Funky Wiring Issue --- Help A Noob? - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

RandallSharp · 03-20-2012, 10:11 AM

Hey everyone, I'm having what appears to be a dash harness crisis.

Here's the scoop:

My wiper blades will not work on the LOW setting with the headlights on. With the headlights off, my wipers work on all settings, no problem. If I turn the wipers on LOW, then turn my headlights on, the wipers stop working.

Also, I have no radio. I should, but it's not working. It's an aftermarket one. The previous owner hardwired it in, which is ghetto. My friend, who works on radios and wiring a lot took it out and made an adapter harness. When we plug the harness/radio in, not only does the radio not work, but my wipers act up. They sometimes came on when we pressed the radio power button. Also, with it plugged in, the wipers wipe 3-4 times when the key is turned to accessories. They do not do this when the radio is unplugged.

My cluster clock and dome light does not work either. Oh, and the little chime that's supposed to ring with the door open and key in the ignition doesn't ring.

We cannot see anything blatantly wrong here, which I figured would be the issue.

My friend says the fuses are fine, but I suspect he's wrong.

Can anyone point me in the right direction? It's driving me crazy!

EnemyS15 · 03-20-2012, 04:18 PM

Someone has some crossed wires. Go look around the harness for places where previous owner tinkered with the harness and start tracing and diagnosing from there.

RandallSharp · 03-20-2012, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EnemyS15

Someone has some crossed wires. Go look around the harness for places where previous owner tinkered with the harness and start tracing and diagnosing from there.

Well I tried that, but I didn't see anything obvious where it had been messed with. I guess I better look closer. Thanks a bunch!

JDMRIDDAZ · 03-21-2012, 06:27 AM

Check under dash
To see if an alarm or anything else was installed on car to cause this issue

Sr20KoukiS14 · 03-24-2012, 02:22 AM

Check or replace the wiper switch?

Sr20KoukiS14 · 03-24-2012, 02:25 AM

Make sure your radio isn't getting power from either your lights or your wipers!

RandallSharp · 03-27-2012, 06:27 PM

I've traced all of this wiring and I can't find anything! I can tell someone else has been back here, but I'm too noobish with wires to figure this out. Where does the radio, wipers, and headlight circuit route?

imMat · 03-29-2012, 11:18 PM

im not in front of the fsm right now but ill give you some tips. open it up to the right wiring diagram for radio and mark where radio wiring starts and the first stop for each wire- relay, fuse, etc. take dash off and follow each wire from where radio harness is to where they need to go making sure nothing is spliced in to anything the diagram doesnt show on the way to said wires destination and no gashes in wires. i believe black or blue in diagrams are L or F or something, youll figure it out. splice oem radio harness(i think amazon sells it) in matching color to color using proper size splices. connect aftermarket radio adapter and test. if that doesnt work then buy a multimeter. oh and to check fuses yourself look at the metal piece through the clear plastic. if its broken in the middle its bad. doesnt sound like a bad fuse problem though

godrifttoday · 03-29-2012, 11:19 PM

Just buy another harness?

VinceDude · 04-02-2012, 12:50 AM

Original post was so funny lololol

Mishkin_707 · 04-02-2012, 12:49 PM

How old is your battery and alternator, check and clean your grounds too, try adding another ground and see if the problem still persists, I had loose/ dirty grounds and my car would do things like that too

blueshark123 · 04-02-2012, 01:01 PM

Most of the times when the wipers act up it is because of a ground issue.

RandallSharp · 04-06-2012, 02:38 PM

Where are the grounds I should be looking for?

Silvia716 · 04-10-2012, 06:37 PM

there are 2 grounds off the harness that runs threw the dash one by the fusebox and one by where the ecu is mounted the easy fix would be to run a ground directly from the battery to both of them, or you could just sand it a little bit and see if that works. i had the same problem and i pulled the entire harness to see if any thing was messed up, nothing was but i still had this problem. i ended up getting a new harness and that solved everyting. you got to think with cars almost 20 years old some time shit just goes.

RandallSharp · 04-12-2012, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silvia716

there are 2 grounds off the harness that runs threw the dash one by the fusebox and one by where the ecu is mounted the easy fix would be to run a ground directly from the battery to both of them, or you could just sand it a little bit and see if that works. i had the same problem and i pulled the entire harness to see if any thing was messed up, nothing was but i still had this problem. i ended up getting a new harness and that solved everyting. you got to think with cars almost 20 years old some time shit just goes.

What if I just did a resistance check from the power source to the chassis? Where would I put the hot probe?

03-20-2012, 10:11 AM	#1
RandallSharp Zilvia Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Ohio Age: 29 Posts: 183 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Funky Wiring Issue --- Help A Noob? Hey everyone, I'm having what appears to be a dash harness crisis. Here's the scoop: My wiper blades will not work on the LOW setting with the headlights on. With the headlights off, my wipers work on all settings, no problem. If I turn the wipers on LOW, then turn my headlights on, the wipers stop working. Also, I have no radio. I should, but it's not working. It's an aftermarket one. The previous owner hardwired it in, which is ghetto. My friend, who works on radios and wiring a lot took it out and made an adapter harness. When we plug the harness/radio in, not only does the radio not work, but my wipers act up. They sometimes came on when we pressed the radio power button. Also, with it plugged in, the wipers wipe 3-4 times when the key is turned to accessories. They do not do this when the radio is unplugged. My cluster clock and dome light does not work either. Oh, and the little chime that's supposed to ring with the door open and key in the ignition doesn't ring. We cannot see anything blatantly wrong here, which I figured would be the issue. My friend says the fuses are fine, but I suspect he's wrong. Can anyone point me in the right direction? It's driving me crazy! __________________ 1991 240sx Hatch Daily'd!

03-21-2012, 06:27 AM	#4
JDMRIDDAZ Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: ｆォリダ Age: 44 Posts: 440 Trader Rating: (3) Feedback Score: 3 reviews	Check under dash To see if an alarm or anything else was installed on car to cause this issue __________________ シチサｎ w/ka20det:in progress シチサｎw/sr20det:stolen

03-24-2012, 02:22 AM	#5
Sr20KoukiS14 Leaky Injector Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Missouri Age: 31 Posts: 141 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Check or replace the wiper switch? __________________

03-24-2012, 02:25 AM	#6
Sr20KoukiS14 Leaky Injector Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Missouri Age: 31 Posts: 141 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Make sure your radio isn't getting power from either your lights or your wipers! __________________

03-27-2012, 06:27 PM	#7
RandallSharp Zilvia Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Ohio Age: 29 Posts: 183 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	I've traced all of this wiring and I can't find anything! I can tell someone else has been back here, but I'm too noobish with wires to figure this out. Where does the radio, wipers, and headlight circuit route? __________________ 1991 240sx Hatch Daily'd!

03-20-2012, 04:18 PM	#2
EnemyS15 Nissanaholic! Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Tampa, Florida Posts: 1,677 Trader Rating: (14) Feedback Score: 14 reviews	Someone has some crossed wires. Go look around the harness for places where previous owner tinkered with the harness and start tracing and diagnosing from there.

03-29-2012, 11:18 PM	#8
imMat Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Arkansas Age: 35 Posts: 2 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	im not in front of the fsm right now but ill give you some tips. open it up to the right wiring diagram for radio and mark where radio wiring starts and the first stop for each wire- relay, fuse, etc. take dash off and follow each wire from where radio harness is to where they need to go making sure nothing is spliced in to anything the diagram doesnt show on the way to said wires destination and no gashes in wires. i believe black or blue in diagrams are L or F or something, youll figure it out. splice oem radio harness(i think amazon sells it) in matching color to color using proper size splices. connect aftermarket radio adapter and test. if that doesnt work then buy a multimeter. oh and to check fuses yourself look at the metal piece through the clear plastic. if its broken in the middle its bad. doesnt sound like a bad fuse problem though

03-29-2012, 11:19 PM	#9
godrifttoday Post Whore! Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: los angeles Age: 37 Posts: 3,120 Trader Rating: (82) Feedback Score: 82 reviews	Just buy another harness? __________________ NEED Bolt kits for your car?

04-02-2012, 12:50 AM	#10
VinceDude Zilvia Member Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Vegas Age: 29 Posts: 293 Trader Rating: (5) Feedback Score: 5 reviews	Original post was so funny lololol

04-02-2012, 12:49 PM	#11
Mishkin_707 Zilvia Addict Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: everywhere Age: 39 Posts: 729 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	How old is your battery and alternator, check and clean your grounds too, try adding another ground and see if the problem still persists, I had loose/ dirty grounds and my car would do things like that too

04-02-2012, 01:01 PM	#12
blueshark123 Post Whore! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: North Jersey Posts: 5,481 Trader Rating: (55) Feedback Score: 55 reviews	Most of the times when the wipers act up it is because of a ground issue.

04-06-2012, 02:38 PM	#13
RandallSharp Zilvia Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Ohio Age: 29 Posts: 183 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Where are the grounds I should be looking for? __________________ 1991 240sx Hatch Daily'd!

04-10-2012, 06:37 PM	#14
Silvia716 Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: buffalo ny Posts: 302 Trader Rating: (1) Feedback Score: 1 reviews	there are 2 grounds off the harness that runs threw the dash one by the fusebox and one by where the ecu is mounted the easy fix would be to run a ground directly from the battery to both of them, or you could just sand it a little bit and see if that works. i had the same problem and i pulled the entire harness to see if any thing was messed up, nothing was but i still had this problem. i ended up getting a new harness and that solved everyting. you got to think with cars almost 20 years old some time shit just goes.

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