Brake controller

[BozDMAX]

On a trip to TN from upstate NY and noticed my brake controller (a Jordan Ultima that I have had on the truck for 4 years) was suddenly not showing any current even though the continuity light shows it hooked up. I put a meter on the truck side of the connector and it shows 12V on the brake line even WITHOUT applying the brakes.

I don't think that's right... By my way of thinking, push brake and it applies voltage to the line to activate the brakes.

Since I am sitting here in the middle of a thunderstorm, I will wait until later to pull some more wires and check again.

Anyone ever see anything like this?

[HowieE]

Hi BozDMAX

I have been using a Jordan for close to 10 years and Have not seen that one.

I just measured mine and yes there is voltage on the brake line with the trailer disconnected. However it is about a volt lower than the power feed to the trailer. This is how the Jordan sences the trailer. I would assume if you hooked up a dummy load, a head lamp, to the brake lead at the rear of your truck the light would not light. That circuit while the controller is not applying the brakes is current limited other wise your trailer brakes would be on at all time.

To test the controller. If you have an amp meter designed to fit over the brake lead clip it ovr the brake line and push the pedal down while the trailer is hooked up. The current should advance as you depress the pedal. If you don't have an amp meter. Unhook the trailer. Take a dummy load such as a head lamp and while the lamp is hooked into the brake lead at the rear bumper and ground have someone slowly depress the brake pedal. The lamp should brighten as they advance the pedal.

If either test shows current to the rear I would hook the trailer up and while driving slowly push in the manual button on the controller. If these tests all produce the desired results I would assume the digidal display on the controller is bad but you still have trailer brakes.

Mr. Jordan is great and will answer your questions Monday if you call
800 533 0306

[BozDMAX]

Howie - Jordan is a great guy, I spoke to him last year for some help and it is nice to talk to the guy who designed the thing.

But he just sold the company to Camco and they are trying to get up to speed. They are working with him to re-engineer the 2020 for adjustable brake pedals and won't have the new product out until early next year.

Been all over the internet and Camco has called their dealer network trying to find one somewhere but looks like I am out of luck.

I did pick up a Prodigy at Camping World in Chattanooga the other day and will use it. I know a lot of folks speak pretty highly of them, but the instructions are three times as long with a cheat sheet of indications you get on the controller, limits galore on placement, and it looks like it will take up twice as much room as my Jordan.

I haven't even installed the thing and I already hate it ;-)

Thanks for the help

[rat4go]

The Prodigy instructions are typical CYA for a big company. Don't mount it sideways as it'll freak out the acceleromter inside. Once you actually USE the thing, you'll find that everything is very similar to a typical controller with a gain adjustment. The only difference is the 'boost' feature that you get by pushing the button on the top right of the controller. That one takes some trial and error depending on the trailer you're towing and what you like, but there's only 4 settings (no boost, level 1,2, and 3 boost) so it's not so tough. The rest of the instructions are only worth while IF you get an error code on the display. My instructions ride in the glove box for just such an emergency.

I can't compare the Prodigy to a Jordan as I've never used a Jordan, but compared to the standard Draw-Tite PoS that everyone ends up with the very first time they need and buy a controller, the Prodigy is a DREAM, especially in stop and go stuff where the Draw-tite gave you a pile of trailer brake every time you touched the brake pedal a little unless you shut it off. Having shut off my draw-tite PoS then forgot it was off later when I needed to slow down in a hurry due to some cell-phone-talking idiot who was about to miss his exit while driving 85mph in the fast lane, I decided that I needed something that didn't rely on me to dial gain down in traffic, then back up again when traffic cleared. The Prodigy fits that bill perfectly, and I can easily move it from one truck to the other in a matter of seconds!

Good luck!

Rat4go

[BozDMAX]

My intiial impressions are that installation might have been a bit easier than the Jordan, adjustment for trailering was quite a bit more involved. We have another 1000 miles to go on the trip and then I want to use a couple different trailers I pull from time to time and then will write up a more complete comparison.