Issue installing electric trailer brake wiring kit 2005 Pathy SE

Topics related to Lights, Radio, Stereo, Headunits, Alternators...

Moderator: volvite

mpilihp
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2020 12:36 am
Location: Maine

Issue installing electric trailer brake wiring kit 2005 Pathy SE

Postby mpilihp » Mon May 23, 2022 4:22 pm

So I got this kit which it says its for a 2005 Pathfinder and it has a wiring pigtail with a couple relays on it that is supposed to connect to an open connector behind the front passenger kick panel. I pulled that panel off and could not find an available connector.

I unfortunately then asked my mechanic if he could figure it out and he DID he said and asked me to test it. I did and it didn't work and then got busy and forgot about it, UNTIL spring came and I tried to open the passenger window and it wouldn't work. Well after much frustration and welcomed help from this forum we determined the window switch was not getting power or ground and after taking the kick panel off I discovered my mechanic had disconnected the window connector and plugged the ebrake relay pig tail into the connector going to the window switch. I removed it and reconnected the connector to the one on the wiring harness and Wala my window is working now.

That said, can anyone here help me on what i need to make my electric brakes for my trailer work? This is the kit I bought:
https://www.etrailer.com/Custom-Fit-Veh ... =200561708


I have from this kit installed the 7 pin connector in the back for my trailer to connect to. It plugged into a port on the car wiring harness. I also installed an electric brake controller which connected to the controller connector available under the dash. My mechanic said he also ordered and installed a relay under the hood which I know I saw a open port for it so Im assuming he put it there.

So I have this relay but there is no available port to connect it to behind the front passenger kick panel, does it go somewhere else?

At this point I just want it to work, Is there a better source of what I need to install to make it work? Is there parts from NISSAN I can get to make it work?

Thank You

Phil


User avatar
VStar650CL
Posts: 501
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2020 6:19 pm

Re: Issue installing electric trailer brake wiring kit 2005 Pathy SE

Postby VStar650CL » Mon May 23, 2022 8:17 pm

The electric brake pigtail and the relay pigtail are two different things. The brake pigtail should be on the lefthand side, not the right. Usually it's way up high on the leg of the Main Harness that descends behind the parking brake, taped back to the harness.

mpilihp
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2020 12:36 am
Location: Maine

Re: Issue installing electric trailer brake wiring kit 2005 Pathy SE

Postby mpilihp » Tue May 24, 2022 2:08 pm

Hi can you clarify?

SO on the left (Drivers) side I did find a connector to connect the electric brake controller to, that is connected.

I am having an issue finding where to connect the electric brake relay pigtail. The instructions said it is under the right (passenger) side front kick panel.

Thanks!

Phil

User avatar
VStar650CL
Posts: 501
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2020 6:19 pm

Re: Issue installing electric trailer brake wiring kit 2005 Pathy SE

Postby VStar650CL » Tue May 24, 2022 2:28 pm

It would be underneath the righthand kick panel if it had one, but it doesn't. Not all the Pathies and Frontiers needed the accessory harness. I just checked the FSM, and yours doesn't. See page LT-121:
https://www.nicoclub.com/service-manual ... 5%2Flt.pdf

If it didn't come with a factory tow package, the relay sockets E140 and E148 are probably un-stuffed. You'll just need to install them and make sure the necessary fuses are all stuffed.

mpilihp
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2020 12:36 am
Location: Maine

Re: Issue installing electric trailer brake wiring kit 2005 Pathy SE

Postby mpilihp » Wed May 25, 2022 4:28 am

Thanks Ill take a look!

mpilihp
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2020 12:36 am
Location: Maine

Re: Issue installing electric trailer brake wiring kit 2005 Pathy SE

Postby mpilihp » Sat May 28, 2022 9:43 am

Hi so I followed the doc you shared and the two relays are installed (I remember the mechanic saying he bought some to install.

I also see the fuses and other relays are already installed.

I tested it and what I am experiencing is the trailer brakes are ON all the time. As soon as I hooked it up and turned the car on they are activated. Tried turning car off and back on and still brakes are activated without pressing on the brake pedal.

Remembering now when I said they didnt work when I first tested it back after they worked on it and after the snow melted so I could reach the trailer I think this was the state.

So any thoughts? Possible they installed the WRONG relays?? WOuld the relays that came with the relay pigtail be the right ones to be installed under the hood where the tow relays are?

Thanks

Phil

User avatar
VStar650CL
Posts: 501
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2020 6:19 pm

Re: Issue installing electric trailer brake wiring kit 2005 Pathy SE

Postby VStar650CL » Sat May 28, 2022 10:43 am

Do they go off when you press the brake? If so, then it's almost certainly a wrong relay (NC instead of NO). I don't know if the relays in the pigtail kit are the same ones. The wiring is somewhat different in the two systems, so maybe not. Here's a link to the relay page in NissanPartsDeal, the three in question are A, N and R. The parts sheet which came with the add-on kit should show p/n's for the relays in the kit, so you can match them up:
https://www.nissanpartsdeal.com/parts-l ... m=252_A002

mpilihp
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2020 12:36 am
Location: Maine

Re: Issue installing electric trailer brake wiring kit 2005 Pathy SE

Postby mpilihp » Sat May 28, 2022 3:27 pm

Hi good point I didn't try pushing on the brake and moving, think I could just push the brake on lever on the ebrake controller to activate the trailer brakes and try moving the vehicle to see if they are activated?

Phil

User avatar
VStar650CL
Posts: 501
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2020 6:19 pm

Re: Issue installing electric trailer brake wiring kit 2005 Pathy SE

Postby VStar650CL » Sat May 28, 2022 6:02 pm

Ordinary 4-wire brake controllers shouldn't affect brake lights, they use the lamp signal as an input and have no provision to light anything up. So I assume you have a fancy one with a separate trigger and an I/O brake wire. In that case, yes -- and if the lights don't go out, try unplugging the controller and see if the trailer lights work normally. To check the regular system, if you don't have a volunteer to work the brake pedal, I always use a 24" prybar and just run the seat forward till the pedal is pressed.

mpilihp
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2020 12:36 am
Location: Maine

Re: Issue installing electric trailer brake wiring kit 2005 Pathy SE

Postby mpilihp » Wed Jun 01, 2022 6:30 am

Hi so its not a 4 wire connection it iis a 7 wire setup I am trying to get working for electric trailer brakes. Also its not JUST the lights that are on all the time but the electric brakes on the trailer as well so I cannot move the trailer.

I checked the relays under the hood and the small blue one has no label on it so I do not know if its normally open or normally closed. The brown one shows its a normally open relay which is correct.

When I checked the relay it was after I had been driving for 30 min and it was HOT, so its staying engaged all the time even without a trailer connected.

I removed the relay and for kicks tried the 7 pin trailer connector set up to my trailer and the lights still work just no brakes.

So I can use it with a light load that doesnt need brakes but still need to figure out why that relay is being engaged all the time. Im guessing its getting a signal from the controller which is brand new so dont know why it would be doing that.

Phil

User avatar
VStar650CL
Posts: 501
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2020 6:19 pm

Re: Issue installing electric trailer brake wiring kit 2005 Pathy SE

Postby VStar650CL » Wed Jun 01, 2022 6:13 pm

Seems pretty obvious the brake controller is mis-wired if it isn't defective. It has to be getting/giving an improper brake signal to/from the car all the time. If the accessory trailer-brake pigtail wasn't used and it's wired it straight into the car wiring, it may simply be on the wrong side of the brake switch. If you want to post a link to instructions for the controller and tell me wire colors/connectors for where it's hooked up, I'll figure out what's wrong. If you want to look, here's a link to the FSM for the trailer prewiring, it's on pages LT-121 ~ LT-127:
https://www.nicoclub.com/service-manual ... 5%2Flt.pdf

mpilihp
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2020 12:36 am
Location: Maine

Re: Issue installing electric trailer brake wiring kit 2005 Pathy SE

Postby mpilihp » Fri Jun 03, 2022 6:52 am

Hi thanks and I agree, so I ordered the controller and the adapter pig tail for the Pathy from eTrailer.com (I think).

Ill look up the items I ordered and provide a link, considering they provided the wrong wiring setup for the relays the pigtail could also be wrong.

Phil

mpilihp
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2020 12:36 am
Location: Maine

Re: Issue installing electric trailer brake wiring kit 2005 Pathy SE

Postby mpilihp » Fri Jun 03, 2022 7:18 am

Ok so it appears I did not check my order when I created it closely, it was a kit with controller and adapter cable FOR a Nissan pathy.

But now looking at the order part number specifically it appears the adapter cable is for a FORD.

These are what I have:
https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer_Brake_ ... 39523.html

https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories_an ... 035-P.html

Reviewing the optional adapter cables I THINK I should have been sent this one:

https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-an ... 050-P.html

Im putting one on order now. Thanks for your help Ill repost if its resolved.

Thanks!

Phil

mpilihp
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Jan 05, 2020 12:36 am
Location: Maine

Re: Issue installing electric trailer brake wiring kit 2005 Pathy SE

Postby mpilihp » Fri Jun 03, 2022 8:13 am

For this cable, this appears to be the wiring to the car, IE what is on each PIN.
https://www.towingproducts.net/Applicat ... 3050-P.pdf

The link to the manual shows the manual is a small window and too small for my eyes to see and zooming in makes it hard to navigate.

Phil

User avatar
VStar650CL
Posts: 501
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2020 6:19 pm

Re: Issue installing electric trailer brake wiring kit 2005 Pathy SE

Postby VStar650CL » Fri Jun 03, 2022 9:55 am

That's a regular 4-wire controller and the wire colors for all of them are wooden-leg standard:
Black: +12V
White: Ground
Red: Input from Brake Switch
Blue: Output to trailer brakes

The Ford cable won't fit your Pathy, so if you had it installed by someone else then the installer must have cut the Ford plug loose and spliced to the wires at the trailer prewire connector. The proper connector should plug right in, so all you'll need to do is remove the splices (hopefully they used T-taps and didn't cut the car connector loose). In case they did cut the car connector, the correct colors on the car harness are:
Orange: +12V
Black: Ground
Lt Green: Brake Switch
Brown: Trailer brakes


Return to “R51 Electrical”