Lighting / Wiring Problems ????

Ok where do I start?

Just picked up my Nav yesterday from getting new Rear Tray installed.
Has LED lights mounted in the rear of it, which have Diodes on each side for the indicators (to flash at correct speed).

The PROBLEMS........
As soon as ignition is turned on the Parkers/Side Lights come on automatically.....(dim not full bright)
If you leave the lights on then turn ignition off all lights go off, cannot turn Parkers/Side Lights on at all without ignition being started or on accessories for power........
When you put either left or right indicator on, new rear lights work fine but Parkers/Side Lights flash at the front on the car (dim not full bright).......
On front Bar, indicator lights do not flash at all only Parkers/Side Lights with the others but only dim not full bright...........

Now the ignition problem with lights automatically turning on and front bar indicator lights not working started happening before I had new tray & LED lights fitted.........I am totally lost as to why it is happening.

Could it possibly have anything to do with Turbo Timer plugged into ignition loom..............not sure what would make lights come on automatically when keys turned on, and not working at all with no power? ??? ? ? ? ? ? ?? ?

DOES ANYONE AT ALL HAVE ANY IDEAS AS TO WHAT IT MIGHT BE.......

Seems a bit strange, I have no idea why the ignition circuit is playing havoc with the lights or the other way around, they shouldn't be connected to each other unless the newer Navs are like late model Commodores/Falcons where if you turn the ignition off then shut the door the headlights turn off.

Dim lights generally mean bad earth somewhere, for example the tail lights might be getting an earth back through the indicator globe instead, and if the earth on that light is bad there it will get one through both lights at the front and the side lights, which is why it is dim, you have the resistance of all the globes to give the light with the bad earth somewhere to earth, if you were to draw out the circuit, you would end up with the tail light in series to a parallel circuit of the 4 other indicator lights.

The only place where ignition and lights come together that I know of at least on a 2003 Nav is at the car stereo, stereo is powered from the ignition, and the head unit also gets a signal from the headlight circuit to dim its lighting when the lights are on.

Anyway, do the process of elimination, find the plug to the rear harness and unplug it, on my Nav it's under the drivers seat from memory, then runs back from there to power tail lights, indicators, etc.

If you still get a problem, then it isn't that, it's further forward somewhere.

Just thought of something else, but rather than re-write the post, was the car in reverse when you turned the ignition on? If the reverse light has a bad earth and it's earth is linked off the tail lights and indicators it could be a case of getting an earth working there.

Hope this helps, bad earth problems can be tricky to sort some times.

No worries, thanks for your input about to start problem solving now.............
Let you know if I have any luck !!

Electrical problems with random symptoms as you describe are almost always earthing problems. If you have just had a tray replaced I would be looking for a pinched cable or something around that area, as long as the problem wasn't there before.

If you lived in Brissie I would come and give you a hand to search.

Well after many hours of problem solving, its fixed.
Found that plug under the drivers seat, disconnected rear wiring loom, problem was still occuring so wasnt anything to do with new tray or new LED tail lights. Had some replacement LED parker lights in the front and also in bar changed them back to originals, problem still occuring.
Pulled fuse out that ran the JVC Head unit, reversing camera and UHF.... it then blew the Tail Lamp fuse, which I thought was odd.
Due to there being so many devices/Amps drawn from stereo/uhf & reversing camera thought I might replace 10A fuse with a 15A, also replaced blown Tail Lamp fuse. Turned it all back on and away she all went, plugged rear loom back in, they all worked, put LED globes back in front & bar, still working........
It now all works, so all in all upgrading 10A fuse to 15A disconnecting everything and plugging it all back in 1 by 1 it seemed to fix the problem, not too sure if it will re-occur, hopefully not, bit of a strange one.

Have attached some photos of the new tray, looks the goods (to me).

Some more pics.

I dont think the fuse fixed it, unplugging/plugging maybe fixed a dirty/crappy connection?

Glad you got it fixed though, they can be a pain to trace.

Nice looking tray too. Have you done any suspension upgrade? How much weight do you think its added fully kitted?

Yeah its got me stuffed what it was, when audio fuse was removed I lost all my Parkers/Side Lights and dash lights, only when putting in bigger amperage fuse could I get them all back working.................its got me.

EDIT Just saw your new post, "when audio fuse was removed I lost all my Parkers/Side Lights and dash lights" is the answer to your problem.

It sounds like you have connected something to the black wire in the stereo loom, this black wire is the headlight circuit feed to tell the stereo to dim its lighting, but for all intents and purposes it checks out as a ground with a multimeter with the lights off.

Check your your parker/tail fuse and see if this is blown, when you connect something to that stereo dim wire it will almost always blow the parker/tail fuse.

Yeah now with everything on, Stereo, UHF, Reversing Camera, lights and hazards it all still works, thought I'd try and turn everything on at once to test circuit......but all works now. Previously couldnt get any lights without ignition on and no side lights or dash lights at all with fuse out??

Not sure if you have seen my edited post, check it.

Yeah just read it then, that sounds exactly what has happened, actually got the Stereo/UHF & reversing camera fitted through a local audio shop for $150 (they where quiet, wonder why now?) Not sure why problem has only just arised recently though. Might have to take it back and get them to re-wire that connection if its going to be an ongoing problem............guessing they just need to find another earth thats all !!

Brisbanite said:

I dont think the fuse fixed it, unplugging/plugging maybe fixed a dirty/crappy connection?

Glad you got it fixed though, they can be a pain to trace.

Nice looking tray too. Have you done any suspension upgrade? How much weight do you think its added fully kitted?

Click to expand...

Tray builders said that it would of added approx. 200-220 kg's over the standard styleside tub plus the tool boxes and tools/stock inside. Without finding a weigh bridge locally im guessing overall around 500-600 kg's extra weight in the rear end.

Thinking of putting in the bolt on type Bellows Air Bags as boxes tools/stock all come off easy on the weekends, so need the adjustment.

Also have been pricing up the EFS 2" lift kits, best price i have so far is $1600 installed..............plus I'll do the air bags myself sooner rather than later.

Any recommendations or suggestions from anyone ??

I got a quote today on a 2" EFS kit, $1276 + $250 for fitting, includes wheel alignment. I've been researching EFS, Ironman & Durashock. I will be going EFS.

Yeah from what I have read up on and heard from others the EFS kit seems to be the way to go, decent warranty on them aswell. Just got to wait for some cash from K RUDD...........With front steel bar should get around 35-45mm lift in front and about 40-50mm in the rear plus the adjustment with the air bags....

Ok its been a while but have finally got around to spending some time trouble shooting my wiring/lighting problems. Pulled out the stereo, eventually found that the standard Nissan wiring loom has a blue wire which is on the same circuit as the headlights, which my stereo installers had connected to the blue wire on the head unit (which is for an electric antenna which my NAV doesnt have) so guessing that would of been causing problems.

Also when trying to replace the number plate globes with LED globes could only get the passenger side working, checked the wiring from the light back to the plugs connected to the main standard Nissan loom, passenger side wired positive feed to the centre of the globe, drivers side wired in reverse. LED globes are polarity conscious so reversed the wiring and what do know, it all works.

So now touch wood, I have all lighting working correctly and LED globes almost everywhere......leaving plenty of power for my main headlights.

Cheers guys.

Matt - VNET Pro said:

LED globes almost everywhere......

Click to expand...

LEGEND!

What did all the LED globes set you back?

Off the top off my head, the front wedge type parkers where $14 (4 LED), front bar parkers where $16 (7 LED), number plate lights $16 (7 LED), Rear tail/stop/reverse combo lights $150 pair (Bursons) as have a tray installed. Little in cabin LED's only about $5 each. Looks heaps better also.