Electrical gremlin help No Cruise, horn, fog lamps etc

[same0027]

I have a 95 SE that I just purchased. Low miles one owner. This is my first pathy and Nissan. I have already done timing belt/water pump, plugs etc to get started with it. It was not particularly well cared for mechanically but is clean. I am very frustrated by the electrical gremlins I have discovered. First the cruise and horn did not work. I suspected electricals behind the steering wheel since both were affected. I discovered bad horn ring contacts on the unit behind the steering wheel. I replaced this and it had no impact. I noted that there is no cruise fuse but there is a horn fuse. It looked good. Seperately I replaced one fog lamp and noted that I have no juice getting to the fog lamps. Both the cruise switch and fog lamp switch light up in the cabin like they should be on, but somehow juice is not getting to them. I have no cruise light on in the dash when I attempt to turn on the cruise. I discovered several connectors dangling in the driver footwell. One of them was for the driver footwell light. I plugged this back in and discovered there is also a door short somewhere telling the car a door is ajar when it is not. I have played with all door sensers and there was no change. While riding as a passenger in the car I fiddled with the sunroof while driving and it turned out openning the sun roof resulted in the car no longer thinking a door was ajar I dont even know how this is possible given the simplistic nature of this sunroof. Being new to this forum I apologize if I am posting in the wrong place. I am simply new to pathfinders and wondering if others have experienced any of these symptoms as well and can offer advice. I am pretty good with mechanical stuff, but not as good with electrical. . . thanks in advance if anyone can help.

 

Matt

Edited August 25, 2012 by same0027

[Trogdor636]

If they are factory fog lamps, behind your battery is a wire with a inline fuse holder in it. That fuse is for your fog lights. I'd start there, when my buddy and I bought our Pathfinders we had no fog lights either. That fuse was blown. Fog lights were a dealer option, thats why the wiring (and placement of fuse) is kind of weird.

 

For the door ajar light, a common thing for our Pathfinders is the rear hatch thinks its open. I removed the plastic trim piece on the floor, took off the striker, and shimmed up the striker with a couple of washers on each side. This is most likely the cause, but thats just from experience.

 

As for the cruise control, you can download our factory service manual (FSM) around here somewhere and troubleshoot using that, or somebody else will jump in. I've never had cruise control issues so I havent paid much attention to the threads.

[same0027]

Thanks much! The fog lights were spot on. Fuse on the battery. The door ajar light did go away when pushed on the rear hatch several times. Where is the sensor? I see the sensor for the spare tire mount right on the body, it sounds like this one is under some plastic where the tailgate mates with the body? Thanks again, at least one of these was simple. I hope they all are.

 

Edit: I found a post today linking to previous posts on the rear hatch. Now I am just worried about horn/cruise. Anyone had to trouble shoot these systems?

Edited August 25, 2012 by same0027

[Trogdor636]

Yea the sensor for the rear is in the latch itself I believe. Shimming up the striker is the easy way, but mines been that way for at least a year now. The horn/cruise is normally the contact ring, there are a few threads floating around. The search function seems funky sometimes so try a few different variations.

[Pav]

I have a 95 SE that I just purchased. Low miles one owner. This is my first pathy and Nissan. I have already done timing belt/water pump, plugs etc to get started with it. It was not particularly well cared for mechanically but is clean. I am very frustrated by the electrical gremlins I have discovered. First the cruise and horn did not work. I suspected electricals behind the steering wheel since both were affected. I discovered bad horn ring contacts on the unit behind the steering wheel. I replaced this and it had no impact. I noted that there is no cruise fuse but there is a horn fuse. It looked good. Seperately I replaced one fog lamp and noted that I have no juice getting to the fog lamps. Both the cruise switch and fog lamp switch light up in the cabin like they should be on, but somehow juice is not getting to them. I have no cruise light on in the dash when I attempt to turn on the cruise. I discovered several connectors dangling in the driver footwell. One of them was for the driver footwell light. I plugged this back in and discovered there is also a door short somewhere telling the car a door is ajar when it is not. I have played with all door sensers and there was no change. While riding as a passenger in the car I fiddled with the sunroof while driving and it turned out openning the sun roof resulted in the car no longer thinking a door was ajar I dont even know how this is possible given the simplistic nature of this sunroof. Being new to this forum I apologize if I am posting in the wrong place. I am simply new to pathfinders and wondering if others have experienced any of these symptoms as well and can offer advice. I am pretty good with mechanical stuff, but not as good with electrical. . . thanks in advance if anyone can help.

 

Matt

 

Hi...welcome to the club.

 

Regarding your lights...are you sure they are fogs? If they are driving lights they might only be wired to work with the high beams on...other than that its probably a wiring issue.

 

Cruise Control...you have the same problems as me I think with the Clock Ring behind the steering wheel. Take a look on YouTube and you can see how to tinker and fix that yourself. The horn issue is also related to this problem...your horn does probably work if you have the steering wheel turned all the way to the left If it does...than that's almost for sure the source of the problem.

 

Sun roof...this one I have no clue. Are you saying that when you had the door already open/ajar (that was the only door open?) and popped the sunroof open and the open door light went off? If that's the case...I think your sunroof incident was corollary and not causal. If you were driving and opened it at some highway speed and it created a change in cabin pressure that pushed up against the doors that might trigger something. Easy fix is clean all the contacts and see how they depress.

 

Cheers

[same0027]

Thanks Pav, I bet your right. I think openning the sunroof created a vacuum that sucked the tailgate closed a bit more. I never would have thought of that. So I have two of four problems solved. I did crank the wheel all the way to the left as you suggested and no horn. I had the wheel apart, replaced the clock spring with a good used part and cleaned the contacts on the steering wheel. I mangled the threads on the steering column a bit so would prefer not to take the wheel off again. I can't imagine the clock spring is still the problem, but if there are no other common causes I will try.

[same0027]

Thanks for all replies, all problems have been solved, this is why these forums are so great! Fog lights were fuse, horn and cruise were clock spring. I installed part all the way toward the column resulting in contacts being too far away from wheel. I loosen retaining clamp, pull it forward and retightened. Door ajar light was the common tailgate latch senser. I simply moved the catch toward the rear of the car. Problem solved.

[Trogdor636]

Good deal. Chances are if something is wrong, a member here has fixed it.