Prodigy Brake Controller.

06-30-2006, 02:12 PM

I have this strange pulsing going on with the trailer brakes on my 2720. Could this be because I have the boost feature on on my Prodigy controller? The brakes feel like they grab and then let go at some consistent interval when I brake hard. It is kind of un-nearving. I didn't try taking the boost feature off yet. I was just wondering if anyone has experienced this.

06-30-2006, 03:29 PM

My brakes were doing that , but it wasn't the brake controller. It was because of the Dexter easy lube thing. I pumped the bearings full of grease and then it leaked out all over my brake shoes. I just replaced the brakes and packed the bearings (BY HAND) last week. No more easy lube for me! $50.00 lesson learned! I hope you problem is only the boost on your controller.

06-30-2006, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freedom

My brakes were doing that , but it wasn't the brake controller. It was because of the Dexter easy lube thing. I pumped the bearings full of grease and then it leaked out all over my brake shoes. I just replaced the brakes and packed the bearings (BY HAND) last week. No more easy lube for me! $50.00 lesson learned! I hope you problem is only the boost on your controller.

That does not sound good, since I repacked the bearings 2 weeks ago before I went to AZ. The grease came out the front of the wheel towards me where I'm guessing it should and I didn't let any get into the brake area. Is there a chance it could leak toward the inside of the wheel away from me where I coudn't see and get on the brakes?

06-30-2006, 07:04 PM

Is there a chance it could leak toward the inside of the wheel away from me where I coudn't see and get on the brakes?
That's what happened on mine, It went right past the seal on the inside bearing and that's up inside the brake drum. As soon as I moved the TM it got all over the brake shoes. It doesn't take long to bake into the linings and then you have really jerky brakes.

06-30-2006, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CA_flyfisher

I have this strange pulsing going on with the trailer brakes on my 2720. Could this be because I have the boost feature on on my Prodigy controller? The brakes feel like they grab and then let go at some consistent interval when I brake hard. It is kind of un-nearving. I didn't try taking the boost feature off yet. I was just wondering if anyone has experienced this.

Check out Tekonsha's website for additional information and help from the manufacturer: www.tekonsha.com/faqprodigy.html

We still us the Tekonsha Voyager model we bought with our 1998 TM and it still works well with our present trailer, even though we now have 2 axles to brake rather than one.

**Bill** · 07-01-2006, 07:13 AM

Flyfisher -

In cars, at least, there are many causes of pulsing brakes, the first being out-of-round drums or unevenly worn shoes. Either can result from over-hard braking at some point, or overheated brakes. How old is your TM?

Before you panic about Jim's grease problem or my suggestion of non-round parts, why not turn off the boost feature and try it again? If it still pulses, and you are not confident of your brake-diagnosis-and-repair capability, your next step is to take the TM to a brake shop.

Bill

Mr. Adventure · 06-29-2008, 08:45 PM

I had the TM out this weekend for some maintenance, and on the trip back to the storage lot the trailer brakes were pulsing on and off in a moderately hard stop, similar to the stories in this thread. Except I haven't done anything with the bearings recently (but I did do some electrical work, moving the battery from the tongue to the aft storage compartment), and the voltage readings on the Prodigy were going up and down with the brakes. The trailer brakes when activated by the manual lever were nicely proportional and smooth.

I couldn't find anything on this in the Prodigy "troubleshooting" section, but I'm still hoping there's an easy fix or something I missed.

Thanks!

Mr. Adventure · 08-09-2008, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Adventure

I had the TM out this weekend for some maintenance, and on the trip back to the storage lot the trailer brakes were pulsing on and off in a moderately hard stop, similar to the stories in this thread. Except I haven't done anything with the bearings recently (but I did do some electrical work, moving the battery from the tongue to the aft storage compartment), and the voltage readings on the Prodigy were going up and down with the brakes. The trailer brakes when activated by the manual lever were nicely proportional and smooth.

I couldn't find anything on this in the Prodigy "troubleshooting" section, but I'm still hoping there's an easy fix or something I missed.

Just to close this item, I called Tekonsha tech support, and they felt this sounded more like an adjustment issue than an equipment failure. So they asked me to check this carefully and call them back if there's still a problem.

I had just brought the TM from the storage yard and was then returning it when I had first noted the problem. "Just coming a few miles from the storage yard", thought I, "Not going to be going over 45, and no real traffic issues, just plug the controller in, set it approximately and go...what's the big deal?"

Today, I just brought the TM out again for the first time since the incident (I know, I've been spending too much time posting and not enough time camping lately, but we're going to work on that tomeorrow). This time I went through the adjustment sequence, and everything's fine.

Lesson learned: If you have the Prodigy cranked up too high, The TM brakes are good enough to stop the Tow Vehicle hard enough for the Prodigy to sense the stop and then over react by braking still more, creating a pulse effect. Over-stopping being better than not-stopping, this wasn't exactly a safety issue for my short trip, but it underscores the need for brake-controller-setting discipline every time you hitch up.

**Bill** · 06-29-2008, 09:21 PM

Are you sure the car's ABS system wasn't coming on for some reason? Was the traction good at the time (no wheel slippage)? Are yor brake lights in good condition - no flashing, no burned-out bulbs?

Bill

Mr. Adventure · 06-29-2008, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill

Are you sure the car's ABS system wasn't coming on for some reason?

Absolutely. The brakes don't have to be applied nearly that hard to create this event, and I think I could probably stop at that rate without the trailer brakes at all.

Quote:

Was the traction good at the time (no wheel slippage)?

First observed on dry pavement, 45mph at a changing traffic light, a harder stop than usual, but not any big deal. Subsequently established that it does this with any similar stop.

Quote:

Are yor brake lights in good condition - no flashing, no burned-out bulbs?

I just checked, and the turn signals and brake lights on the TV are operational.

Also, there is no question that the Prodigy was showing voltage pulses corresponding to the pulsing brakes. Prodigy "boost" setting was not selected. I've decided to call Tekonsha tech support when I get a chance.

Thanks for your help in thinking this through!