Troubleshooting Output Shorted and Overload Codes on Tekonsha Prodigy P3 Brake Controller

Question:

Hi there. I just bought a new Tekonsha P3 brake controller. I hooked it up and the screen is functional. I also installed a new 7 pin connector on the rear of my truck. I just picked up our new camper 2 weeks ago and on the way home, everything worked great. The controller seemed to be responding and functioning just fine. However, we took it camping last week and i started having issues. I will start with saying that it was pouring rain the entire trip from our house to the campground which was a 3 hour trip. While on the highway, i noticed that the screen would intermittently turn red and the warning said “Output Shorted - No Brakes.” Then after a minute or two, it would return to the normal blue screen showing 0.0. Then i noticed that sometimes the warning would say “Overload - No Brakes.” Finally, i noticed that it would flash one of these 2 warnings every time i would touch the brake pedal. HOWEVER, the warnings still came on intermittently the entire trip even when my foot was off the brake. So, while touching the brake pedal would flash the warnings every time, the warnings would also intermittently come and go the entire trip. In closing, i thought at first that something got wet back at the 7 pin connector, so i gave it a couple days to dry out. Well, i went to try it again, and now when i plug the truck into the camper, the screen will only show the red warning screen, either displaying the Output Shorted warning or the Overload warning. Can you guys please give me your opinions and maybe walk me through some diagnostic testing so i can get this fixed? I really dont want to put my family at risk while out on the road with no trailer brakes. I really appreciate it guys.

asked by: Jamie M

Expert Reply:

Thank you for all of the details - safety is definitely #1 priority when it comes to towing a trailer so I hear you on that end of things.

Your initial gut reaction of it being water is what I'm thinking too. I know you said you gave the connector time to dry out, but since there was potentially some rain getting into the connector while you were using the P3 # 90195 it could have caused something to become corroded or burn up. Here is what you want to do:

1. Check all of your wiring connections to make sure everything is secured and undamaged - this includes your ground for both the truck and trailer.

2. If all of that looks okay then you'll need to get into the backs of the truck and trailer 7-Ways to look at that wiring as well. Make sure none of the wiring is burned, touching other wires, or damaged. Replace as necessary and add protection with Dielectric Grease # 11755.

If you check all of this and it all looks good then let me know and I can help you troubleshoot further.

expert reply by: Jon G