Tail lights stay on, brake lights not working

[Cobez]

Hey all,

Pretty much about to lose my mind to be honest. Have wasted a whole weekend on this and still can't figure it out.

All of a sudden, my tail lights are stuck on and my brake lights don't work. It's 100% not the brake light switch as i only replaced it a month ago with a genuine Nissan switch.

Definitely not the fuses as i checked every single fuse over all 4 fuse boxes. I traced every wire on the tail lights and cannot find any damage.

Does anyone know what this could possibly be? It just happened all of a sudden on Friday night.

Maybe relays? Id check but i cannot for the life of me figure out which one of the *******s controls the rear lights.

TIA all

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

 

[bods]

Hey mate. Are you definitely sure the tail lights are stuck on and not the brake lights? Do you have a brake controller fitted? If you unplug the brake light switch, do the lights go off?

If it is definitely the tail lights, I'd have a look at the dash cluster lights too, especially the earth's. The tail lights are on the same circuit as the dash lights, so if a wire has rubbed through somewhere there or an earth has come loose there's a possibility it could be sending power through to the tail lights...

Hopefully that gives you another thing to look at anyway .... Good luck...

 

[Cobez]

Hey mate. Are you definitely sure the tail lights are stuck on and not the brake lights? Do you have a brake controller fitted? If you unplug the brake light switch, do the lights go off?

If it is definitely the tail lights, I'd have a look at the dash cluster lights too, especially the earth's. The tail lights are on the same circuit as the dash lights, so if a wire has rubbed through somewhere there or an earth has come loose there's a possibility it could be sending power through to the tail lights...

Hopefully that gives you another thing to look at anyway .... Good luck...

Thanks mate!

I removed the brake light switch completely, tail lights still on when battery is connected. Defs no brake controller.

Does checking the dash cluster involve removing the dash cluster or can it be checked another way? Im usually fine with auto elecs but this one has me stumped well and truly.

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

 

[bods]

Unless you can find a wiring diagram for it so you know what wires to look for, you're probably going to have to pull the cluster...

Does removing the dash/tail light fuse make them go off?

 

[Cobez]

Unless you can find a wiring diagram for it so you know what wires to look for, you're probably going to have to pull the cluster...

Does removing the dash/tail light fuse make them go off?

I do have the Nissan workshop manual at work so might have a look. Pulling the fuse makes them turn off


Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

 

[bods]

Hmmmm... Could be contacts inside the combination switch stalk then. Or wiring between the switch and the harness rubbed through. Maybe take the surround off the steering wheel and remove the indicator/headlight switch and see if something has broken inside it.

Are the parking lights on the front on too or just the tail lights?

 

[Cobez]

Hmmmm... Could be contacts inside the combination switch stalk then. Or wiring between the switch and the harness rubbed through. Maybe take the surround off the steering wheel and remove the indicator/headlight switch and see if something has broken inside it.

Are the parking lights on the front on too or just the tail lights?

That was another idea too. Nah front lights are all fine, indicators and reverse lights are still fine too. All new globes no LED's in the rear either. No towbar / towbar wiring.

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

 

[bods]

That's even weirder (if that's a word lol) because the front and rear should both be on the same circuit... Have you had any rain that may have caused water to get in somewhere?

 

[Cobez]

That's even weirder (if that's a word lol) because the front and rear should both be on the same circuit... Have you had any rain that may have caused water to get in somewhere?

We had pretty heavy rain last week in Melbs, but nothing out of the ordinary. Will the number plate globes cause the rear lights to short out if they get wet?

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

 

[bods]

Very possible. It will wouldn't hurt to either unplug them or remove the globes and see what happens...

 

[Cobez]

Very possible. It will wouldn't hurt to either unplug them or remove the globes and see what happens...

Damnit. Did that and no joy hahaha.

I hope it's not the stalk, the steering wheel is a turd to take apart.

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

 

[bods]

That's about the only other thing I can think of. If they go out when the fuse is removed, there has to be something feeding power from further up the circuit. If you turn the headlight switch to parking lights do the front lights come on or not?

 

[Cobez]

That's about the only other thing I can think of. If they go out when the fuse is removed, there has to be something feeding power from further up the circuit. If you turn the headlight switch to parking lights do the front lights come on or not?

Yes front parkers do turn on. But when you switch off, rear parkers remain on. They get bloody hot quickly too.

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

 

[bods]

Yeah right... Do you remember what you were doing when they got stuck on? Were you driving somewhere and had headlights on? Just seems really weird that only the rear lights are staying on. They have to have power being fed from up the front somewhere, so unless 2 wires have rubbed together in the harness, but the fronts should be on too...

 

[Cobez]

Yeah right... Do you remember what you were doing when they got stuck on? Were you driving somewhere and had headlights on? Just seems really weird that only the rear lights are staying on. They have to have power being fed from up the front somewhere, so unless 2 wires have rubbed together in the harness, but the fronts should be on too...

Only noticed it Saturday morning when i was walking past my ute after i turned it over. Night before they weren't on i know that for sure. Really friggin weird its got me absolutely stumped.

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

 

[bods]

Hmmmm... If you can I'd have a good look over the wiring diagram and see what wires are linked with the tail lights. When I get a chance I'll have a look at the one I've got here too and see if I can find anything...

 

[Cobez]

Hmmmm... If you can I'd have a good look over the wiring diagram and see what wires are linked with the tail lights. When I get a chance I'll have a look at the one I've got here too and see if I can find anything...

Thanks heaps for your replies mate i appreciate it! Legend!

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

 

[bods]

All good. Let us know how you go anyway... Definitely a weird one.

 

[bods]

Ok so according to the manual I have, there is a tail light relay located in the IPDM E/R fuse box. It doesn't say which relay it is though...

It does say that the BCM controls the lights through terminal 70, but it does say that the relay powers park, tail and number plate lights so that's still weird...

Also, the circuit diagram shows 1 wire coming out of the relay, this splits into 2 with a separate circuit and fuse for the front parking lamps and another fuse and circuit for the rear lamps and number plate lamps...

 

[Cobez]

Ok so according to the manual I have, there is a tail light relay located in the IPDM E/R fuse box. It doesn't say which relay it is though...

It does say that the BCM controls the lights through terminal 70, but it does say that the relay powers park, tail and number plate lights so that's still weird...

Is that the fuse box against the firewall behind the airbox? The "hidden" one?

If so, that has about 8 relays in it from memory...

Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk