Taillight inop.

[dwhitty]

All the taillights on my 93 Q45 are not working. The brakes hazard lights work. The fuse all appear to be good. This shows up as a fault in the dash panal. Any ideas?

[DAEDALUS]

Just for grins, have you tried replacing any ofthe bulbs with a Sylvania LL bulb? Did you inspect the plastic sockets for burning/melting?

[maxnix]

By that, Daedalus means don't use anything but the LL or OEM bulbs.

If you used any USDM autoparts store bulbs, they are usually cheap Chinese ones made to the lowest tolerances, thus leading to the wrong current draw and overheating of the sockets.

[dwhitty]

The bulbs are fine and the connections are not burnt. The light for the instrument panel is inop too. Is there a switch that covers just those items?

[elwesso]

Your brake switch could be bad... Right under the dash by the steering wheel..... Do your lights light up when you turn on the headlights......?

http://q45.spilky.com/Q/transmission/MT%20002.jpg (didnt want to link it because its a big picture)...

Its the one on the right in that picture

[Aussie Q45a]

G'Day dwhittyI have got the same problem, plus the windows have stoped working. They were working using the door switches but not from the consul swithces but now they don't work at all. I've had 2 auto elect. techs work on it for hours and they still can't isolate the cause. Stop lights work fine but when I turn the parkers on the 10 amp fuse blows. I put in a 15 amp fuse and it lasts a bit longer before it blows. The NH switch for the Active susp. lights are working but the car does not rise or lower. Also the A/C control panel illuminates for about 1 min every other week then goes out again. The lights for the Auto shift on the consul don't work but they do work on the instrument panel. Ashtray lights are out as well. The FSM tells me how to do a self diagnostic check, and all that tells me is what I already know e.g. there is a problem with the windows. However it doesn't tell me ( or maybe I don't understand it) how to fix and/or isolate the problem. Maybe a NICO member could explain the FSM pages EL81 > EL109 in more easier understood terms.Another thing is the after market active controller unit has also gone dead since I recharged the accum's. The ACTSU warning light is on and gives me a code 21. Does anyone know what a code 21 is?Maybe all these things are related maybe not but I've mentioned them all just in case they are. I feel it's just some stupid little thing that's causing the problems so any suggestions will be appreciated.'90 JDM Q45A 95000 K's

[elwesso]

Cheers AussieQ45a

I love trying to diagnose electrical problems because I know it will take a long time and I'll have something to do whenever im bored... Hope that tells you something.. I hope you gave those tech's the FSM, otherwise itd be like trying to to chicago without a map...

Whenever a fuse blows, that generally means theres a short sometime... my guess is that something shorted and caused some other module to go out due to the increased current.....

The bottom line is, with a consult that a dealer has you will be able to test pretty much every circuit and isolate things that way.. thats what I would do.. whenever I get the time, im going to take my Q to the dealer to see whats going on with my cruise control... hopefully somone down there has a consult, im sure they do because they have so many skylines and Zs down there.

[Aussie Q45a]

Thanks WesI can only guess that the problems I am having are not a common occurance.I was trying to avoid the trip to the dealer but it seems like its the only way to go. Have booked into Nissan Gold Coast next Tuesday 7.30am for a CONSULT. They charge $90 per hour so hope they find the problem quickly.Yep, downloaded the FSM on to a Stick for the Techs and directed them to the relevant pages (EL 90 > EL 109 from memory).This is a DIY project car for me and I love an Electrical problem too, but after months of searching.......... ....in a lifetime each man has been given just so much patience. Aussie

[DAEDALUS]

Dwhitty, you need to sit down with the wiring diagram and a circuit tester. I bet if you checked the fuse socket you'll find one of the terminals is grounded. It shouldn't be. The other terminal should be a direct path to the battery. If one terminal is grounded then it's probably the switch as Wes said. If not, then you should start from the bulb end and start working your way back, looking for an unintentional ground between the socket assemblies and the parking switch.

[Aussie Q45a]

Hope you don't mine me butting in here, but.... I think dwhitty says the stop lights are OK, its the tail lights and dash lights that are the problem. I have searched the wireing diagram and can't find a relationship between the stop lights and the dash & tail lights. They seem to me to be diffrent circuits. Is there something that I'm miss reading. I have put a 15 amp fuse in and it takes4/5 secs.to blow. To my way of thinking if we had a dead short the 15 amp fuse would blow instantaniuosly (strait away) the time taken for the 15 amp to blow indicates to me there is a diffrent problem other than a dead short. What do you think might happen if I keep increasing the size of the fuse until whatever is causing the problem "cooks"????? I'm booked in for a CONSULT next Tuesday and if that doesn't get results I'm thinking of putting a bit of fencing wire were the 10 amp fuse should be and standing by with a garden hose to put the fire out!!!!

[Q451990]

I'm thinking of putting a bit of fencing wire were the 10 amp fuse should be and standing by with a garden hose to put the fire out!!!!

That would certainly narrow it down



Heath

[maxnix]

That would certainly narrow it down



Heath

If he can get the fire out quickly enough!

[texasoil]

The rear driving lights, license plate lamps, and instrument cluster lamps are all powered by the same fuse labeled "ILL" (lower left side) of the fuse panel in the dash. This IS NOT the fuse for the brake light filaments or turn signal bulbs or the side marker bulbs.

If the 10A fuse blows--find the short. check the bulb sockets for a short.

[texasoil]

A code 21 is right front height sensor. Try 'exercising' it. If you have 'adjusted' them while doing your work, reset both front ones to identical position and start-over. the sway bar is strong enough to overpower gravity (the right front sensor can be saying --down, go down--and the left side is saying 'I'm just fine, thank-you', and the result may be--all the pressure bled from right front but the car body only drops about 1.5"[stiff sway bar at work]--and the active computer says --what the hey?--the left front height report is just fine, the right front sensor says its way too high --but I've had the right front valve open a long time already and its still not dropping--its gotta be a bad height sensor--TILT- FAILSAFE valve open, trigger light.

Also gotta have the accumulator pressure right.

[Aussie Q45a]

G'Day TexasThanks for your advice. I'm pretty sure now that the after market active controller that was installer in the Q was stuffed. GreenQ45 posted some info on resetting it and the Active settled down OK after following Green's instructions, but when I reconnected the Controller all the problems returned i.e. warning light, code 21 and lower right side. I have left the Controller disconnected and the suspension is pretty good compaired to my pre-recharge ride. Still getting a few sqeeks & squarks but they are decreasing after each bleed & flush. Like you say, it will take a few miles to settle down completly. Unfortunately, I still have major electrical problems (tail light dead short, windows not working,seats not working, airbag warning light. A/c Illum not working, radio not working, dash lights out) so I have not been able to drive very much to get the Suspension settled down and give it a real good test. Thanks AgainAussiePS. Can't get that bloody dash out

[elwesso]

No wonder you cant get the dash out, the steering wheel is over on the wrong side!!!

Have you tried checking some of the main fuses.... I seem to recall something along the lines of this that may be of help?

zerothread?id=96274

[Aussie Q45a]

Tried to get the main 120 amp fuse out but it wont budge. Looks good through the clear plastic cover, but how do I get it out to have a good look. I've wiggled and pulled so hard that the whole fuse box is just about comming away from the mountings. I thought that if this fuse was dead the car would not start and nothing would work, am I wrong? I recon the only way I can get it out is to break it into bits??? Any cluesAussieOh Yea Wes, tried putting the steering wheel on the other side but I couldn't reach the pedals

[quinttheman]

My brake lights don't come on in the taillight assembly. Would this switch cause them to be inoperative? The turnsignal and lights work fine. The stop light in the rear window works. The fuse is fine. I replaced the bulbs with OEM bulbs and nothing happens. Someone told me it could be the brake solenoid. What and wear is that located?

[91Q4U]

I had the same problem with our 1991 Q45. I went the head-scratching, bulb replacing route also. Whoever suggested the brake light solenoid or sending unit might be bad is correct. I obtained one from the "Scottsdale Parts Guru" and replaced it. The unit is located inside the trunk body panel where the trunk lid latches (not on the lid itself, but where the talilights are located) in the center under the plastic trim. It's a plug 'n play replacement. Brain cells needed for this repair=I give it a 1.5 Time needed=10-15 mins. Cost= under $30 including shipping. Now one thing I did learn from this, is that I replaced all the bulbs with a "generic" type. They are inexpensive and I was told often times because of their manufacturing, they have variable electrical characteristics and resistance. This can effect the long term performance. I went and purchased a proper grade replacement bulbs for Infiniti and have had no problems since.

[thirdq]

Look here -->

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