Tekonsha Voyager Brake Controller

It probably is one of the crook ones at that age. They were replacing them with the new model one up till recently I believe. Take it back and pay the extra and get a PRODIGY model 1000% better than the voyager and no probs at all and will set your mind at rest as well.

You will probably find that it has a grey sticker on the front panel, the new ones have a burgundy sticker. Take it back & they will swap it for you.

If it's the controller with the grey label on it then it is faulty. I had one doing the same thing and ended up with it being replaced. this was a common problem with this model, the later one with a purple face had the fault rectified.

Cheers Dave

Theres a bloke at Romsey who does a bit of cuttin' and weldin' who also does a bit of brake controller gettin' who may be able to assist you with a replacement if the warranty is all gone

Here are two technical writeups so decide for yourself.
The Prodigy has more useful features and works really well

Tekonsha Prodigy
The Prodigy is the most technologically advanced controller available. Even with its pendulum based output it requires no levelling and is equipped with a self-adjusting sensing device to compensate for varying terrain. Its digital display illustrates the voltage level delivered to the caravan brakes whilst driving and also reports any electrical fault conditions such as power loss, short circuits and more. It has a plug in wiring harness for easy removal and a unique pocket mounting for flexible options. This Unit has a variable power level that is further complimented by a “boost” feature for incremental power. In summary, The Prodigy has a number of features, some are not important, but others particularly the self-levelling and digital displays make it an outstanding electric brake controller.



Tekonsha Voyager
The popular Voyager unit is a pendulum-based controller with an indicator light to confirm that the caravan is connected and the circuit is complete. The indicator light also changes colour as an indication of the amount of power going to the caravan brakes. It is an attractive looking controller with a manual-braking slide lever and variable gain control. The Voyager provides smooth brakes but can be a bit fiddly to adjust.

Andrew,

I had the same issue with a Voyager of a similar age. Send an email to Tekonsha in the US to find out the details of the Aussie distributor. I don't have the details of the distibutor in Dandenong anymore but they will tell you who they are.
What the prob is, is the unit you have is for the US market with the indicators being part of the braking circuit. Here our indicators are obviously separate. I paid $50 and exchanged it for a Prodigy. You'll be a lot happier with one.

Leroy

If you Google Tekonsha you can down load all the instructions and tech. details.
The problem with the tails lights coming on intermittantly (some times longer) is documented and is a problem with the Voyager model.
The Tekonsha solution is a diode in the red wire from the brake pedal switch. This prevents voltage from the controller feeding back to the lights, still allowing unit activation voltage when the brake pedal is depressed.
The latest unit has some internal mod. to prevent this happening.
furph

hi bigkidz, had one of these with same problem went to auto
electrician and he pit a diode in the wiring.cost $5
didnt have anymore trouble with it.the other thing
you could do is disconnect when you are not
using it.
regards doug

Prodigy is good but..
if you mount it level in the 4b when you go up hills it has silly flashing lights that are damn annoying at night.

Hi Andrew,

This was common problem with the early model Voyager brake controllers. They fixed the problem in 2004 so as long as you get one with a build date after 09-04 then you will be right (printed on a sticker). If yours has a build date before this then ring Camec and said that Danny Dunn, Technical Service Coordinator for Cequent Electrical Products 888-785-5832 (US) said to send it in for replacement.

I contacted the makers in the States and got an email back stating the above so I call Camec and arranged to send it in (even though I did not purchase from them). I didn't need to send in a tax invoice either. They promptly replaced it with a new one and have not had any problems since.

Regards
David

We bought a brand new Prodigy. After three months our starter battery kept going flat overnight. Problem traced to Prodigy. The inmporter claims they have never had a single warranty claim but electrician is adamant and appears correct. Will keep you informed after replacement fitted.
Other than that I agree with other users the unit is much better than those previously.

Hi Graham,
Thanks for this. The unit was installed by an Auto Sparky but that doesn't mean it is correct. I will take it back to them.
From memory our little red light syays on all the time.
Cheers Ralph C