Testing a Prodigy Brake Controller that Does Not Activate with Brake Pedal But Works with Lever  

Question:

Expert Reply:

It sounds like your brake controller is working but since it is a proportional controller and you are testing it for voltage with the vehicle at a stand still you aren't seeing any voltage at the 7-way.

Or, the issue is just the wiring of the red wire of the controller. Make sure the red wire of the controller is connected to a circuit that only sees 12 volts when the brakes are applied. Below is the standard way to test a brake controller if you are still having problems.

Testing the brake controller is fairly easy. Sever the blue brake output wire near the brake controller leaving enough room to reconnect it and then apply the manual slide. Using a circuit tester like part # PTW2993, you should get output to the controller side of the wire you severed. If the manual slide activates the trailer brake output wire properly, try the brake pedal. If the brake pedal activates the brake output properly (since this is a proportional controller you should see a small spike), also then the problem is farther back either in the vehicle wiring or on the trailer.

If either the brake pedal or the manual slide are not functioning properly you will need to test the wires going into the brake controller. Make sure you have power entering the brake controller on the black wire. On the red wire you will only want power when the brake pedal is pressed.

If there is power on the red wire before the brake pedal is pressed you have connected the red wire from the brake controller to the wrong circuit. You would then need to find the brake switch wire that has power ONLY when the brake pedal is activated.

If these connections check out and the brake controller is properly grounded then there is possibly a problem inside the brake controller.

I am including a link to a video that will show you how to test the wiring on a brake controller.

expert reply by: Jameson C

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