2007 frontier 4wd a/t cruise control voltages

Forum for the Xterra, Frontier and Hardbody, the smaller workhorses of the Nissan lineup!
siataspring
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu May 20, 2021 5:17 am
Car: 2007 Nissan Frontier 4WD A/T

Post

Let me begin by saying I have read a lot on this over complicated subject. My switches are good, brake lights work fine fuse are all good.
My question on this is, does anyone know what the voltage should be on the red wire on the steering wheel on/off switch? Does anyone know how to pick up the other end of the same line after the spiral?
According to my schematic the red wire changes to light blue after the spiral (clock spring) Only book I could find is a Chilton's and normally I think they are almost worthless so I have no trust in what am seeing in the book.
I am thinking it is in the ECU or the clock spring, the thing I need to prove to myself is, is the voltage getting through the clock spring to the switch?
(I have had the switch out of the steering wheel and replaced it still nothing, no light no motor car not a signal luxuries (could not resist the Gilligan's island thing)


User avatar
VStar650CL
Technical Expert
Posts: 8291
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2020 1:25 pm
Car: 2013 Nissan Altima 2.5 SL
2004 Nissan Altima 2.5 S

Post

The weak link in all steering wheel switch systems is the spiral, and on a Frontier it's about 99.99% probable that's your issue. The switches use balance resistors (voltage dividers) to produce an analog voltage output. Here's the WD:

Frontier ASCD Switches.png
There's a fixed-value pullup resistor inside the ECM that provides either 5V or 12V to the SB wire (the documentation doesn't say which). When the system is healthy, each button has a different value resistor that connects to ground and results in a unique balance voltage on SB that corresponds to that button. The ECM simply measures the voltage and decodes it. So, if the spiral's input conductor is healthy, you should see the same voltage on SB and R with no button pushed. If R reads nothing, then the spiral's input circuit is broken. If that looks healthy, put the voltmeter on B on the wheel side and press any button. It should read 0V both pressed and unpressed. If it reads voltage when pressed then the spiral's ground circuit is broken. If you did a lot of reading then I'm somewhat surprised you didn't find out about bad spirals on Nissan trucks -- like I said, 99.99%. It's very, very common.

siataspring
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu May 20, 2021 5:17 am
Car: 2007 Nissan Frontier 4WD A/T

Post

Most of what I saw out there seemed to be more about the pedal switch ,steering wheel switch and brake lights. I saw the spiral on the schematics.
I am going to ring out the voltage on the red wire and record it before and after I make repair. I imagine that I will not get any voltage as it sits now.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge , that's the bounce I needed.

User avatar
VStar650CL
Technical Expert
Posts: 8291
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2020 1:25 pm
Car: 2013 Nissan Altima 2.5 SL
2004 Nissan Altima 2.5 S

Post

You're most welcome! Yes, the most common cause of CC failure is probably bad or mis-adjusted brake switches, but those are easy to sort out. If the system will arm but not engage, it's almost certainly a pedal switch. It's different when it won't arm, that's usually the spiral but can be from a code in ECM like a speed sensor that would prevent the CC from working right. The s/w switches are actually quite sturdy. Unless the wheel has been beaten to death, we see very few switch failures and they should be low on the diagnostic priority list.

By the way, Nissan's documentation almost always calls the cruise "ASCD" (Automatic Speed Control Device) and not cruise control. So when looking in the ESM for help, that's what to search for.

siataspring
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu May 20, 2021 5:17 am
Car: 2007 Nissan Frontier 4WD A/T

Post

FYI
I took the voltage reading from the wire from the clock spring to the ecm. With the key on I had 5 volts.
( my wire color is light blue and white stripes /very light blue) My cheap clock spring lasted a few minutes before it died.
Good thing was it was the 1st time I had the cruise control light on...no matter how brief. Bad thing now I have a air bag alarm and I can not get it to clear I am going to reinstall the old clock spring
At least I am heading the right way. I just bought this a few weeks ago and someone installed a remote start/ alarm in it. I removed it and cleaned up the wiring. they did a hack job. Love the truck!
Thank you again for sharing your knowledge

User avatar
VStar650CL
Technical Expert
Posts: 8291
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2020 1:25 pm
Car: 2013 Nissan Altima 2.5 SL
2004 Nissan Altima 2.5 S

Post

Did you maybe install the clockspring a turn out from center? That will snap it immediately the first time the steering is turned to a lock. The wheels and steering wheel both need to be straight when changing a clockspring.

siataspring
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu May 20, 2021 5:17 am
Car: 2007 Nissan Frontier 4WD A/T

Post

I think you are right because before I left the driveway I cut the wheel left and right and that is when things went wrong. Good thing it was a $21 eBay piece and not a $150 piece

The replacement had a lock on it to keep it from turning I made the call to just install it as set then remove the lock. I guess I screwed up there I saw a video were the guy reset the center. He tightened the clock up one way then counted the full turns the other way then split the difference. The next one I will not assume I will reset it.

I did reinstall the old one and used my code reader to clear the alarm for the air bag so it is as it was. I have not driven yet I think in the morning I will pull it and check the wind is correct prior to me driving it or turning the wheel.

Education is not cheap. I am down $21,but I am up on joining this site. I elect to stay positive, LOL

User avatar
VStar650CL
Technical Expert
Posts: 8291
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2020 1:25 pm
Car: 2013 Nissan Altima 2.5 SL
2004 Nissan Altima 2.5 S

Post

siataspring wrote:
Wed May 26, 2021 5:34 pm
Education is not cheap. I am down $21,but I am up on joining this site. I elect to stay positive, LOL
Back in the early '80's I was working as a Service Advisor (they called us "writers" back then) at a Nissan dealer in NJ, when a customer drove up with a brand new Z bought the day before. The oil light was lit, but the motor wasn't knocking and we'd had a rash of bad senders from the factory anyway. I could easily have grounded the wire to check the gauge, those I6's were easy to work on, but I went with the "probable" and got lazy. That lax moment cost Nissan a pretty penny, it turned out the oil pump was working but very badly. No rapping at idle, but it died on the highway after I let him drive off with an appointment for tomorrow.

To this day, I have no idea why the dealership didn't fire me. My whole life might have been very different if they had, but as an employee, that mistake gifted me with a discipline to attend details and a determination to learn everything, proclivities that have persisted to this day and served me well.

My Dad used to say, "Nature invented pain so we don't repeat the stupid s@%# we did yesterday." Boy, was he right. ;)

siataspring
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu May 20, 2021 5:17 am
Car: 2007 Nissan Frontier 4WD A/T

Post

When I came up in the maritime industry (Steam Ships for Sun Oil) the only people who didn't make mistakes were the ones that didn't do anything. Mistakes happen just do not do the same mistake twice. Your employer probably knew you had it in you to be great at your job and self punishment (guilt) was enough punishment.
Myself I cant work in a dealership atmosphere. I went to ATC (Automotive Training Center) in Exton, Pa in the mid 70's. love working on cars but do not like working with customer. I would beat the heck out of them! My hat is off to you sir, you have done something I could not do in life. I will stick to steam, it scares most people so they leave me alone.
You never stop learning if you stay curious and you stay engaged. I retired once, dam near killed me. LOL


Return to “Nissan Trucks Forum”