[rickst29]

for their brake controllers. Every brake controller in the 2006 catalog says "Note: Not recommended for use with BMW X5 Sports Utility Vehicles". I can't imagine why they say this... about the only things I can think of are (a) somehow, Beemer has made it IMPOSSIBLE to make those 4 wiring connections. Or (2) if Beemer's brakes are wired backwards (hot versus cold) from everyone else's, then it would probably blow up the BC electronics the first time you touch it. But in these days of widely standardized and subcontracted parts, I'd be amazed if BMW didn't do their brake systems more or less the same as everyone else's.

(Once, I had an Italian Death Cart^h^h^h^hSports Car with "backwards" wiring for everything. When I left it out in the rain, sometimes the lights would go on "all by themselves" and run the battery down. And when someone saw how I was gonna attach their jumper cables, they usually FREAKED OUT. "You're pu-pu-putting the gu-gr-gu-ground wire goes WHERE?!?!?!?" But maybe it never rained in Italy, back then...)

You've obviously capable of configuring for adequate towing weight capacity. But, because a good brake controller is CRITICAL to avoid all the things you're afraid of, and the Prodigy (Tekonsha "Prodigy" == Draw-Tite "Intela-Stop Ultra") is perhaps the most highly regarded of all BCs among the posters in this Forum, I suggest checking into this possible issue immediately.