4eyes

1996 Maxima

I've been finding answers to my car problems on this forum forever but at the moment I'm a little stumped. Basically, I have no tail lights or plate lights while the headlights are on. I found a bunch of posts that also had the dash/dome lights out, but my dash/dome lights seem to work fine. When I hit the brake, all the lights in the back seem to go on just fine. Turning signals also work. When I turn the headlight **** halfway, I'm not sure if any exterior lights are supposed to come on but none do. Emergency flashers, headlights, and high beams also seem to work as expected.

I checked all of the fuses under the steering wheel and to the right of the battery with a multimeter (simply continuity test) and nothing was blown. I didn't check the fuseable links because I couldn't find an easy way to get them out and they looked fine through the clear plastic top. I was also unable to check the relays, as I wasn't sure exactly how to verify that they were working properly.

I also went ahead and replaced the bulbs with 2 filaments. That didn't fix anything.

Some other info: For the last few years, I've been having battery problems with the car. Not so much during the summer, but once it starts getting cold if I leave it for a few days I'll have to jump it to start it. Sometimes the battery seems fully drained with no juice at all. It also used to have problems with the alarm going off randomly. However, it has never caused a problem with the lights like I'm experiencing now. As far as after market additions, a year ago I put in a new radio (really wasn't getting much use out of that tape player) and replaced the original speakers but didn't redo any wiring. The head unit came with a wiring harness that was pretty impossible to mess up. I'm just mentioning these things to head off any of the usual questions I've seen asked in similar threads, but I'm at a loss at the moment.

My main concern is getting my car street legal again so I can pick up groceries once it really gets cold.

Hope someone can point me in the right direction!

bumpypickle

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like you have a short somewhere...When you turn the **** halfway, your side markers (excpet for turn signals obviously) clearance lights, and tail lights should be lit up. I see that you said you used a multimeter to test the fuses. I would at least pull out the fuses for the taillights etc not sure which are which but looking on the back of the panel, you should see whats what. There are a few members on here I recall saying they used multimeter to check fuses and found one that tested ok, but was bad when pulled out which left him with an unneccesary tow bill. I believe it was AMERIKANER not sure though.

ef9

iTrader: (8)

Please go here to download the Electrical System chapter of the 1996 Nissan Maxima factory service manual:


http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/Maxima/1996/EL.pdf


page 53 shows the exterior lamps. There is a 7.5A fuse (position 5) that serves the clearance lamps and side markers, which go on when the lighting switch is in both position 1 and 2.


Trace the wires using that diagram.

4eyes

Thanks for the replies! I haven't had time to get digging into the car yet but I'll check that wiring diagram and see what I can test. Is there some way to test the relays? They seem all closed up except for the pins on the bottom, so I don't know how I would test a switch inside of it.

Also, I did pull out the fuses labeled "TAIL" and a few others and didn't see anything obviously wrong with them.

I'll reply back if I find anything but I'm open to other suggestions, too. Checking wiring seems like it may take a while.

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

When you turn the light switch so that the tail lights should be on, do the front parking lights and side markers come on? And what about the read side marker lights?

I'm not sure if your comment of "I'm not sure if any exterior lights are supposed to come on but none do" is a NO answer, but maybe it is.

There are no relays used for the tail lights, so don't waste your time on relays.

There is a fuse under the hood labelled TAIL and I think you checked it. But this fuse also powers the dash lights, so since you have dash lights, this fuse is good. The power from this fuse goes to the light switch on the steering column. When you turn the light switch on, the switch sends power to 2 other fuses, one for the dash lights and one for the tail lights.

This makes the tail light fuse look suspicious. Check the fuse in the dash panel fuse box. It is fuse # 5, 7.5 amp. Fuse # 5 is in the left hand column, 5th one up from the bottom. If you have the label decal, it is called TAIL LIGHT.

Donyel Welch

I tried everything you said do but when i change the fuse under the dashboard and turn my tail lights on the fuse blows again

ef9

iTrader: (8)

I would unplug all of the bulbs, check for shorts after that.

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

Fuses will blow when you have a short circuit. The procedure to find a short circuit is called 'trial & error'. You will need a bunch of fuses.

You disconnect things that use that fuse. In your case, take out all the tail light, parking light and side marker bulbs. As you remove the bulbs, examine the wires and sockets for damage. Then, with all the light bulbs out, put in a good fuse and turn on the tail lights.

If the fuse blows, there is a problem with the wiring. Many times, the wires in the trunk get damaged from all the things people toss in the trunk. Also the lamp sockets and wires that are exposed to the elements can corrode and short.

If the fuse doesn't blow, then you got lucky. You have a bad light bulb. Examine each light bulb to see if the filaments inside the lamp have warped and are touching one another.

4eyes

Replying back for closure. I must have gotten confused when I first started diagnosing it. I went in over the weekend with a multimeter, trying to check the voltage across the fused area. After a week of not looking at it, I looked at the fuse map, went for the TAIL fuse under the steering wheel, and noticed it was missing. I must have taken it out on the first day, put it back in a similar but incorrect spot, and continued diagnosing with the fuse in the wrong place.

Replaced the 7.5A TAIL fuse, now everything works. I'd rather feel like an idiot than have a more serious problem though. Thanks for the help everyone.

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

Don't beat yourself up over it. You are frustrated or you are rushing or you are in bad angle or something and you make a mistake. Everyone has done something like that. And the ones who have never done it are lying about it.

KPat

I had a similar problem where the tail lights did not work. The dome lights in the car did work. Apparently, i had a blown fuse but replacing the fuse alone does not take you far. The dome has a switch to select whether cabin lights should turn on when the door open. This switch is often faulty and causes a short which blows the fuse that also connects to the tail lights. You can either replace this switch or short it internally to "door" position and then replace the fuse so that your problem is gone forever.