Troubleshooting Repetitive Brake Controller Fuse Failure in 2001 Dodge Ram 3500

Question:

On my brake controller I have a 2001 Dodge ram 3500 I keep blowing the trailer fuse under the hood a 40 amp fuse. I looked at all the connections under the dash and back at the trailer all seems good and help would be appreciate it thank you Without a fuse in there and it came up a PL code before going blank on the screen

asked by: Frank

Expert Reply:

The error code PL you see on your Prodigy trailer brake controller # 90885 indicates that the unit sensed a power loss while the pedal was pressed. This power reaches the Prodigy on the black wire.

I think your best troubleshooting effort will be to carefully inspect the trailer socket on the rear of the truck and the plug on the trailer for any signs of corrosion or damage that could be causing a short. A short within the connectors due to corrosion could cause the fuse to blow. For a truck that is about 18 years old this is not an unusual situation.

If the truck's trailer socket is free of corrosion and trapped foreign material then next check the wiring leading to it. A wire rubbing on the frame could lead to a short too.

You can disconnect your trailer from the truck and put in a new 40-amp fuse to power up the Prodigy. If the fuse still blows then this tends to mean the problem is on the truck side. If the fuse does not blow and the Prodigy remains powered up without the trailer connected then this tends to mean that the trailer wiring is the source of the problem.

You can refer to the linked article for more troubleshooting help. If you are not able to find and correct the issue please let me know and we can give you additional help.

expert reply by: Adam R