Troubleshooting Tekonsha Prodigy P3 Brake Controller No Trailer Connection Error Message

Question:

I purchased the teknoshi poodigy p3 controller from etrailer and also purchased the pre wired harness for a 2006 GMC Yukon XL with trailer package . I mounted the controller and plugged the wiring harness into the appropriate slot . I hooked up the trailer and plugged into the factory 7-pin outlet. When I go through the set up the display reads no trailer connection . All of the lights work on the trailer and I also connected a ground wire from the trailer to the frame of the Yukon thinking it may be a grounding problem , but the controller still displays no trailer connection. Any help would be appreciated.

asked by: William H

Helpful Expert Reply:

The "No Trailer Connection" message when your trailer is physically connected means the controller is not seeing a power draw on the 5 o'clock position brake controller output pin. This about 95% of the time just means you need to clean your trailer connections using some sand paper and then use dielectric grease # 11755 to prevent moisture and debris from impacting that connection.

You can test this by using an incandescent circuit tester like # PTW2993. The power draw for the light should cause that connection error to disappear and then the light should increase in intensity as you activate the manual override slide.

The other 5 percent of the time it is a bad ground connection or bad magnets on the trailer. I've attached a couple articles to assist with the troubleshooting.

expert reply by: Jason S