Tekonsha Prodigy Trailer Brake Controller Flashing S.H. then O.L. Towing Utility Trailer with Dump

Question:

Single axel trailer no brakes hooked up I bought a utility trailer with a dump. The mechanic wired the battery for the dump to a seven prong connector along with the rear lights. Everything works but when I step on brake pedal, the prodigy brake controller shows SH THEN OL. In about 30 seconds two dots show up. It does not seem to discharge the truck battery. Should I worry? Thanks,

asked by: RJ

Helpful Expert Reply:

When looking at the instruction manual for the Tekonsha Prodigy P2 Trailer Brake Controller # 90885, it looks like the "S.H." you referenced will flash when the brake wire sees a short during idle condition. The "O.L" flashes when the Prodigy P2 "sees" an overload condition during operation.

I am not sure why those error message are coming up on the brake controller since you do not have electric brakes installed on your trailer, unless the wiring for the dump mechanism is somehow tied into the brake controller output pin on the 7-way connector. The brake output circuit will be located at the 5 o'clock position on the 7-way. You can check to see if anything is wired into this pin.

The other possibility is that your trailer used to have electric brakes and still has the necessary wiring going to the back of the trailer. If an exposed wire is contacting the trailer frame, it would cause a short and lead to those error messages.

As long as everything is working properly, you should be okay with your current setup. You do not need to worry about the Prodigy draining the battery in your vehicle.

expert reply by: Chris R