I am actually posting for my dad. He got a prodigy for christmas to replace his old delayed brake controller. Well he got it all wired up and says it works great except for when he slides the lever to manually activate the trailer brakes. It does activate the trailer brakes, but it doesn't turn the brakes lights on. Truck or trailer. He has tried 2 different harnesses with no luck. So my question for you guys is, is something wrong with his new controller? Truck is a 1992 F250, also the old controller he took out DOES turn on the truck and trailer brake lights when he slides the lever. Thanks for any help

 

I don't recall checking to see if mine did that or not, I don't have a trailer any more.
It may just be the way the prodigy functions. I'm not sure why it is a big concern though, with the prodigy he really shouldn't need to manually activate the brake controller at all unless he is using it to stop sway or something.
When adjusted correctly, I have seen no reason to manually activate the brakes except when I am adjusting the controller.

 

He thinks that if he is activating the brakes then the brake lights should come on. I agree with him. Or if he ever manually activates the trailer brakes in an emergency. If it is normal, then it is what it is

 

Maybe someone else will chime in, I never checked with mine and won't be hooking up a trailer for another two weeks. Has he tried just calling the manufacturer and asking?

I agree that it should come on, but it wouldn't bother me a bit if didn't, personally.

 

The trucks brake lights coming on is what activates the BC when you hit the pedal...

When you use the slid bar to manually activate the brakes, the brake lights should come on the truck and the trailer... I'm only going by memory on this, as I do hit my lever when I first pull out with the trailer to make sure they are working and have good action..

I seem to recall seeing the brake lights reflecting off the front of the trailer when I do this... It's only a recall of this, but I'm pretty sure this is the case.

You say that the trailer brakes don't activate at all when he slides the bar, right? If that's the case, then something else is amiss I'd say??

For a 1992 year truck, don't you have to wire the BC manually in the truck? It's not like the 1997 + that have this already done all the way to the bumper....

I'm sure Colorado will be by soon with the answer to this for sure!! He does this stuff for a living!!

Mitch

 

The trailer brakes are activating when he hits the slider, but no brake lights on the truck or trailer

 

Gottcha... Re read your original post too...

Humm... Do the trailer brake lights come on when the brake pedal is pressed?

Not sure where I'm going with that, but just asking..

I won't have my trailer hooked up to the truck until May, but I'm going to check it out to be sure myself!

Mitch

 

I am pulling my trailer tomorrow, I'll try to remember to check...

 

I have the p3 controller, and it does NOT turn on the brake lights when you use the manual trailer brake lever. Truck or trailer...

 

Hmm. Interesting. Thanks avfrog. I told him to just call tekonsha, he says he will tonight.

 

Right on. My mother in law has an older cheap controller and it lights up the truck brake lights even when the trailer isn't hooked up. It isn't a Tekonsha though. I'm sure that they are all different.

 

I thought I would post up. My dad called tekonsha and talked directly to a tech. The tech had "no idea". SO he is going to return it and try another one

 

^ I bet that is just the way they are.

 

I think so too.

 

I agree, I think they are just like that.
The lights on the trailer are controlled by the brake switch on the pedal. The same switch is what activates the brake controller of course. The prodigy doesn't feed back into that switch to turn the lights on, the output is simply for the brake power so it doesn't trigger the lights.

I do remember old school brake controllers that were manually wired in, and they would turn on the trucks brake lights when manually activated.