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  Nissan Pathfinder underpowers left trailer light

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Author Topic:   Nissan Pathfinder underpowers left trailer light
cgodfrey posted 06-16-2009 12:24 AM ET (US)   Profile for cgodfrey   Send Email to cgodfrey  
My tow vehicle (2001 Nissan Pathfinder) has a weak trailer light. It's weak at the 4 prong connector pigtail, so it's definitely the truck not the trailer.

It's only the left turn/brake light (yellow wire) that's underpowered and giving me problems. Doesn't matter if engine is running or not.

Possible culprits?
Bad truck ground? (Wouldn't all lights be affected?)
Bad flasher unit? (All vehicle lights function perfectly)

Not sure where to start on this one. Any advice appreciated.

CG

Jefecinco posted 06-16-2009 09:06 AM ET (US)     Profile for Jefecinco  Send Email to Jefecinco     
Perhaps you have a high resistance connection in the wiring to the left trailer running light.

I'd check the light assembly ground wire connection to the trailer frame first. This area is subject to more dunking and corrosion than others. If that fails to reveal the problem I'd work my way forward through all other connections up to the splice in the truck wiring harness.

Butch

L H G posted 06-16-2009 11:45 AM ET (US)     Profile for L H G    
It's probably the left tail light's ground wire, especially if you have a plastic license plate holder. The ground wire should be attached against the metal light bracket, under the plastic holder.
cgodfrey posted 06-16-2009 12:23 PM ET (US)     Profile for cgodfrey  Send Email to cgodfrey     
It's definitely the truck. It tests weak at the truck itself.

(My wife has the vehicle at the moment, otherwise I'd be proactively tracing the connection backwards looking for bad grounds)

How many places does a trailer light pigtail ground on an automobile? Does that white wire split off into multiple grounds?

CG

Jerry Townsend posted 06-16-2009 12:48 PM ET (US)     Profile for Jerry Townsend  Send Email to Jerry Townsend     
As others have pointed out - the problem is a high resistance in that circuit. The high resistance can be in the "hot" wire - or the ground.

Your checking the connector and letting us know the voltage is underpowered shows the problem is in the vehicle. Now - is the left turn signal/brake working properly on the vehicle? If that is the case, the high resistance is between the splice and the connector. If the left turn signal / brake light is not working properly, the problem is "upstream" of that light.

The high resistance can be many things - a poor connection, corroded wires, a cold solder joint, et al. If the problem is associated only with the one light - the problem is not in the "common" ground - but it must be in the circuit of that faulty light. --------- Jerry/Idaho

fishgutz posted 06-16-2009 01:01 PM ET (US)     Profile for fishgutz  Send Email to fishgutz     
Check if yourvehicle has a converter as described below. I had one go bad and the lights did all kinds of crazy things. This is from
http://hitches4less.com/troubleshooting-trailer-wiring.html
Troubleshooting Trailer Wiring and Frequently Asked Questions


Q: What is a converter?
A: Two types of taillight designs are found on vehicles: an independent bulb system and a common bulb system. If the brake light and turn signal operate from the same bulb, the taillight design is common. If the brake light and turn signal work from separate bulbs, the design is independent. The industry standard found on trailers is a common bulb system. Vehicles will vary depending on the make and model. Any vehicle that has an independent bulb system must have a converter to “convert” the independent system to a common system, which is required on a trailer. A converter enables vehicles with independent brake lights and turn signals to provide proper lighting to the trailer.


cgodfrey posted 06-16-2009 01:28 PM ET (US)     Profile for cgodfrey  Send Email to cgodfrey     
Much appreciated, gentlemen.

All lights on the vehicle work properly, so I'll concentrate my examination on the yellow wire between the connector and the splice first.

CG

fishgutz posted 06-16-2009 01:34 PM ET (US)     Profile for fishgutz  Send Email to fishgutz     
I'm not sure about your particular vehicle. If your trailer lights on your Pathfinder came wired from the factory the converter may be hidden pretty good. I had to have an after market one installed when I had my hitch installed. It is between the taillights and the plug/outlet for the lights at the hitch. Usually behind one of the taillights. Mine is a small plastic box about 2 inches long by 1 inch wide and about a half inch thick.
This is a pretty common problem.

A U-haul hitch installer can diagnose the problem pretty cheaply.

Jerry Townsend posted 06-16-2009 03:44 PM ET (US)     Profile for Jerry Townsend  Send Email to Jerry Townsend     
CG - You are basically there - the problem has to be in that wire/connection. -------- Jerry/Idaho
Greg Hiller posted 06-16-2009 04:15 PM ET (US)     Profile for Greg Hiller  Send Email to Greg Hiller     
My 2004 Chevy has the trailer towing package. With this set up there is a "modual" that seperates the truck lights and the trailer harness. I had to replace the modual,$26.00 Auto Zone,last year because of a similar problem. There was no stop light voltage on the trailer plug on the truck. The signal light voltage was fine. This was on the right side only and all other lights worked. Since the stop light and turn signal share the same wire from the "modual" the problem had to be and was the modual. I believe I caused the problem by drawing too much current because of the camper that fits in the back of the truck. The camper had 2 stop light bulbs on each side plus the boat trailer bulb added up to too much for the modual.
Long winded responce (sorry) but if the connection to your yellow wire are good, check to see if there is a "tow package modual" on your Nisson. Your ground must be good if all the other lights are ok.
fishgutz posted 06-18-2009 09:19 AM ET (US)     Profile for fishgutz  Send Email to fishgutz     
Well cgodfrey? What's the verdict. I gotta know. Don't leave us hangin'.
cgodfrey posted 06-18-2009 02:15 PM ET (US)     Profile for cgodfrey  Send Email to cgodfrey     
Pathfinder's my wife's car, so I don't think I'll be able to get to it until next weekend.

And even then, another off day spent ripping through her truck, doing something definitely NOT on the honey-do list, will need to be done with some subtlety...

If I can't find the bad connection in the yellow wire, I indend to simply go buy a new model-specific wiring kit and be done with it.

CG

jaxmyth posted 06-18-2009 10:15 PM ET (US)     Profile for jaxmyth  Send Email to jaxmyth     
It is the converter. If you look under you rear bumper attached to the frame there is a little black box that has tail rt tail. Brake or whatever on it four wires, grn white brn yellow. That's the converter. Replace it and you will be golden. I have a 2002 frontier and it is a common problem with the nissan factory tow package
cgodfrey posted 06-19-2009 05:29 AM ET (US)     Profile for cgodfrey  Send Email to cgodfrey     
Insight Much appreciated, jax.

I found the Hidden Hitch (OEM?) converter box as I was tracing back (I didn't find any bad connections or damaged wires...) and I wondered to myself if simply replacing it would solve all my problems and save me future headaches. I think it just might.

CG

jaxmyth posted 06-19-2009 08:33 AM ET (US)     Profile for jaxmyth  Send Email to jaxmyth     
I assure you it will fix the problem.if you can strip and crimp some wires they sell a universal kit at your local auto parts store as the one from the dealer will be nearly double the price.I believe I paid around 40 dollars for the one I got. Good luck
cgodfrey posted 06-19-2009 11:41 PM ET (US)     Profile for cgodfrey  Send Email to cgodfrey     
Double?

I called every auto parts store and every Nissan dealer in Milwaukee. The only people who had the plug and play (no splice) kit in stock was a dealer who wanted $160 for it.

Uhaul has a universal (splice in) kit for $16.

I found a plug and play kit on eBay for $30.

I'm going to go with the eBay kit in the unlikey event the problem is between the tail light and converter.

CG

Chuck Tribolet posted 06-20-2009 12:12 AM ET (US)     Profile for Chuck Tribolet  Send Email to Chuck Tribolet     
I've got an '01 Pathfinder. No factory option for trailer
wiring.


Chuck

superdave_gv posted 06-20-2009 09:03 AM ET (US)     Profile for superdave_gv  Send Email to superdave_gv     

I had the same thing happen to me and my Toyota Tacoma-- actually both problems mentioned here.

I think all the imports need the "box" spliced in. Yours may have one with matching plugs -- that would be easy if you found a match.

A locally owned muffler shop (that also does hitches) installed my hitch a couple years ago. My lights weren't working well and they swapped out the box in 15 minutes. They did it for free because the previous one had only lasted two years.

My left lamp was still dim when I got home. So I took the boat up there and they showed me where the washers on the license plate holder need to complete the ground. Took 5 minutes.

If you get in a pickle, skip the dealer and locate a locally owned muffer shop or truck customization shop (think Line-X / Rhino / chrome add-ons). You might find a low cost place that is great to work with.

fishgutz posted 06-20-2009 09:50 AM ET (US)     Profile for fishgutz  Send Email to fishgutz     
cgodfrey,
The uhaul store on Hwy100 near I94 has taken exceptional care of me in the past. They installed 3 hitches and 3 sets of wiring for me at only a few dollars more than buying the stuff myself on line. Also Coffey trailers on 38th & Lincoln Ave. is good.

Those converter boxes just go bad at times. Not from water damage or anything. They just go bad. Some do, some don't.

weekendwarrior posted 06-21-2009 11:34 AM ET (US)     Profile for weekendwarrior  Send Email to weekendwarrior     
The same thing happened to my Tacoma, weak and flaky lights on one side of the trailer due to low voltage from the truck. For me, it was the little electronic box that clips in-line with the truck wiring harness to give you the trailer light plug. That little box had gone bad. Got a new one online at a trailer store, don't remember the brand, but unplugged the old box, plugged in the new box and presto, everything worked. Maybe you have a similar setup?
ChiTown Cetacean posted 06-30-2009 10:56 PM ET (US)     Profile for ChiTown Cetacean  Send Email to ChiTown Cetacean     
I agree it is probably the converter. It is not under the rear bumper on the Pathfinder. It is located in the cargo area under the plastic interior panel on the driver side.

Here is a video with the installation instructions. There are converter kits which have connectors to tap into the Nissan OEM wiring. But you can splice in pretty easily too if you decide to use a generic kit and save a few bucks. This is especially true if you are replacing an existing converter, since you can just cut the wires off at the old converter and attach the new converter to the these wires using butt splices and matching wire colors, etc.

http://www.etrailer.com/tv-wiring-Install-2000-Nissan-Pathfinder.aspx

Tony

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