Troubleshooting P.L. Code from a Prodigy Brake Controller

Question:

Questions about a wiring harness for the Tekonsha Prodigy. Tried plugging it in and get P.I. Flashing on the brake controller and 2014 Ford E-350 is not happy and sending me service warnings. As soon as I unplug it, everything is fine. It is ok with the blue to blue in the wiring harness. It is the controller power. It matches black on the tekonsha harness to Yellow with Red stripe on the Ford plug. Is this correct? I can send you pictures if need. Thanks for your help.

asked by: Chris S

Expert Reply:

The problem you are describing is most likely related to the wiring of the brake controller. The P.L. error messages stands for power interruption when the brake is pressed.

This can occur for a number of reasons. First check the brake controller wiring and all of its connections to the vehicle. A bad splice or corrosion could cause this error. Then check the wiring going back to the trailer connector for any corrosion or breaks in the wiring and check the trailer connectors on the pin and behind where the wires attach for corrosion and dirt.

On the trailer side, do the same with the connector and wiring. Make sure all grounds are attached to clean and corrosion free bare metal surfaces.

Since you are getting an error message on your vehicle I would suspect that the problem is the wiring between the controller and the vehicle.

The black wire of the Prodigy should run to the yellow/red wire of the factory harness.

I also attached an FAQ article on troubleshooting brake controller installs for you to check out as well.

expert reply by: Jameson C