Troubleshooting and Repairing OL and SH Error Codes Displayed on Tekonsha P2 90885 Brake Controller

Question:

I have a Prodigy P2 brake controller on my 2006 Chevrolet Silverado truck pulling a 23 ft. RV Trailer. On my trip to Florida continuing now onto to New Orleans I’m getting two error codes. They are listed in their trouble shooting guide as no. 2 and 3 in the chart. O P and H 5. Something to do with a short or overload. But the guide tells nothing about what could be the cause, where to look. It appears the trailer brakes are not working so my truck is doing all the work. Do you have any idea what could be wrong? Thanks

asked by: Dale K

Helpful Expert Reply:

In the troubleshooting chart listed in the linked instructions for the Tekonsha # 90885 Prodigy P2 brake controller, the 2nd and 3rd error codes mentioned are OL (overlaod) and SH (short circuit).

What you have going on is a short somewhere in the brake output circuit. The two most common causes of these errors is a damaged or corroded trailer connector and a worn brake magnet.

Closely examine the trailer connector on the vehicle and the connector on the trailer. Closely look at the pins and sockets. If you can see any green or white corrosion on the pins, there's a good chance that the corrosion has spread to the interior of the connector and is causing adjacent circuits to bridge, which causes a short circuit.

If this is the case, you'll want to replace the connector on the vehicle with # PK11916 if the connector twists into the cutout in the bumper. If the connector is mounted to a bracket, # C55774 would make a good replacement. If it's the connector on the trailer that's bad, I'd recommend using something like the # 277-000141 junction box/pigtail to replace it.

When brake magnets get worn to the point that the copper wires in the interior of the magnet are exposed, it allows the brake output voltage to short to ground. I'd pull one or more of your hubs and examine the magnets. If the face of the magnet that rides against the inside of the brake drum is worn to the point where you can see copper, replacing the magnets (or more likely the entire brake assembly so you get all new parts) would be the way to go if this is the case. If you'd care to reply with the inside diameter and depth of your brake drums, I'd be happy to recommend replacement brake assemblies.

Other possible places to find the short are would be along the brake output circuit on the trailer (opposed to on the vehicle where the circuit is better protected). Look for pinch points or any place where the wire can rub causing the insulation to get worn away.