350z daytime running lights

Nissan 350z / Nissan 370z general community discussion forum
blaurence
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2007 5:52 pm
Car: 2004 350Z Roadster

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I had them installed at a local Nissan dealer. They work great and passed inspection without a problem.Only issue I am having is that the car will blow an ECM fuse once every couple of months. I can't figure out what is causing it. The only thing I have done electronically to the car since I bought it was install the DRL's. It may be that the dealer tapped into something that is drawing power from that circuit. It's odd that the fuse only blows so infrequently.


inverdon
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2007 3:19 pm
Car: 2004 350z

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hi, what is the hardest procedure during installation. did you use the drl 2005e? and use the yellow light signal? did you have to pul out any wheels or everything done over the hood.thx

canmark
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2008 4:40 am
Car: 2005 350z roadster touring

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inverdon wrote:hi, what is the hardest procedure during installation. did you use the drl 2005e? and use the yellow light signal? did you have to pul out any wheels or everything done over the hood.thx
I removed both front wheels and inner fenders in order to access the head lights.

I cut into the signal lights and one parking light and ran the included cables back through the firewall into the interior through an existing grommet.

I installed the module underneath the dash (it is not weatherproof) and connected the all the cables including power (ignition only) and grounding.

The unit works as advertised. Your turn signals become your DRL. Your signals work normally and when signal left or right the non signaling side stays lit. When you turn your lights on the signals turn off but work normally.

There is also an option to connect to your hand brake or on/off switch for manual over ride.

Mine is the 2005-E for single filement bulb. If you are handy and can read wiring diagrams then it is not a difficult install. It took me about 3 hours but I was in no hurry. Hope this helps.


danmcc
Posts: 2
Joined: Sun Mar 29, 2009 6:27 pm
Car: 2006 350Z

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I have a 2006 350Z and have added DTR to the car. I used the parking lights as my DTR lights.

After having a good look at the freely downloadable service manual, it was a very easy job to do (30 minutes).

All of the wiring you need to access is quick and easy to get to in the engine compartment, near the battery. No fender protector removal, no cramped under dash work, no cheesy "DTR module" needed.

I used a surplus 12VDC relay, which can be purchased anywhere for a few bucks or less. i.e. at Princess Auto. The relay should be rated at 2 Amp contacts or more and have a 12VDC coil. Any relay thusly rated will work.

You need to access 3 circuits, 12V power, ECM power, and park lights power. Here is what you do:

1) Remove the battery access cover and it's plastic shroud which is held by about 4 plastic clips. (takes about 1 minute with a blade screw driver)

2) Connect one N.0. (normally open) contact of the relay to plus 12V power directly from the battery. A 22G wire will do, I used a ring terminal connected under the battery clamp bolt.

3) Connect the other side of the N.O. relay contact to the park light power, which is a 22G RED/BLUE wire in the 1 inch diameter harness, running from the battery compartment to the front of the car. Only one harness meets this description, so you should have no trouble finding it.

Use a voltmeter to check that you have the correct wire by reading 0V and 12V with the parking lights OFF and then ON respectively.

4) Connect one side of the relay coil to the ECM (Engine Control Module) power wire, which is a white/blue 18G wire in the harness. located inside the battery compartment, that runs from the BOTTOM of the IPDM E/R (Intelligent Power Distribution Module) into the ECM module through a large grommet in the fire wall. This wire is at 12V when the ignition is ON and 0V when the ignition is OFF.

DO NOT CONFUSE THIS WIRE WITH ANOTHER WIRE THAT RUNS IN ANOTHER LEG OF THE SAME HARNESS FROM THE ECM INTO THE ENGINE BAY.

Use a voltmeter to check that you have the correct wire by reading 0V and 12V with the ignition OFF and then ON respectively.

The harness of interrest has a connector in line, and it is about 1/2 inch in diameter.

The IPDM is located in a plastic housing beside the battery. The ECM is located in the cabin under the dash on the passenger side.

5) Connect the other side of the relay coil to chassis ground. There is a ground lug inside the battery compartment that is convenient.

You are done.

Luxster
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2010 8:33 am
Car: 350z 2003

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Hi Thanks for this post. Danmcc, can you tell me where you downloaded your service manual. I do a fear amount of mechanics at home, hobby still and this could be fairly useful.

thanks,

Luc

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BusyBadger
Posts: 4950
Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2005 3:20 pm
Car: '92 240SX, '05 350Z, '13 Juke
Contact:

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Here's where all of the 350Z FSMs are located.

Welcome to NICO! :badger

Luxster
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2010 8:33 am
Car: 350z 2003

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Thank you.

Don't happen to have a list of what the different acronyms mean?

Thanks again, this will help a lot.

Cheers,

Luc

Luxster
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2010 8:33 am
Car: 350z 2003

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Found it! for others it is the FWD file.

Thanks,

Luc

hbones
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2015 5:43 pm
Car: 2008 350Z Roadster

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I am new to the forum and a recent purchaser of a 2008 350Z roadster. The car came for the US and the previous owner imported it into Canada. He had the Nissan dealer install a DRL kit (SMP-ET521) to meet Canadian Daytime Running Lights requirements. Basically, the park or running light turn on when the car is on, lighting the exterior corner lights including the small white lights in the bottom corner of the front headlights. They are rather dull and I would like to install some brighter LED DRL's up front. I would like to reverse the DRL Kit that the dealer install as I do not need the park lights on once the LED DRL kit is installed. Does anyone have any information on the Nissan DRL kit (SMP-ET521 DRL Kit)? I assume it is a relay that provides power to the park lights when the car is on. Any help would be appreciated. :)

sanchezm
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2016 9:04 am
Car: 2006 Nissan 350Z Coupe - Base Model

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Hello, I'm new to the club and bought a used 2006 350Z last year. Love the car and have been wanting to do this upgrade for some time now because I was tired of turning the parking lights on and off manually every time I drove it during the daylight hours. I finally got it done yesterday, per the instructions given on the post. It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, but I got it done and it works great. Here are some tips for finding the correct wires and locations.
I bought a 30 amp relay switch on Ebay for about $4. It included a pigtail connection with wires approximately 6" long that made connecting the four wires easier. The only one I had to put an extension on was the wire for the connection to battery positive. I wired pin 30 to the battery positive, pin 85 to ground, pin 87 to red/blue wire, and pin 86 to white/blue wire. With the pigtail connection everything can be wired and contained inside the battery compartment.
Finding the red/blue wire and white/blue wire is the hard part. They are located where the original post stated, but I will try to explain their exact location as best I can (I should have taken photos). With the battery cover and shroud removed the red/blue wire is in the wire loom that runs from the battery compartment to the front of the car over the wheel well. Looking in the battery compartment you will see a portion of it that runs vertical and then goes horizontal coming out of the compartment. The horizontal section is where I carefully removed a portion of the black plastic tape surrounding the bundled wire with a utility knife to get to the red/blue wire. It is buried in there with several other various gauge wires. I used a 3M brand wire tap to tap into the red/blue wire. The white/blue wire was much easier to find and in plain sight. Looking down inside the battery compartment while standing by the front tire, in the left rear corner you will see three plugs that go into the top of a plastic box. Each plug has several wires bundled together inside loose black plastic wire looms. I was able to see the white/blue wire I needed in the plug closest to me (I think it was black and the other two white), because the wire loom is not tightly wrapped like the other one was. So it was easier to cut a portion of it away in order to tap into.
As the original post also mentions there is a great ground location inside the compartment that the negative battery cable lead goes to. Hope this helps somebody.

sanchezm
Posts: 6
Joined: Tue Jul 12, 2016 9:04 am
Car: 2006 Nissan 350Z Coupe - Base Model

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UPDATE: Since doing this procedure (see reply above) a week ago I discovered some issues. When I start the vehicle the parking lights do come on and stay on without having to manually turn them on with the switch. But what happens is that the dash/gauge lights and radio illumination cease to work. The dash and gauges still light up, but the radio does not. And I cannot adjust the illumination on the dash/gauge/radio with the adjustment buttons on the left side of dash as before. But when I manually move the switch to turn the parking lights on I regain function of all illumination again. So in doing this process of not using the parking lights switch to turn the parking lights on something has happened. I followed the instructions given by danmcc above. Please let me know if anyone has any tips or suggestions to remedy this situation. It is aggravating to not be able to adjust the dash, gauges, or radio illumination. And turning the switch on to do so defeats the whole purpose. Thanks

2003PATHFINDER2022
Posts: 31
Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2022 5:45 pm
Car: 2003 Nissan Pathfinder 3.5
2006 Nissan 350Z

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This one caught my eye for sure, since WHEN can any auto inspection department in ANY country mandate mechanical requirements on any auto that was built and accepted by said country when a particular option was NOT available or required by said government inspection department at time of purchase of said auto? You CAN NOT require a auto owner to ad on, disable or modify your personal property if said property was accepted and issued a license plate and documentation at time pf purchase. Here in Costa Rica the annual auto inspection pretty much compares to anything NASA ever did to clear the Space Shuttle for another space flight mission but in my old state of Mississippi they have done away with inspections altogether, so to summarize, some jurisdictions over step their authority while another no longer cares how dangerous a vehicle might be on the public roads!

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VStar650CL
Technical Expert
Posts: 8296
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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In Pennsylvania you can get arrested and your vehicle towed just for having underglow lights on it. They're illegal even if turned off or inoperable, and PSP won't care if the state of Mississippi or Arkansas accepted and licensed it when the dealer added them on. Some things that are required in one country are illegal in another, too, like rear fogs. It would be nice if there were some universal law about "as-sold condition", because then we could all import JDM's without jumping through EPA hoops. Sadly, it doesn't work that way.
:tisk:


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