2004 Pathfinder Tire Carrier Warning Light

[awesometakespractice]

Usually when I Google a problem with my 2004 Pathfinder, I find plenty of other people that have also had it, but this one seems to be unique to me. This morning, my tire carrier open warning light started coming on faintly (maybe half as bright as the seatbelt warning light, for example) when the vehicle is in motion, but slowly flickers off as I come to a rest.

But here's the kicker: my Pathfinder did not come with a rear-mount tire carrier; my spare tire is mounted underneath.

Anyone here have any thoughts on what might be causing this, or how I can fix it?

[Towncivilian]

Ensure none of the door switches are damaged.

[awesometakespractice]

do you mean the regular door switches? i will check, but it's a different warning light than for those.

[Towncivilian]

Yes, I meant the regular door switches. I remember when I had some busted front door switches the tire carrier warning light would flicker once in a while.

[Buzzman]

There's a Tire Carrier Warning Light?

[ferrariowner123]

There's a Tire Carrier Warning Light?

Yup, its really annoying, i get the point but i think it can be a little sensitive sometimes.

I have to slam my tire carrier to get the hitch to not only lock but get the light to turn off.

What i don't get is he has a 2004 with a warning light for a option that i didn't know existed on the face lifted R50's?

Towncivilian, do you have any light you can shine on this?

-Kyle

[Towncivilian]

R50s had tire carriers as an option.

2004 instrument cluster has LEDs for all the warning lamps, so an LED is still there regardless of the vehicle's options.

[awesometakespractice]

yes, what towncivilian said.

i think i figured it out why it was on...sort of. it was raining heavy the day of my OP and i drove an hour on the highway in the morning before i noticed the tire carrier light. on the way home that day, the light was still on, but a bigger problem was that my passenger side floor was soaked, and water was pouring in from behind my glove box whenever i turned left. i dried the floor mats but i think there is still some residual water - i can still hear it sloshing a little when i turn on the a/c fan and when i turn left.

anyway, the tire carrier light has stayed off since that day, so i am assuming it was the water causing a short. but unfortunately, i have not found the source of the water problem yet

[Towncivilian]

Do you have a sunroof? Does the rear washer fluid nozzle spit out fluid? Is your coolant level in the overflow reservoir at "MAX" when the engine is cold?

[awesometakespractice]

i do have a sunroof. the rear washer fluid nozzle works fine. coolant level is at "max" when cold.

[Towncivilian]

Check for debris build up in the sunroof drain hoses. See BT-58.

[91Path]

I had the same issues mine does not have a sunroof so what it was is the water was coming from the airconditioning drain being clogged. That took care of the water on the pass side footwell. The warning light from the spare tire carrier could also come from the door switches. What I did is add a smear of silicone on the rubber cover of the door/spare tire switch let it dry for a while and then close the door this provided a flexible layer which pushes the switch deeper when the door is closed.

[awesometakespractice]

Yes, mine ended up being the A/C drain as well. I just couldn't find it for the life of me so I had to pay Meineke $40 to do it for me. Still don't know where the heck it is...