How to... install hitch wiring

[Slick]

**** this wiring method is for 87-95 Pathfinders**** (I haven't checked the harness for post 95's yet)

 

 

ok. so, as most of you know, I install hitches and wiring for U Haul for a living. (*update: now I am the manager of this u haul center* :tonguefinger: )

I have had several emails and pm's asking about what wires are what and how to install wiring for hitches... so, using a relatively std u haul wiring harness (#13486) here's a run down of what's what.

 

**NOTE: I do NOT use those retarded connectors you get in the kit, I find them USELESS... I prefer to make sure I have the best possible connection so I tap direct into the wire itself. ALSO! after you've got yer wires connected, don't forget to go back and put some electrical tape over the whole wiring harness.

 

STEP 1

Remove "cover from rear panel on drivers side, and expose wires... make sure you are in the harness that goes to the tail light. (see pic)

It has a little pop out clip holding it to the side against the body. Pop that out so you have easier access.

 

 

 

I know I poked hella holes in the wires, our tester SUCKS and I wanted to know hwat EVERY wire did in there while I was in there.... anyhoo.... here's the rundown on the drivers side:

** put a piece of electrical tape over each connection before moving on to the next wire if you use my "direct tap" method**

 

the green & yellow wire is the brake light wire

the pink & blue wire is the driving lights (ya know..when you have yer headlights on...)

the gray & blue wire is the left turn signal.

 

*the box on the harness will tell you what wire is what... so it's VERY straightforward and almost impossible to go wrong.. unless yer color blind

 

STEP 2

cruise on over to the passenger side, remove panel, and the green wire from the harness has to run over to the passenger side. you'll notice it's longer than any other wire.... that's why....

the wire for the passenger turn signal is the gray & red wire.

*i ran the green wire for the pass side under the panel that runs along by the tailgate. no need to remove it. i got my finger under there enuff to lift it a bit to poke the wire under.

 

remember!!!!! when you have all your wires connected, TO GROUND THE WHITE GROUND WIRE!!!!!!! uber important!! ground it to an existing screw or bolt, I used a screw right above where the box is, it is screwed through a metal plate to the body, uber good ground and neat and tidy also. (you can just see a bit of it above the box where that bright shiney screw is).. it is between the plate and the body. i just wrapped it around the screw and BAM.. screwed the screw back in.

 

 

 

 

Now...... I actually did this BEFORE i installed the wires. If you reach down in that fender well on the driver side, you will feel a rubber grommet, just push it through and grab yer plug in end of your harness and run it on through. Easy and you'll see where it comes down. Pop yer grommet back snug in place when you've got it through.

 

From where I have the harness run over my frame, I got electrical tape and taped the WHOLE THING all the way down to the connector. Adds insulation and helps prevent damage to the wires and keeps it nice looking.

 

Here's a few pics of the hitch and the way it's installed ( it hangs too low for my liking and will be "modified" this winter) sly

 

My hitch is a class 3, up to 3500lbs, or 5,000 with a laod leveller. 2" receiver. The hitch on the ground is a class 2 hitch, also 3500lbs.... (not to exceed that) with a 1.5" receiver.

The class 3 has 3 bolts each side, with 1 bolt hole each side having to be drilled. the class 2 is 2 bolts each side, and a direct bolt on. :contract:

 

 

Edited June 29, 2008 by Slick

[headpeace]

Nice write up Slick

[dgr8cycler]

Awesome write up!!! Definitely will come in handy.

 

Thanks!

[Slick]

thank you for the compliments guys

[ILoveMyPatty]

I want to wire my Pathy for a trailer, but the harness that I have is a 4pole one, made by Pit Stop.

On the back of the package it says

Left turn/ Stop lights Yellow

Right turn/ Stop lights Green

Tail/ License/ Running Lights Brown

Ground White

 

In your post it says

the green & yellow wire is the brake light wire

the pink & blue wire is the driving lights (ya know..when you have yer headlights on...)

the gray & blue wire is the left turn signal

 

I don't know how I'm going to do this.. can I splice the left and right turn signal wires from the harness into the left and right turn signal wires in the Pathy, AND splice them both into the brake light wire?

 

I don't know how I'm going to have both turn signals AND brake lights...

[El Pathfindero]

so lemme get this straight this is for a four pole lighting adapter?

 

did the wd21's come with a factory four pole??

 

El P

[94extreme]

Nice write up Slick

definitely.. great job... you go girl. -alcohol- -bounce-

[Slick]

definitely.. great job... you go girl. -alcohol- -bounce-

ty ty. i try. and ya know what.. i put a htich n wiring on a friends pathy 2 days ago.. and i came straight to my write up to get the wire colors to save time.. saved me 15 mins of prodding wires. and makes for a much cleaner job.

[Slick]

I want to wire my Pathy for a trailer, but the harness that I have is a 4pole one, made by Pit Stop.

On the back of the package it says

Left turn/ Stop lights            Yellow

Right turn/ Stop lights          Green

Tail/ License/ Running Lights  Brown

Ground                                White

 

In your post it says

the green & yellow wire is the brake light wire

the pink & blue wire is the driving lights (ya know..when you have yer headlights on...)

the gray & blue wire is the left turn signal

 

I don't know how I'm going to do this.. can I splice the left and right turn signal wires from the harness into the left and right turn signal wires in the Pathy, AND splice them both into the brake light wire?

 

I don't know how I'm going to have both turn signals AND brake lights...

the only difference is there is no red wire like on the u haul wiring. also, the wiring i install on pathys from u haul have the relay box.

what they mean by green: right turn and stop is that that wire controls your turn signal on the RHS but the driver side is the "main" side, where left turn,stop and driving lights are wired. the green wire to the pass side is purely for the turn signal. the turn signals and brake lights are NOT run off the same wire. in any size shape or form on ANY vehicle.

wire it as follows and see how it goes.. forget the green says "stop" and wire it as follows:

Theirs: on truck:

yellow (brake) gray & yellow wire (driver side)

green (right turn) gray & red (pass side)

brown (tail/driving) pink & vlue (driver side)

white ~ ground. self explanatory.

 

the harness you have is the same as our harness 13488 which is a basic harness with no relay box.... which you should use but try my method and see how it goes. But that type of harness can't be run on certain vehicles.. pathys included. they need the relay box.

 

also. that harness may not even work...... because if it looks like our 13488. then it won't work.. reason being is i tried to tap into the main harness on the driver side for the pass turn signal, and it didn't work. had to run the wire across to the pass side. you may need another harness.

 

am i making sense? i think not. i tested n tried all the wires that ran to the pass side all the way under the back of the pathy.... there are so many relay boxes under there that i got all the way to the pass side before i got a RH turn signal.

Edited September 19, 2006 by Slick

[RedPath88]

so lemme get this straight this is for a four pole lighting adapter?

 

did the wd21's come with a factory four pole??

 

El P

Mine has a four pin round plug built into the bumper... which the wires were cut to and any "factory" (or not) converter that may have been there is not there now.

 

I bought and wired in my own using a four pin flat plug... I have considered wiring in the round plug "just in case" I ever need it

[El Pathfindero]

Nice hitch Slick....same one I've got on me pathy, except mine gets used more as protection than as an actual hitch (rocks dont stand a chance )

[moospis]

the only difference is there is no red wire like on the u haul wiring. also, the wiring i install on pathys from u haul have the relay box.

what they mean by green: right turn and stop is that that wire controls your turn signal on the RHS but the driver side is the "main" side, where left turn,stop and driving lights are wired. the green wire to the pass side is purely for the turn signal. the turn signals and brake lights are NOT run off the same wire. in any size shape or form on ANY vehicle.

wire it as follows and see how it goes.. forget the green says "stop" and wire it as follows:

Theirs: on truck:

yellow (brake) gray & yellow wire (driver side)

green (right turn) gray & red (pass side)

brown (tail/driving) pink & vlue (driver side)

white ~ ground. self explanatory.

 

the harness you have is the same as our harness 13488 which is a basic harness with no relay box.... which you should use but try my method and see how it goes. But that type of harness can't be run on certain vehicles.. pathys included. they need the relay box.

 

also. that harness may not even work...... because if it looks like our 13488. then it won't work.. reason being is i tried to tap into the main harness on the driver side for the pass turn signal, and it didn't work. had to run the wire across to the pass side. you may need another harness.

 

am i making sense? i think not. i tested n tried all the wires that ran to the pass side all the way under the back of the pathy.... there are so many relay boxes under there that i got all the way to the pass side before i got a RH turn signal.

But there is still one more wire- my 91 pathy has 2 on the driver side and 3 on the pass side slick we are still short a wire so something has to get fused with another since you have a 4 flat plug right?

[Slick]

But there is still one more wire- my 91 pathy has 2 on the driver side and 3 on the pass side slick we are still short a wire so something has to get fused with another since you have a 4 flat plug right?

there will always be 'spare wires" on the truck itself. Yes, my write up is for a 4 flat harness....... if you are installing a 7 wire (7 round) harness, you will be adding additional wires.

also, as per what I was saying on what you quoted, our trucks are what we call "3 wire"... meaning we have red, amber and white lights. on rigs such as older Chevy's, they are called "2 wire"... because they only have red & white. their turn & brake signals run off the same light, ours don't, which is why we need the relay box (and to stop fuses blowing).

we actually have to install 2 new relays in new titans & Fronty's........ if we don't........ KABOOM. relays blow.

[Bobby]

i did all this i just cant get the brake lights to work

[lyzic]

I installed the wiring Slick sold me (Thanks!!!) on my 2000 Pathy, and it's been working great ever since. I'll try to remember to write up a little how-to here

[JamesRich]

Thanks Slick! You saved me alot of time with the wire colors.

James

[The_Magicians_Eye]

This is what I bought. No need to cut into the wiring at all. It plugs in to the tail light harness. Couldn't ask for an easier install.

 

http://www.etrailer.com/t1-1991_Nissan_Pathfinder.htm

 

Edited September 19, 2011 by The_Magicians_Eye

[blackspawn]

This is what I bought. No need to cut into the wiring at all. It plugs in to the tail light harness. Couldn't ask for an easier install.

 

http://www.etrailer.com/t1-1991_Nissan_Pathfinder.htm

 

Yep, thats what I used.

[rollingrock]

I know this is an old thread is it still live?

 

I have a few questions. My pathy has some interesting wiring that I could use some help with

[nunya]

Older? Yes. Alive? I like to look at any thread that can help someone as 'alive'. What's your issue?

[rollingrock]

This is what I see in my truck...I got mysekf confused so I cut all the butt connectors off and started over

 

 

Posted by Samsung Galaxy S3

 

 

[rollingrock]

Better photo

 

 

Posted by Samsung Galaxy S3

 

 

[rollingrock]

From the driver side, I have a pink, green and white wire, from the passenger side, I have a red and black one.

 

So I have 5 wires going into a 4 wire connector?

[rollingrock]

cannot edit my post for some reas

 

the first post in this thread states the following

 

"the green & yellow wire is the brake light wire

the pink & blue wire is the driving lights (ya know..when you have yer headlights on...)

the gray & blue wire is the left turn signal."

 

No mention of the right turn signal. me=confused.

[medicbaldwin]

http://www.etrailer.com/t1-1991_Nissan_Pathfinder.htm

 

I purchased one of these pre-wired, plug-n-play, doo dads for my pathy and here's my issue. Headlights off= brake and turn signals work perfect. headlights on= running and brake lights, NO turnsignals? I called the local wire shop i bought it from and they thought maybe a bad ground. i moved the ground to a new location, scrubbed the paint, made sure I had a good connection, still does the same thing???

Edited December 18, 2012 by medicbaldwin