Electrical Problems

[Nay-Sayer]

The passenger side headlight doesn't work. I replaced the bulb but still no go. The high beam light comes on but the low bean does not.

 

The light that illuminates the instrument panel does not come on.

 

Both tail lights don't work. Brake lights work fine but tail lights will not come on.

 

Any ideas? Thanks.

[Greyscale]

The passenger side headlight doesn't work. I replaced the bulb but still no go. The high beam light comes on but the low bean does not.

 

The light that illuminates the instrument panel does not come on.

 

Both tail lights don't work. Brake lights work fine but tail lights will not come on.

 

Any ideas? Thanks.

I've had the same issues with my pathfinder. The causes are old/bad wiring. Part of my problem was an aftermarket alarm installed over the stock one, which caused the battery to drain.

 

The taillights and the instrument lights are on the same fuse, check to see if that has blown. If it has then you most likely have a short. I somehow fixed mine by removing the cut off trailer light harness and replacing the lisence plate bulbs. My instrument lights still cut out sometimes, but that might be because there is a problem with my dimmer switch.

 

The headlight is probally shorting out somehwere, so i'd check all the wires leading to the low beam for that side for cuts or tears. I ghetto-rigged mine by splicing in a wire from the other light. Not the greatest fix in the world, but I intend to replace most of that wiring soon so it works in the meantime.

 

Fixing wiring is a bitch.

[racaron]

The passenger side headlight doesn't work. I replaced the bulb but still no go. The high beam light comes on but the low bean does not.

 

The light that illuminates the instrument panel does not come on.

 

Both tail lights don't work. Brake lights work fine but tail lights will not come on.

 

Any ideas? Thanks.

 

 

It is time to replace the headlight switch.

[Derrik]

It is time to replace the headlight switch.

 

I had to pop open the light switch in the steering column and file the carbon off the light switch contacts. It worked better after that. The front-right light still cuts out every now and then. There are a lot of forumthreads on rewiring the lights with a multi-relay setup. I think ye be close to that time.

[95shakinPF]

IF you decide to re-wire, check all the grounds first. They are typically the reason for headlight problems!! I would think if the light switch was bad none of the lights would work I could be wrong tho..

[racaron]

I had a smiliar issue a while ago]. One of the headlamps went out, then the tail lights, then the instrument panel lights leaving only the left headlamp working. After researching on the net (at that time I didnt know about NPORA), I took the headlight switch out, cleaned the contacts and the lights worked for a while. Then it happened again, cleaned again, they worked again. By the third time I decided to replace the switch and voila! No more issues.

Now the issue my Pathfinder is having, is a short at the clearance lights (tail and instrument panel) wiring that I havent had the time to check, we will see.

[kiwipete]

I had to pop open the light switch in the steering column and file the carbon off the light switch contacts. It worked better after that. The front-right light still cuts out every now and then. There are a lot of forumthreads on rewiring the lights with a multi-relay setup. I think ye be close to that time.

Dont file the contacts with a steel file, use an old "grey pencil eraser" they type with a gritty texture. Rub the contacts clean with this then allpy contct cleaner.

I would also be looking at placing 2 relays for the headlights in there too as the stalk switch takes all the load of switching the lights, Hi and Lo beams.

There ar from memory 2 pairs of wires from the stalk to the lights, hence why one works and the other dosnt.

Find the pairs and paralel them up on the relays, this way you have two pairs of stalk switch contacts operating one relay each.

I will be doing this myself over the next month or so, as well as installing a 2nd battery for the winch and accessories, but thats another thread.