Prodigy P2 vs P3

[T and C]

Does anyone know the difference between the Prodigy P2 and the P3?

Tom

http://www.etrailer.com/comparison.a...0885&pc2=90195

I found this direct comparison of the p2 vs p3

I have the P2 and don't have any reason to upgrade.

[Bill]

The P3 appears to have one capability that the P2 and earlier Prodigy models don't have To me, it is an extremely important one. It appears that the P3 can display the current flowing through the brakes, whereas earlier models can display only the voltage being applied. These are functionally equivalent as long as both brakes are connected and operating. However, if one of the brakes becomes disconnected, or the magnet burns out (leaving only one of the two brakes in operating condition), then the applied voltage won't change, but the current will be cut in half. A readout of current (amps) will tell you this. A voltage readout (volts) will not.

If BOTH brakes go out, the controller will warn you. But if only one brake goes out, the controller cannot detect this. This leaves you in a potentially catastrophic situation, since braking power will be cut in half, and the power that remains is on only one side of the trailer, which will tend to throw you into an unexpected turn.

I'm a little sensitive to this issue, since I lost one brake while descending a very steep, twisty mountain road in eastern Arizona several years ago. My controller at the time had a current readout (amps), and since it showed a max brake current of only 3 amps (as opposed to the normal 6 amps), I knew of the problem immediately, and was able to descend in a slow, controlled manner. If the readout had been volts, the outcome might have been different. The same result could happen if you tried to brake on a road that is straight and level, but slick (rain).

I now have an earlier (two years ago) model of the Prodigy, and it works well, but this particular failing drives me crazy. I may give up and trade it in on a P3.

Bill

Bill,
where did you find this out?
I would upgrade if you were sure.
We had the same problem: only one operating brake.
But didn't realize it for some time.

[Barb&Tim]

From this tekonsha catalog:

http://www.tekonsha.com/content/down...s_Controls.pdf

TAKING INNOvATION TO A WHOLE NEW LEvEL
After receiving valuable insight from industry experts and our
own customers, Tekonsha® did something truly amazing: We
listened and responded. The result is the P3; the industry’s most
advanced electric trailer brake control. A true proportional brak-
ing system, P3 has several added features, making it the new
standard for electric trailer brake controls.
90195 • A distinct, easy-to-read LCD display with multiple screen
color options
• “Up-Front” controls provide easy access to all P3 features
• Easy to understand diagnostics show output current, battery/
brake/output voltage
• A “flashing red” warning system alerts user to “No Trailer
Brake” situations
• Select Electric over Hydraulic or Electric trailer brake mode
• Screen information display in English, French or Spanish
• “The Original Boost” feature allows for different levels of cus-
tomized braking
• Compact, dash-hugging design
• Unique, easy-to-use, clip-mounting system
• Quick disconnect feature for easy storage
• Electric trailer brake control for up to 4 braking axles
• Limited lifetime warranty (some conditions apply)

Tim

[Bill]

Right you are, Tim. I am one of those "customers" who wrote the company's Tech Support line and asked "Why?" I never got an answer, but this appears to be it.

At this point, only one thing worries me. The Tekonsha literature describes the Amps readout as a "diagnostic". 'Scuse me? It should be the default readout! It looks like you have to have to hit MENU/OPTIONS > HELP > TROUBLESHOOT and then scroll to OUTPUT CURRENT to get there! That's of little use, if you have to do this every time you hook up the trailer. And when you are in TROUBLESHOOT mode, do all the normal readouts and warnings (like the flashing red NO CONNECTION, or OPEN GROUND, or SHORTED) still work? From the skimpy installation leterature, I can't tell.

I bought a Japanese motorcycle in 1968. Great bike, but the Operator's Manual had been translated directly from Japanese, and made no sense at all. This is kind of the same - good product, useless manual. Tekonsha should do better. Anyone want to try to get answers out of Tekonsha? Maybe you'll have better luck than I did.

Bill

[Barb&Tim]

Here is a P3 users manual:

http://www.anythingtruck.com/instruc...0195Manual.pdf

Looks like you have to be in diagnostic mode to check the current. Not sure about the warning screens -- i would think they would pop up during normal operation when something went wrong but they are mentioned in the diagnostic section -- so i dunno!

Tim

[Mr. Adventure]

Originally Posted by Bill

Right you are, Tim. I am one of those "customers" who wrote the company's Tech Support line and asked "Why?" I never got an answer, but this appears to be it.

At this point, only one thing worries me. The Tekonsha literature describes the Amps readout as a "diagnostic". 'Scuse me? It should be the default readout! It looks like you have to have to hit MENU/OPTIONS > HELP > TROUBLESHOOT and then scroll to OUTPUT CURRENT to get there! That's of little use, if you have to do this every time you hook up the trailer. And when you are in TROUBLESHOOT mode, do all the normal readouts and warnings (like the flashing red NO CONNECTION, or OPEN GROUND, or SHORTED) still work? From the skimpy installation leterature, I can't tell.

I bought a Japanese motorcycle in 1968. Great bike, but the Operator's Manual had been translated directly from Japanese, and made no sense at all. This is kind of the same - good product, useless manual. Tekonsha should do better. Anyone want to try to get answers out of Tekonsha? Maybe you'll have better luck than I did.

Bill

When I installed my Prodigy, I hit a point of conflict between the instructions and reality under the dash. I called Tekonsha costomer support, and to my amazement, I was connected to an English speaking technician who was very helpful and knowledgeable about their product and it's connections for my vehicle. Not bad for something I spent a little more than a hundred bucks for!

I'm not sure what the differences are, but I bet they can provide the details.

Originally Posted by Barb&Tim

Looks like you have to be in diagnostic mode to check the current.

Well that's a lot easier than my current method. Before every trip:
Bring the Rig up to speed.
Brake to a stop.
Check that BOTH drums are warm.

And I would certainly be doing much more frequent checking than I do now if all that is required is switching the P3 to diagnostic mode .

Looks like a P3 is in our future.

Thanks for the info folks.

Has anybody seen a mod that constantly monitors the trailer brake current?

Perhaps a very low resistance shunt in series and small voltage drop readout?

I can get at 12V+ and grd and the brake line out of my P2 under the dash easy enough.