I went to move my car and noticed the cluster was not working. It was lit but it didn’t show any of the numbers and gauges were at zero. I also noted my reverse camera and reverse lights were not working. I used this article on our site to resolve the issue: https://www.my4dsc.com/5thgen-nissan-maxima-10amp-meter-fuse-reference-info-why-it-keeps-blowing/. However, I wanted to make my own version of it.
Symptoms:
Limp Mode
No Reverse Lights
No Dash lights or mileage displayed
Kept blowing 10 AMP Meter Fuse Consistently
Tried:
Swapped ECU to confirm not ECU
Tried New Bulb, Didn’t work
Actual Solution:
First unplugged the mirror to see if the fuse would blow and it didn’t. I put on a new mirror and all was good.
You can see the burnt mark on the mirror connectors. I just replaced it with a spare that I had. You can find them on eBay for around $20-$30 bucks shipped.
So I started blowing this in cab 10amp fuse called meter, I checked alternator, battery, called harness lights all the normal stuff, couldn’t find it, meanwhile that fuse controls the cluster and puts the vehicle into fail-safe mode… so I scoured the forums and google and was running out of free time and fuses, so I brought it into the shop (local mechanic)…
It took him 9 hours of following wire and circuit diagrams, Forums, calling Nissan dealerships, had everything unplugged from harness and couldn’t find what was causing the short…
He then noticed on the schematics for that circuit there was a mirror section, not side mirrors but rear mirror, apparently the connection at the actual rear view mirror was toast, melted the wires and shorted internally, unplugged mirror and voilaaa fuse didn’t blow.
So 870$ later I had the issue fixed, a measly 100$ mirror crippled my baby for 3 days and cost me 900$.
I’m just posting this so anyone that runs into the same issue to remember that the rearview mirror may not b on the diagram plainly, but it’s something to check also.
Additional Note:
THANK YOU SOO MUCH
This problem happens for me a while back and replaced the fuse and it didn’t pop it happened again and I spent the whole day looking for a short and YouTube videos and forums and I found this one went and looked at the wires behind the mirror they were barley touching so I pulled them apart and replaced the fuse again and it didn’t pop so thank you soon much for your forum.
Question: Where did your audio or trunk battery power wire?
Answers (Your choice of options from various owners)
“Grommet above the gas on the firewall. It’s where I have my power cable. You have to cut the carpet a bit.”
“I ran my power wire threw the same hole as the hood release cable”
“Drilled a hole through the firewall on the driver’s side. It’s the shortest distance to the battery to get the full power you’re trying to run through the cable.”
“There was a nice easy spot under the glovebox on the passenger side with no drilling.”
The Engine Control Unit aka ECM is located in your engine bay right by the battery tray. It makes it easy to swap and replace. Please note that ECM needs to be programmed to your BCM in order for it to work properly.
There is some information on the web that states the key fob port illustrated below charges the key fob. IT DOES NOT! It’s also stated in the Nissan Manual. It uses a 3V CR2032 that must be replaced as part of normal maintenance which is about every 2 years.
NOTE: The Intelligent Key port does not charge the Intelligent Key battery. If you see the low battery indicator, replace the battery as soon as possible. See Intelligent Key battery replacement in the Maintenance and do-it-yourself section.
The Nissan Intelligent key is a technology that allows you to lock and unlock the doors of your Nissan vehicle as well as open and close the trunk and start the vehicle with the simple push of a button.
NISSAN INTELLIGENT KEY PROGRAMMING INSTRUCTIONS
The first step to Nissan key programming is to get in the car with the key, then lock the doors.
Put the key into the ignition, but don’t start the car, then remove the key. Do this about six times, although it can take up to 10 times. When your car accepts the key, the hazard lights will flash twice. This puts the vehicle and key in program mode.
Put the key back in the ignition and turn the key, without starting the vehicle, to activate the electronics.
Immediately press any button on the Nissan Intelligent Key. This needs to be done quickly to be effective.
Next, you’ll want to test out the Nissan Intelligent Key. Stand farther away from your Nissan and click the buttons on the Key. If the lights flash or the horn beeps once, your Nissan Intelligent Key programming was successful!
You’ll want to test this out near your Nissan to be sure everything works properly. Walk up to your vehicle and open the door – you should be able to do this without having to press any buttons on your Nissan Intelligent Key.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF THE NISSAN INTELLIGENT KEY?
Lock and unlock your doors and trunk without using your Nissan Intelligent Key. So long as your key is on your person, all you’ll need to do is press the “Request Switch” button on your door or trunk to lock/unlock it.
Push-button ignition. Get up and go that much quicker! With Nissan Intelligent Key, all you need to do is press the Start/Stop button to start up or turn off your vehicle.
Avoid accidental lockout. Thanks to Nissan Intelligent Key programming, there’s no need to worry about accidentally locking your keys in the car. Your Nissan Intelligent Key senses the status of your door lock when you shut it, and if your keys are still in the car, it won’t lock and will buzz you to let you know you left them in the cabin or trunk.
Additional Reference Notes:
Although the life of the battery varies depending on the operating conditions, the battery’s life is approximately 2 years. If the battery is discharged, replace it with a new one.
When the Intelligent Key battery is almost discharged, insert the Intelligent Key into the Intelligent Key port to start the engine.
Replace the discharged battery with a new one as soon as possible. Replace the CR2025 battery with a new one, making sure the negative side of the battery is facing up toward you.
If the battery of the Intelligent Key is almost discharged, the guiding light *B of the key port *A blinks and the indicator appears on the dot matrix liquid crystal display.
In this case, inserting the Intelligent Key into port *A allows you to start the engine. Make sure that the key ringside faces backward as illustrated. Insert the Intelligent Key in the port until it is latched and secured.
To remove the Intelligent Key from the port, push the ignition switch to the OFF position and pull the Intelligent Key out of the port.
The key port does not charge the key battery. If you see the low battery indicator in the dot-matrix liquid crystal display, replace the battery as soon as possible.
Never place anything except the Intelligent Key in the Intelligent Key port. Doing so may cause damage to the equipment.
Make sure the Intelligent Key is in the correct direction when inserting it to the Intelligent Key port. The engine may not start if it is in the wrong direction.
Remove the Intelligent Key from the Intelligent Key port after the ignition switch is pushed to the LOCK position.
The first mod I ever did to my car was the cruise control always ready one. I use it every day, 10 times a day, and I love it cause I’m lazy. I don’t have to turn that annoying rocker switch and then push set, I can just push set.
I remember when I did it a couple of years ago the current sticky did not apply to the 99se, its box of relays was different, so I experimented and found the one that worked. I took pictures then, and it wasn’t until I discovered those pictures randomly looking through my computer did I remember I was gonna make my own very first DIY. So here it is:
You need: 5 minutes, (2) 1-2″ strand of wire, 4 crimp-on spade connectors, something to crimp ends, a flat head screwdriver
1. Locate the box that has the cruise control relay in it. I used a flat head screwdriver to pop it open
2. Use that screwdriver to pop off the cruise control relay, (this is a picture of the final product), it is the one where you can see two little wires
3. Crimp the 2 spade connectors to each end of your little wires, should look like this
4. Plug them accordingly and you’re done!!
Additional Notes:
That “trick” as ejarmol described it is only for the 99 model. Nissan changed the electrical wiring. On the 95 through 98 models, the ASCD Hold relay (that’s what Nissan calls it) is in front of the battery.
Look at the cover over the relays that are in front of the battery and you will see one is labeled ASCD. This is the relay that gets removed. If your car has an automatic transmission, you need 2 jumper wires. If your car has manual trans, you only need 1 wire.
The electrical schematics for the 99 Maxima and the 99 I30 are the same, same wire colors and all.
The one thing that was not pointed out is that he has an automatic transmission. There is a difference between the auto and manual trans in how you would do this mod.
If the car has an auto trans, you use 2 jumpers as shown. If you have a manual trans, you use only one jumper. This is because the relays are different for the different transmissions. The auto trans uses a 2 circuit relay with 6 connections where the manual trans uses a single circuit relay with 4 connections.
If you have a manual trans car and use 2 jumpers, you will be shorting out fuse # 12 which is for the ASCD and a few other things.
