Mark Rios
Member
- Messages
- 797
- Location
- Central CA
My big trailer/mobile shop has set for the past 5 or 6 months. I hooked it up yesterday to go to my customers house and I had a little trouble with the trailer brakes. Today the controller just stopped working. The drive back to my house was a little concerning but I made it back without incident. I have had a Tekonsha Prodigy brake controller, brand new in the box, for about a year now but I haven't put it on. Well, I did today. Incidentally my truck has a full trailer tow package including a 7-pin plug for the trailer.
However, after installing it, via direct factory pigtail connections (no splices), I set the sensitivity/power per the instructions and, once satisfied, I went on down the road. But, after about a mile, the digital display started to give me readings that went from no connection to an overload condition to standard operation and back and forth randomly and intermittently. When the normal readings were displayed, the trailer braked accordingly (and it was very nice BTW). However, sometimes I would apply the brakes and the trailer brakes would not engage and an overload reading would display. Then, after a second or two, the normal readings would come back and the brakes would engage. Sometimes the overload display wouldn't go away and the brakes would just not engage. I"m definately not overloaded.
Every once in a while, the display for "no connection" would come up and again, the brakes wouldn't engage.
Does this just sound like a dirty connection to you? I stopped by a Kragen Auto Parts store and picked up some electrical connector cleaner but I haven't sprayed it on yet.
Anyone have any advice or suggestions or experience to pass on for/to me?
And would someone be so kind as to remind me of the type of grease to use inside of my 7-pin connector? For the life of me I can't remember the name of the type of grease.
Thank you very much for your time.
BTW, all of the other functions of the trailer though the 7-pin connector work fine and haven't shown any trouble whatsoever.
However, after installing it, via direct factory pigtail connections (no splices), I set the sensitivity/power per the instructions and, once satisfied, I went on down the road. But, after about a mile, the digital display started to give me readings that went from no connection to an overload condition to standard operation and back and forth randomly and intermittently. When the normal readings were displayed, the trailer braked accordingly (and it was very nice BTW). However, sometimes I would apply the brakes and the trailer brakes would not engage and an overload reading would display. Then, after a second or two, the normal readings would come back and the brakes would engage. Sometimes the overload display wouldn't go away and the brakes would just not engage. I"m definately not overloaded.
Every once in a while, the display for "no connection" would come up and again, the brakes wouldn't engage.
Does this just sound like a dirty connection to you? I stopped by a Kragen Auto Parts store and picked up some electrical connector cleaner but I haven't sprayed it on yet.
Anyone have any advice or suggestions or experience to pass on for/to me?
And would someone be so kind as to remind me of the type of grease to use inside of my 7-pin connector? For the life of me I can't remember the name of the type of grease.
Thank you very much for your time.
BTW, all of the other functions of the trailer though the 7-pin connector work fine and haven't shown any trouble whatsoever.
