2010 Rogue S loses power when running lights/headlights are on after head unit/backup camera install

Nissan Rogue forum - Includes Nissan Qashqai and Nissan Dualis as well.
Archetypo
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2022 4:05 pm
Car: 2010 Nissan Rogue

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I don't know if the issue has to do with the stereo/camera install, or just a coincidence, but it'd be a big coincidence.

I installed a cheap touch screen double din head unit and a backup camera in my wife's 2010 Rogue S, replacing the standard (not Bose) single CD unit. The new unit had different plugs, one for the speakers and one for power/key on/ground etc. so I had to try and decipher the wire colors and pin position from the nissan 20 pin plug to connect them to the two leads that came with the head unit. The only pinout guide I could find for a non-bose 2010 rogue was for the 6 CD unit, this one: https://pinoutguide.com/Car-Stereo-Niss ... nout.shtml

The speaker wires, constant 12v, and acc all matched up, but my plug was slightly different. This is the 20 pin plug that was on the factory head unit:
https://imgur.com/a/Ew8Vi7t

I ran the cord for the camera behind the gauge cluster, behind the parking brake, and followed the loom running along the driver's side door sill, up the d pillar and into the lift gate. I tied the camera's power into the reverse light positive (green wire with silver dots that I verified is only hot when in reverse) as per the directions with the head unit. The camera came on when the car was in reverse as expected.

Test drove it around dusk today and noticed the CEL was on, I thought maybe from connecting and disconnecting the negative battery lead a few times as I worked on it. Everything was fine until I turned the running lights on as I pulled up to a stop sign. The screen on the head unit changed to a blue screen that said "reversing." I figured I had something wired wrong, but when I pulled away from the stop sign, the car had almost no power and wouldn't get above 25mph. I pulled over, disconnected the plugs from the head unit, same issue. I turned off the lights, power came back, turned em on, lost power again. Drove home with the lights off.

The only thing I can think of is the car thinks it's in reverse when the lights are on for some reason and is regulating the throttle. I don't see how fiddling with the head unit plug wires or tapping into that reverse light wire would affect the transmission or throttle controls, but I didn't touch any other electronics in the process of the install.

I'll try to get the CEL codes read tomorrow when it's light out, but in the meantime, does anyone have any ideas? Please help, if I can't figure this out, my wife won't let me touch her car anymore.


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VStar650CL
Technical Expert
Posts: 8444
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2020 1:25 pm
Car: 2013 Nissan Altima 2.5 SL
2004 Nissan Altima 2.5 S

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Sounds like the brake, running light and reverse signals may be getting crossed up somehow. The TCM won't allow the car to accelerate if it sees any voltage on the brake lamp wire. It only takes about 2V on the wire to cause misbehavior, so even a low-grade leak from a cracked-and-wet taillamp or crossed bulb filaments can cause problems. The first thing you should probably do is reconcile your wiring to the factory non-Bose connectors. The FSM here in Nico has the complete specification and diagrams, the AV signal spec is on pages 18~19 and the OE wiring diagram begins on page 20:
https://www.nicoclub.com/service-manual ... 0%2FAV.pdf
Last edited by VStar650CL on Sat Apr 16, 2022 9:02 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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VStar650CL
Technical Expert
Posts: 8444
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2020 1:25 pm
Car: 2013 Nissan Altima 2.5 SL
2004 Nissan Altima 2.5 S

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PS - The reverse lamp signal can cause the same sorts of issues if your new AV has a pulled-up reverse lamp input and is pumping residual voltage into the backup lamp circuit. The system will be particularly prone to that if you have LED backup bulbs. If that's the issue you'll probably find a "Range Switch" code in the TCM which is also causing your lit MIL.

Archetypo
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2022 4:05 pm
Car: 2010 Nissan Rogue

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Thanks for the suggestions and wiring diagram, vstar! I'll start with double checking that plug wiring and let you know how it goes.

Archetypo
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Apr 15, 2022 4:05 pm
Car: 2010 Nissan Rogue

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Ok, my factory 20 pin has wires in pins 8 and 9 that aren't shown in any of the pinouts I've found, 8 is yellow with two silver dots, and 9 is red with two silver dots. 9 is cool until you turn the lights on then is hot, so I'm thinking that was meant to dim the factory head unit. I had that connected to the backup camera at the head unit side and the reverse/parking pin on the new head unit plug as I thought the directions indicated (English wasn't the first language of whoever wrote the directions and they're a little tricky to decipher). I removed that connection and sealed it off, reset the CEL codes, now engine revs as it should in neutral with lights on, no CEL yet, and backup camera still works. I'll test drive shortly, but I think we're good.

Thanks again vstar!

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VStar650CL
Technical Expert
Posts: 8444
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2020 1:25 pm
Car: 2013 Nissan Altima 2.5 SL
2004 Nissan Altima 2.5 S

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If you look in the "Bose" section of the FSM on AV-77, 9 and 8 are + and - respectively for the backlight illumination (same circuit as the Cluster illumination). It has a minus because the dash lights are dimmable, pin 9 comes from the Taillamp Relay and pin 8 goes to a transistor dimmer in the Cluster. The base radio didn't have a dimmable display but apparently Nissan included the wires in the base harness. If your head unit has a night/day input, the the wire from pin 9 should go to that. You can see the circuit here on INL-35:
https://www.nicoclub.com/service-manual ... %2FINL.pdf


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