Prodigy Fault Code

[Dick Langendorff]

I was on a trip this past weekend and had a code of SH at first and the oL. At times it seemed like I had no trailer brakes, and at other times, I did. When I got to the camp ground I called Tekonsha and talked to them. They said to check the circuit, etc.



What I was looking for was the procedure for checking out where the problem might be. As as an example, use your multi tester, put the red lead on the blue brake wire connector, and the black lead on a good ground. Have someone press on the brake pedal and check the reading. You should have, "X" or etc.



Since it appears that I have some braking on the trailer, with the "oL" code on the Prodigy, have I lost braking on only 1 wheel, 2, etc. And, how do I check.



The axels are Dexter NevRlube. 6000lb. If I have to remove the drum, what is the torque to put back together? I figure the axels have around 20,000 miles on them.



As of now, I'm seeking any and all input to try and fix this situation.



If any of you experts wants to come by, there is free coffee or ?



'04 265/460 2 wheel drive auto - stock.

Tow a 33' Titanium 5th wheel



Thanks

 

[BDaugherty]

I don't own a Prodigy, but I have been around them. I think the "sh" would mean short circuit which means that the little computer inside the prodigy reads too little resistance in the trailer brake circuit. "ol" would be the opposite. It means open circuit which would be infinite resistance. I don't happen to know what the normal resistance of 1 trailer brake magnet would be, but it's pretty easy to check.



1st: Exactly like you said with the meter. Check the resistance between ground and the brake wire. Visually inspect your wire harness and connectors. The plastic 7 way connectors and cheap to buy and cheaply made. Do you have a loose fit or excessive corrosion? If the blue "brake" wire rubbed against the frame, it would show a short. If it rubbed in half, it would show an open. A wire rubbing could also show intermittent symptoms and different symptoms as it moves around.



2nd: How many miles on your trailer brakes? Very worn magnets could cause exactly the scenario you described. If you have a lot of miles on your brakes, you might do a tear down and inspect at this point if you haven't found anything at this point.



3rd: You might check the wiring on the truck itself. I think you can buy a tester for a reasonable amount or go to a RV place and have it tested... or use a meter. You may need to try to narrow the malfunction down to just one brake. How many brakes do you have? Can you disconnect one of the axles? (only if you have brakes on more than one axle)

 

[Dick Langendorff]

Thanks for the input, I'll try some of that tomorrow or the next day and let you know. I have around 20,000 miles on the trailer. 4 brakes, 2 axels.

 

[kbarlow]

S. H = Prodigy detects brake wire short during idle condition (flashing)

o. L = Prodigy "sees" an overload condition during operation



Ken

 

[georgej]

The nut that holds the hub to the axle should be torqued to 150 ft. lbs. Get a good six point socket to loosen as they will be very tight and are a short jam nut style nut. I had to use my 650ft. lb impact wrench. . Good luck

 

[MLee]

Your brake wires are located inside the axles. The rusting and the rough surface inside will chew the insulation on the wire and cause you to have wire to metal contact, causing a direct short. This is exactly what happened to me, I rewired out side the axle and never had another problem with that trailer.

 

[wbrown02]

I had a similar problem and the same codes... ... I found that the wires attached to the magnets had rubbed through the insulation about two inches up from the magnet where the wire wrapped around the actuator arm. I added heat shrink insulation and a wrap around type wire case... ... All three magnets on the right side had the same wear while the three on the left side had almost none... ... ..... Good luck as brake shorts are sometimes hard to find... ... ..... Check with the axle manufacture about the torque on the wheel hub... ... . 150 lbs. seems way too tight to me... ... Most axles I have ever seen require not much more than finger tight.

 

[georgej]

The axles are "Dexter neverlube". Different ball game.