No brake lights or turn signals on trailer

thumperrider1 · 03-02-2008, 02:36 PM

Hi,

I've got an 08 Non-BT Titan with a dealer installed hitch and brake controller. Recently the brake lights and turn signals stopped working on the trailer. All the running lights work fine.

We've hooked another vehicle to the trailer and everything functions normally. Where can I start looking on the Titan to find the issue?

Thanks in advance.

cp.16 · 03-02-2008, 03:43 PM

Sounds like the relays under the hood (I believe there is a right and left). Also take a look at your connections and fuses.

young dank · 03-02-2008, 09:40 PM

yes, I work at nissan and in the fuse box under the hood behind the battery, the smaller rectangle box, there are two blue relays. they are 35 dollars a piece. I have extra two cause I work there

thumperrider1 · 03-03-2008, 07:17 AM

I checked all the small 10-15 amp fuses and all look ok. I see the two relays, but have no way to test them other than buying another relay. What would cause them to go bad? I know my trailer wiring is ok as we pull this with my buddies truck all the time.

**walleeme** · 03-03-2008, 07:27 AM

Can you sub one relay for the other to test?

young dank · 03-04-2008, 09:54 PM

if you are hooking up to a 4- pin trailer, Nissan has an independent lighting system for their turn signals and brake lights. But trailers rely on american made vehicles that the brake and turn signals work together on one bulb. you need a 3 wire to 2 wire power converter so that you can combine the brake and turn signals. no higher than 15 milliamps or you will void your warranty and mess up your electical system. I have same problem with my boat. 7 pin to 4 pin adapter doesn't solve my problems. need a converter. I haven't installed one on mine to be absolutely sure but it says that's what ya need in the manual under towing.

mytitan · 03-05-2008, 09:02 AM

im in the same boat, i have had issues with my trailer lts also. it seems that its our truck and not our trailers. my lts work every now and then, ive hooked up my trailer with my buddies truck and it works fine. its sooo frustrating!!!WTF!!!!!

thumperrider1 · 03-12-2008, 10:11 AM

My Hitch has a 7pin and a 4pin connector on it. The trailer uses a 7 pin.

Took the truck in for the first oil change and had the dealer check it over. They say someone neglected to put in the required relays. Trailer works fine now. I guess I'm retarded because I swear it worked at first. I was probably confusing it with my old truck. Only the runinng lights were working. It's good to go now.

young dank · 03-12-2008, 07:43 PM

also, I had the same problem, lights didn't work on boat trailer but worked on my inlaw's chevy. its a grounding issue with bout trailer. run that white wire strait to the light where it is bolted to the trailer's tail. unscrew one nut, doesn't matter what side, but thats a natural ground. trailer may be too rusted to ground from tongue for lights. nothing is wrong with the TITAN. sometimes before I found the problem, lights would work fine because water helps conduce the ground so after boat lunch, lights seemed ok. but before I left the house, lights didn't work at all. GROUNDING PROBLEM!!!!!! remember, the 2 bolts on the back of the TAILLIGHTS should be grounded or lights won't work everytime. trust me. try hookin light up to a battery with end wires. you need one wire on positive and one on negative. the ground wire on the truck goes back to the battery unlike chevy which is to frame. NISSAN IS PERFE

mytitan · 03-12-2008, 07:55 PM

well i hooked up my bro's armada to my trailer, and have no issues with the trailer lights with his armada. i took my truck to the dealer and they said my bcm has gone bad. WTF!! i have an 05 xe 4x4 wIth 26,000 miles and they said my truck is no longer warranteed. they said 3 years has gone by and the bcm replacement w/ install is $600. I HAVE A FEELING THIS IS FISHY. ANYONE OUT THERE CAN CHIME IN

PLEASE HELP

young dank · 03-12-2008, 08:00 PM

His Armada may be grounding out to the frame since its made differently than the Titan. Titan's ground back to the battery. therre fore, that white wire going to the trailer needs to run to the back of the lights where the nuts go on. TRUST ME. BCM just controls if you got the wires backwards. if you hook up a ground wire to the turn wires, you will mess somin up seriouly. just hook a londer wire from the ground wire to one light bolt on the back of the light of the trailer. if it doesn't work, NISSAN is suppose to honor you recall, but you should have done it a long time ago. they may not have none in stock. this is a volentary recall so it might have expired too.

young dank · 03-12-2008, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mytitan

im in the same boat, i have had issues with my trailer lts also. it seems that its our truck and not our trailers. my lts work every now and then, ive hooked up my trailer with my buddies truck and it works fine. its sooo frustrating!!!WTF!!!!!

none nissan vehicles ground to the frame and the battery itself grounds to the frame, so the trailer doesn't really need a ground, thats why your buddy's truck works with your boat trailer. you are not grounds that white wire to the lights like its suppose to. TRUST ME I've been there

mytitan · 03-12-2008, 08:18 PM

im not clear of what you want me to do. my bro's armada when hooked up to my trailker works fine. but when i hook mine up my lt turn signal and lt brake wont work. can you please step tell me what is wrong w/ my truck and how i can solve this problem, before i spend $600 please.
i thought my truck was warranteed till 36,000 miles. i have 26,000 miles.

help help

young dank · 03-12-2008, 08:30 PM

oh, you need to buy one more relay for your fuse box right behind the battery. the blue relay same one you have marked RH on your box. trust me. if that is the only light not working, you missin a relay.

NorCal 4x4 · 03-12-2008, 09:43 PM

This might have been just be a coincidence, (old boat and trailer so maybe intermittent wiring issue), but anyway, several years ago I was towing a boat for my sister-in-law, (she had just purchased), but the lights, turn signal, or both weren't working on the trailer until I hit the tow-mode button. IDK but maybe worth trying.