Trailer Brakes Lock Up and Prodigy Brake Controller has Erratic Display on a 2013 Toyota Tundra

Question:

i had a prodigy 90185 installed in a 07 tacoma when i purchased our trailer. i recently bought a 2013 tundra, disconnected the controller from the tacoma, and installed it in the tundra. the controller worked fine to begin with but now the trailer brakes lock-up just prior to stopping. i have adjusted the setting but this doesnt help. i am wondering if perhaps the wiring to the controller needed to be changed for the tundra as sometimes it appears as it is not working properly since digits keep reappearing even when stopped. if not, any advice about correcting the lock-up problem.

asked by: Chuck C

Helpful Expert Reply:

Both the 2007 Toyota Tacoma and 2013 Tundra use brake controller wiring harness # 3040-P so it should not be a wiring issue unless something was changed in the wiring harness. There are a couple of things that could be going wrong but to me, because you are also getting an erratic display, it is probably an internal problem with the controller.

To test the controller, you can sever the blue wire from the back of the controller a few inches. Then use a circuit tester like # PTW2993 to test the end coming out of the brake controller. It should only show power with the manual override engaged. If it shows power without the override engaged, then there is something wrong inside the controller and it will need to be replaced.

It is also possible that the controller is mounted outside of its accepted range. The Prodigy can be mounted perfectly to 70 degrees nose up. If outside of that range, it can misbehave. Also, it is tilted or turned to the side that will affect performance.

Make sure that the 3040-P harness is in good working order and that there is no dirt or corrosion on the pins where it plugs into the vehicle and brake controller. Make sure that the trailer side connector is clean and free of corrosion and that the brake magnet wiring is in good shape. Check the magnets. If the windings are coming through, they should be replaced. You can further test the brake magnets by following the FAQ I have linked. I have also linked a brake controller FAQ.

expert reply by: Michael H