Prodigy Controller - Short Code

Discuss with others about towing. What is the best tow vehicle, hitches, brake controllers, etc, keeping in mind that everybody has his/her favorite.

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Don Wilson
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Prodigy Controller - Short Code

Post by Don Wilson »

Okay on the way home from Jackson I got the code SH which I found out stands for Short. It seems to come on when coming of a freeway and stopping. It goes off after driving a few seconds. My buddy and I have been checking out the problem without any success so I need your input to help me figure it out.
Unlike a typical short it is not permanent but happens intermittently. We checked the wiring and were not able to find any bare spots on the wiring where it might be rubbing on metal. We checked the controller and all of the wires connected to it seem to be working properly.

After working on it for a couple of hours we took it for a 10 mile test drive and could not get it to duplicate the short code. Brought it home and got ready to park it and when I got out to check for level the SH code came flashing.

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Re: Prodigy Controller - Short Code

Post by Roger »

Have you checked the magnets?
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Re: Prodigy Controller - Short Code

Post by dfredendall »

As well as checking for bare wires, confirm that you have a firm ground connection on the truck and trailer. I was having similar issues once and determined the trailer ground wire was loose. Could not find the connection, so added a new one. Brake and controller problem solved.
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Re: Prodigy Controller - Short Code

Post by Don Wilson »

Not yet as we were going to do that yesterday it started raining! I put new brake assemblies on all four wheels last summer.
I did read where someone suggested using a compass and if the polarity changed when you depressed the brake the magnets were okay. The front axle on each side changed the polarity without the brake being pushed but the back axle did not. When the brake was pushed nothing changed the front still changed the polarity but the back axle did not.

I thought about hooking it to another vehicle but without it being a constant code I was not sure how that would help?

I did discover in reading the literature yesterday that I had been running the boost on B1 and should have been running it on B2. The braking was much better when I changed to B2!

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Re: Prodigy Controller - Short Code

Post by dfredendall »

The brake wires run inside the axles from left to right. There is a plastic grommet at the entry and exit hole. Those grommets fail eventually and a bare spot can be rubbed in the wire. There is wire slack inside the tube so you might check for bad spots there. Sounds like your back axle may be the culprit, Intermittent road bump induced codes suggests loose crimper or bare wire.
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Re: Prodigy Controller - Short Code

Post by watkinsk »

Don, you didn't say but is the SH code only when towing or is it also occurring when driving unhitched? If it is only when hitched, I like the ground wire theory.
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Re: Prodigy Controller - Short Code

Post by Don Wilson »

watkinsk wrote:Don, you didn't say but is the SH code only when towing or is it also occurring when driving unhitched? If it is only when hitched, I like the ground wire theory.
Keith,
It is only when hitched and only when the brakes have been applied usually after a coming to a stop from speed. My next steps are to check the pigtail plug on the trailer, the junction box on the trailer and the receptacle in the bed of the pickup to see if there is a loose wire anywhere.

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Re: Prodigy Controller - Short Code

Post by Don Wilson »

Tracking down a short can be real frustrating as any of you have had to do it can probably testify. We (my friend Rod Hantz) and I spent several hours over four days going through all the tried and true methods suggested by members and all the trouble shooting items in the Prodigy trouble shooting sheets and several we found on the internet.

I took apart the pigtail and found the seven pin connector had gotten wet and had rust on several of the connectors. I went to a local RV Repair shop and got a new connector and replaced it and thinking that would really take care of the SH Code. It did one time but when disconnected and then plugged back in go the SH code.

We checked out the Brake controller and just when we thought had we had gotten everything fixed and could not get the SH Code and I brought it home and the SH code would come back. I called Brad Jacobsma and had him come over and connect the trailer to his truck and controller. Gave us the SH code once. We disconnected the wiring to each axle trying to find out which brake had the short issue but the next several times we tried it could not get it to give us the short code. The brakes continued to work when driving and Brad suggested since everything was working just throwing my hat over the controller and drive lt. However when I put it back on my pickup to take it home not only did I get the SH code but also the O L "overload" code as well as the N C "not connected" code and the brakes were no longer stopping the trailer.

I woke up at 4:45 am this morning with the brakes on my mind and could not go back to sleep. We decided to get another pigtail connector and two rolls of wire and only hook up the two wires for the brakes and ground. Once we got that set we hooked it up to the front axle and disconnected the rear axle and got ready to do a test drive after only getting the "C"connected code. Got in the truck and started to pull off and three feet of moving got the SH Code. Then hooked the two wire set up to the rear axle . Got the "C" connected code and started the test drive and got the SH code. We decided to pull the wires out of the axles and found bare wires spots on the wiring from both axles. Replaced the wiring with new wire and took it on a 20 mile test ride and kept applying the brakes frequently and NO MORE PROBLEMS!

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Re: Prodigy Controller - Short Code

Post by BMullins46 »

Glad you found your problem and fixed it, "NO BRAKES" is NO FUN!
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Re: Prodigy Controller - Short Code

Post by dpalmer »

What an ordeal :cry: But glad you got it fixed :d :thumbrt:
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Re: Prodigy Controller - Short Code

Post by Roger »

I'm glad you finally found it. I hope you left the new wires on the outside of the axle. I eliminated the wire on the inside of the axle by gong to discs. It sounds like it took me less time to do the conversion than it took you to find the problem
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Re: Prodigy Controller - Short Code

Post by Don Wilson »

Roger wrote:I'm glad you finally found it. I hope you left the new wires on the outside of the axle. I eliminated the wire on the inside of the axle by gong to discs. It sounds like it took me less time to do the conversion than it took you to find the problem
Roger
Yes we did leave the wires on the outside of the axle! The bare spots were not in the area where the wire went through the axle but some where close to the middle of the axle. Yes we probably could have done the disc conversion faster than it took us to find the short and with lots less frustration!

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Re: Prodigy Controller - Short Code

Post by dfredendall »

Way to go Don. Now you are an expert!
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Re: Prodigy Controller - Short Code

Post by Don Wilson »

dfredendall wrote:Way to go Don. Now you are an expert!
I would say experienced not an expert!

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Re: Prodigy Controller - Short Code

Post by dfredendall »

Just think. In the old days a fuse might blow and no warning or indication of the issue might be present. Now our trucks and equipment are smarter than we are. It is nice, and scary at the same time. Happy Travels.
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