Prodigy P3
Submitted: Saturday, Aug 28, 2010 at 12:24
ThreadID:
81012
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6752
Replies:
8
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Dustred
Anyone had dramas with a P3 Brake Controller, OK heres the quick version. have a P3 fitted to my NT Pajero via a factory Mits Brake controller harness all plug and play, intermittently (and I mean every 1 in 50 times you hit the brake pedal) it sends full voltage as soon as it gets a signal from the pedal (regardless of what is set on the controller or vehicle inertia) to the trailer and locks it all up (not much fun @ 110 km on highway i can tell u !). Bought unit on ebay had it replaced thinking it was faulty, new one had it about 6 months does exactly same thing. everyone tells me its wired wrong (its all plug connectors genuine harness), fitted at wrong angle( same as everyone else under steering coloum in NT) I have the older Prodigy in my triton took it out fitted it to the harness in the Pajero works fine!!!
Got sick of trying to find a solution about to throw it out and bag these P3's to everyone i come across telling me how wonderful they are.
apparently no one else has this problem have posted on Pajero forums etc then this week I read a shootout of brake controllers in 4wd action campertrailer mag and they bag the P3 because it did on their test in a prado exactly what
mine is doing so surely i am not alone on this one????
have tried to contact tekonsha on the contact us link surprise surprise no reply!
i know your all going to tell me yours is the best controller you have ever had and you have never heard of this happening before?
Reply By: Member - Gavin W (QLD) - Saturday, Aug 28, 2010 at 14:11
Saturday, Aug 28, 2010 at 14:11
Is the unit level from side to side and from front to back? While this shouldn't matter, the self-levelling section in the unit can be touchy.
Does it give an error message when this happens ie output shorted?
AnswerID:
428744
Follow Up By: Dustred - Saturday, Aug 28, 2010 at 19:07
Saturday, Aug 28, 2010 at 19:07
No error, if set at 8 volts and touch the pedal 8 volts BANG the screen
FollowupID:
699508
Follow Up By: Andrew & Jen - Saturday, Aug 28, 2010 at 19:40
Saturday, Aug 28, 2010 at 19:40
Hmm .....
mine is fitted to a LC Series 80 and I tow a Tvan (~1200kgs)
I use a setting of ~ 5 - a bit lower when on loose surfaces, a bit higher on bitumen. Works really
well, after I sorted out brakes on Tvan.
Although you say you have fitted correctly, it does sound like a wiring problem to me, especially given the feedback you have received from a wide range of people. Have you had it checked by an accredited installer?
Cheers
Andrew
[PS, I must say I was not impressed with write-up in C/T - for not the first time in this mag, the reviewer didn't come across to me as the sharpest knife in the draw!]
FollowupID:
699513
Reply By: Member - Jason B (NSW) - Saturday, Aug 28, 2010 at 14:13
Saturday, Aug 28, 2010 at 14:13
I have just bought one after being told they were the go. I haven't fitted it yet so I hope I dont have the same problem.
AnswerID:
428745
Reply By: Roughasguts - Saturday, Aug 28, 2010 at 14:43
Saturday, Aug 28, 2010 at 14:43
Was your cruise control on while this happens.
I read the instalation on my earlier one and the controller should be wired to the brake light not the brake pedal if you have cruise control.
Wonder if this could have something to do with it.
AnswerID:
428752
Follow Up By: Dustred - Saturday, Aug 28, 2010 at 19:29
Saturday, Aug 28, 2010 at 19:29
I will look into it, you would think mitsubishi would not sell a 3 piece harness that does not function as required for the vehicle it is intended. One plugs in the engine bay and connects to the battery via a supplied auto reset breaker and a connector behind the front left headlight, another connects to a plug in the passenger kick panel and the other connects to a plug on the pedal providing the wires to connect to the unit, trust me if a mitsubishi (TECH???) can fit it, a monkey could.( you should see what they did to my dash to install an ipod cable on delivery) thats another story for another day but they had to fit a new dash!
FollowupID:
699510
Reply By: CJ - Saturday, Aug 28, 2010 at 15:17
Saturday, Aug 28, 2010 at 15:17
I wired
mine strickly in accordance with the instructions, to the brake pedal. My sparky protested saying it should be wired differently but I insisted to do it to their specs.
2 years much towing works perfectly with and without cruise control
CJ
AnswerID:
428755
Reply By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Saturday, Aug 28, 2010 at 15:48
Saturday, Aug 28, 2010 at 15:48
I have a Prodigy in a 100ser and its wired to the cold side of the switch behind the brake pedal.
Has never done anything like you say with or without the cruise on.
AnswerID:
428758
Reply By: Martyn (WA) - Sunday, Aug 29, 2010 at 09:39
Sunday, Aug 29, 2010 at 09:39
Hi Dustred,
I'm on my second Prodigy P3, whilst I had problems with the wiring up of the unit on my D3 once I had this sorted everything has worked as it should do. The unit was and is faultless for me in all conditions, the D3 was a bit of a nightmare to get the wiring right because it has four wires to the brake pedal, I ended up having to wire the unit from the brake light connection at the back of the vehicle. A pain but everything works as it should do.
Good luck with sorting this out.
AnswerID:
428802
Reply By: Nutta - Sunday, Aug 29, 2010 at 20:08
Sunday, Aug 29, 2010 at 20:08
Probably worth ringing around some of the local auto elecs to see if they've had similar.you must freak every time you have to hook up the van, what a worry.
Goodluck.
AnswerID:
428874
Reply By: Milan - Monday, Aug 30, 2010 at 11:14
Monday, Aug 30, 2010 at 11:14
Had the same issue with my P3 controller.
The controller worked fine during a trip to the Flinders earlier this year, however one morning when leaving
camp, every time I pressed on the brakes, the trailer would receive full voltage and lock the trailer brakes. I also noticed the P3 screen would very briefly flash red indicating a connection issue.
After checking the connections, I noticed the trailer plug connection was quite dirty. After cleaning it out with some WD40 I had with me and reconnecting the plug, all returned to normal and I haven't had the issue since.
Milan.
AnswerID:
428915