigy will first send the Boost setting voltage then it will send a voltage that is proportional to the deceleration rate of the TV and trailer. This can be anything from 1 volt or less to the gain voltage depending on how rapidly the TV and trailer are decelerating.

Here is a link to the instruction book.

Prodigy P2 Instruction Manual



Now to answer your question yes a voltmeter can be used to measure the voltage but not amperage at the 7 way connector. Due to the Prodigy using a pulse width modulated voltage you may not see the same voltage as the Prodigy display.

But the prodigy will put the gain voltage value to the 7 way when the slider is moved to max travel. This is even when the trailer is not connected. The Prodigy display may show NC without a trailer connected.

I suspect you have a wiring problem most likely in the trailer.

I am not sure but the Prodigy may show NC if there is only one brake magnet active. This may explain why you can hear a noise at the trailer.

This is why I prefer the Prodigy P3. It provides a current reading and if there are not 4 magnets connected this can be detected by the current reading. My 4 wheel 5th wheel draws about 1 amp per volt applied.

[aubiexx]

Thanks. If I use a voltmeter to test the electric brake connection on the receptacle on rear of my tow vehicle, should it register amperage when the brakes are pressed and my tail lights are on?