Trailer brake controller.

[HarryOlson]

I had to replace my 7 pole trailer wiring socket as the factory wiring harness connector/socket would not stay connected and I kept losing the trailer brake lights. I spliced in a new female socket to the bumper and everything works well except the trailer brakes. I have a Prodigy controller and it shows it has power to it but, other than being able to tune it to 6. 1, 6. 2 or 6. 3, it does not work. When I spliced the wires I found there were 8 wires to the factory connector that snaps onto the factory socket but the replacement socket has only a 7 wire connector. All wire colors were different except for two that were black so I combined the 2 black wires into one pole. Suggestions?

 

[HBarlow]

Put your Prodigy in a garbage can where it belongs and purchase a real trailer brake controller. MaxBrake.

 

[Crunch]

Don't know about your specific problem, but I have a Prodigy brake controller and have been very pleased with it over the last 200K miles. No complaints whatsoever.

 

[RDThompson]

It sounds as though you have a complete cicuit until you place a load on it. Recheck your connections in the connector and at the brake controller. I believe the blue wire does the work.

Your problem may lie with the trailers wiring. Do you have another you can connect to for a test?

I experienced a problem once (of my own making) where I had inadvertently juxtaposed wires on the back of the receptacle because I was looking at the back of the plug.



I have used a Prodigy in my last two trucks, They have given yeoman service in both.

 

[GCroyle]

This is a bit late, don't know if you found it. Hopkins makes a factory replacement 7 blade that connects directly to the existing Dodge harness connector. I picked up their trailer connector catalog at an Advance show last month.



Hopkins numbers 42145 and 42190, available at Advance and others.



Trailer Wiring Solutions, Brake Controllers, RV Levels - Hopkins Towing Solutions



I think you will find that Dodge ran 2 light gage wires paired as a ground, but that is from the memory bank, not a drawing right now.

 

[jelag]

Harry

Harvey was a little rude... and Harvey knows better, he can explain the features. .

but the Brake Smart and MaxBrake both use a senor or pressure transducer attached to the master cylinder... you program in your load and the controller functions when you apply the brake... the more pressure the more brake. Its all in the pressure transducer.

What I truly like about this style of brake controller is that in a panic stop when you nail the brake pedal its responds much faster than the other styles of brake controllers, thus giving you more trailer brakes when you really need them...

Over all they are superior in my personal opinion to the other styles... . I used to own a group of work trucks and trailers hauling heavy castings... we had lots of miles with great control...

BTW - I don''t have a wiring diagram in front of me... but what Gary mentions above sounds right to me... 2 ground wires... Hope this helps. .