Tekonsha 90885 Prodigy P2 Proportional Trailer Brake Controller

Proportional Braking

With a proportional brake controller, you can get heavy-duty emergency braking, general braking or slow-to-an-idle braking for your trailer automatically. The intensity with which your trailer brakes are activated and the rate at which they are applied are dependent on the deceleration of your tow vehicle. This means that, unlike time-delay controllers - which send the same amount of preset power to your trailer brakes every time - proportional controllers are able to adapt to every braking situation differently. So, if you slam on the brakes in your truck, your trailer brakes will activate with that same extreme intensity. And if you merely slow down as you approach a red light, your trailer will gradually brake in the same manner. Just set the initial power level, select a boost setting, and you're good to go.

As long as the P2 controller sits level on a horizontal plane and is pointed in the direction of travel, it will sense - via an internal inertia sensor - how your tow vehicle brakes. This inertia-based sensor responds to the deceleration of your tow vehicle as you brake by signaling the controller to send out enough power to your trailer brakes so that they are activated with an intensity that matches. The result is uniform braking across your towing setup. No push-pull action - just smooth, proportional braking every time.

Power Boost for Heavy-Duty Towing

Aside from smoother, more efficient braking, Tekonsha's P2 brake controller also offers a boost feature that gives you more initial braking power for those times when you're towing heavy loads. You can switch boost levels so that the power output to your trailer brakes automatically starts out at either 14 percent or 28 percent of the predetermined power setting.

So, if you boost the initial power so that your trailer brakes activate with 28 percent of the overall intensity at the start, the brakes will reach maximum braking faster. This is particularly beneficial if you are towing a heavy load because the intensity required to stop that load may be far greater than that needed to halt your vehicle. Therefore, sending out more initial power to the trailer brakes - and causing them to reach maximum braking faster - allows you to better control the trailer so that it doesn't push your tow vehicle before coming to a complete stop.

If your trailer weighs less than your tow vehicle, no boost is needed. But if you wish to set the boost so that your trailer leads the braking of your towing setup, you can select level B1. The following table gives an indication of when you might use the different boost levels and the power increases that they offer.

*Both B2 and B3 offer a 28-percent boost in initial power. But the braking curve for B3 is more aggressive than that of B2. This means that, even though you will start out with the same intensity when using these boost levels, you will get an overall more aggressive braking experience with the higher level. So if you use B3, you will reach maximum braking sooner than if you use B2.

Safety Features

The Prodigy P2 offers advanced safety features to prevent damage to various components of your towing setup. Integrated reverse battery protection shields the brake controller and your trailer's breakaway system from shorts. When the P2 is not in use, it will be in power-saving mode. In this setting, the power draw falls to only 3.6 milliamps, minimizing drain on your vehicle's battery.

When you stop at red lights, or any time that your truck and trailer are at a standstill with the brakes applied for more than 5 seconds, the P2's "hold" feature will activate. When this happens, the power output to your trailer's brakes will be reduced to just 25 percent of the preset power setting so that the brakes will not overheat.

If ever there is a time that you need to brake your trailer separately from your tow vehicle - when traveling down a steep incline, for example - the manual override lever is easily accessible. Pushing this lever engages the brakes on your trailer with full power. In addition, when you activate this override, the brake lights on your trailer will illuminate, properly warning those behind you of the braking action of your rig.

In addition to all of those safety features listed above, the P2 offers diagnostics such as:

• Open ground
• Overload
• Output short
• Power loss
• No trailer connection

Automatic Leveling and Simple Installation

The self-leveling feature of the P2 ensures that the brake controller continues to function even as you drive up steep hills or through the mountains. Simply mount it in your cab at any vertical angle, and the controller will level itself automatically thanks to its 360-degree rotational range.

Note: The P2 must be mounted on a level horizontal (side-to-side) plane and must be lined up with the direction of travel for the internal sensor to function properly.

Installation is a snap. After mounting the P2 unit in your cab using the included pocket mount, hardwire one end of the included pigtail harness directly into your vehicle. The other end plugs into the brake controller. To transfer the P2 to another vehicle or to remove it for storage, just unplug the unit and slide it out of the pocket mount.

Installation Accessories

For even easier installation, a vehicle-specific wiring adapter (sold separately) is available for most newer trucks and SUVs. One end of the custom adapter plugs into your vehicle, and the other end plugs into the controller - no hardwiring required.