Troubleshooting the Installation of Prodigy P3 Brake Controller in Different Vehicles

Question:

After installing a P3 brake controller in both my TrailBlazer and a Dodge Van... my Vans lights are not operating properly using the same trailer. I followed exact instructions provided by your company and feel confident Ive connected properly. Question Why are there two different methods of connecting a 7 wire trailer connection? I found a traditional configuration and a SAE J2863 Configuration. Whatz up with that? The guy that comes up with an alternate wire diagram for the same thing should be shot!

asked by: Steve

Helpful Expert Reply:

It sounds like your Prodigy P3 # 90195 installation in your Trailblazer went perfectly and your Dodge Van had issues. The issue could be a couple of things, but I recommend checking your 7-pins at your trailer connector for function using a circuit tester like # PTW2993. If everything works properly there, then the issue is most likely a ground connection on your trailer. Sometimes the ground will work fine with one vehicle but not another. Make sure the connection is bare metal to bare metal and free of corrosion or debris. The other thing to check is the connections between the vehicles. Use sand paper or steel wool to clean the connections and use some dielectric grease # 11755 to keep moisture and debris out of the connections.

The 7-way blade style configurations are consistent between utility, equipment, cargo, 5th wheel, campers, etc with function locations, just not the wiring colors. Always go by function locations as the wiring colors can be different from different manufacturers. The difference is in the 7-pin configurations because they utilize a separate brake and do not use reverse lights but often need a second 12V power. I've attached an article to assist.

expert reply by: Jason S