If Brakes Work Properly with the Prodigy P2 # 90885 Should Buzzing Sound be a Concern

Question:

When I turn on my running lights on my tow vehicle and also the trailer I hear a very faint buzzing noise coming from the tandem axle brake drum area. it makes the noise without the brakes even being applied. Best I can tell is the buzz is coming from the brake shoe magnets. My brakes appear to function perfectly in all aspects of using them and the controller. I set the controller to 7.3. with the lever pressed. The voltage at the trailer plug output on the bumper with a multi-meter without stepping on the brake peddle is static .2 volts on the brake pole with the mail trailer plug removed and before the brakes are applied as instructions say it should be. I turn the running lights off and the buzz stops. The braking still works fine a always. Should I be concerned about the buzz noise or is this a normal thing? Trailer is a 2016, 27 foot Airstream Flying Cloud. Tow vehicle is 2005 Yukon XL 2500.

asked by: John

Expert Reply:

It is interesting that you only hear the buzzing noise when you turn your running lights on. Typically this is a sounds that comes from the brake magnets as you mentioned and shouldn't be an issue, especially if your Prodigy P2 # 90885 and your trailer brakes are functioning normally. You are seeing a little voltage on that brake controller output pin because the P2 sends a pulse charge to sense if a trailer is connected or not.

You may want to do a little poking around with your wiring though just to make sure you don't have any shorts or damaged wiring. If you have any lights around your wheels, like clearance lights, then I would check those connections for power and for the ground. You can also check the connector on your 2005 Yukon XL 2500 and your 2016 Airstream Flying Cloud to ensure that they are clean and free of any corrosion or debris.

If everything is functioning properly then I wouldn't worry too much about it but it never hurts to check your wiring every once in a while.

expert reply by: Jon G