# daytime running light



## giantpanda77 (Aug 5, 2006)

my xtrail (06 Canadian model) day time running light is no longer working, first one light, then now both went off. i took the factory bulb off (osram 54193), replaced with one i bought at walmart Sylvania 9003). the day time running light remain off.
the same bulb running fine for the high beam, i am kind of puzzled, unless this is something related to the hand brake switch, as day time running light would be turned on after the release of hand brake.

anyone of you have encountered similar issue before? thanks for sharing, much appreciated.


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## diopter (Aug 3, 2010)

Somewhat similar problem with my 2006.

Daylight running light both on as they should be when engine started.
As soon as brake comes off, the Driver's side High beam turns on by itself (with headlight switch off).
When headlights turn on, all lights are fine with high beam off.
When switched to high beams they work as they should.

Problem only shows up when headlight switch is off and no hand brake.
Must be a relay or a short.

Would love to get a wiring diagram


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## giantpanda77 (Aug 5, 2006)

thanks a lot Diopter. I will bring the car back to deal this weekend, will find out, thanks



diopter said:


> Somewhat similar problem with my 2006.
> 
> Daylight running light both on as they should be when engine started.
> As soon as brake comes off, the Driver's side High beam turns on by itself (with headlight switch off).
> ...


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## giantpanda77 (Aug 5, 2006)

bring the car into dealer, told the daytime running light module need to be replaced, parts and labor, $500 CAD..adding some other wear and tear replacement, a $2000 CAD service...thinking of having to give up my 11 years old buddy next year, have been pretty reliable so far




giantpanda77 said:


> thanks a lot Diopter. I will bring the car back to deal this weekend, will find out, thanks


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Did they give you a part number GiantPanda? What all else are they recommending be done? I am sure we can help you find ways to spend less than half that amount.
Here is a link to the factory service manual. 

https://ownersmanuals2.com/make/nissan/x-trail-2006-4143

The lighting section should provide info on the system. When I get a chance I will give it a peek, and see about the part.
With a little love the old buddy can be great for a few more years yet.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Don't know where you are but you may want to contact this guy

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-other-auto-parts-and-accessories/london/nissan-drl-module-fix/1310832029

or better

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-other-auto-...day-time-running-lights-module-drl/1123118133

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Nissan-Infi...359243060?_trkparms=aid=222007&algo=SIM.MBE%2


https://www.ebay.com/itm/Infiniti-N...ghts-Module-DRL-DTRL-Controller-/172275710456
I note the style seems a bit different on this, so I guess there is a two pin and 3 pin style.
On page 65 of the lighting section in the service, the location of the DTRLM is shown. Easy for you to check as its behind the trim panel to the left of the drivers side foot rest. Does not appear very complicated to replace the unit. Maybe 15 minutes work total or less.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Thought I could post the pdf image for the location but can't. but you can see it in the above pic.

Anyway I am sure it can fixed rather inexpensively.


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## giantpanda77 (Aug 5, 2006)

wow, thanks a lot quadraria10, this is a great information. I will digest the info. I kind of suspect it may not be module related, as it used to be one side of daytime light on and one side light off, then later both are off after not too far apart. i will find out the part number once i get my worksheet back. the car is now left with dealer and will pick up next week.




quadraria10 said:


> Thought I could post the pdf image for the location but can't. but you can see it in the above pic.
> 
> Anyway I am sure it can fixed rather inexpensively.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Actually Giant Panda, based upon what you describe and what the dealer found out, it is the module.

Found this which describes the nature of the problem, and a fix.

https://www.oildepot.ca/daytime-running-light-repair-honda-nissan/

Requires a bit of welding, but I figured it would be easier for you ( or most of us lol) to get a reconditioned one as the price is not too outrageous.

It may be too late if you have confided it to the dealer to repair, but if not--- grab the door sill plastic cover at the base of the drivers door side, and yank it up and off. Then you will take off the lower inside trim to the left of the driver's foot. If memory serves its held on by one or two plastic pushpins. With it removed the unit will be right in front of you as per the pic above. Would be useful to know if the part is the three style connector or the other one. If it was nicer out or I had a heated garage I would go and check on mine. Maybe some one here has done it and will chime in to let us know the right one to get. Otherwise it would be pretty easy to reach out to one of the listers on Kijiji or Ebay, and find out which is the right one.
Anyway please do a follow up post on this and let us know the outcome, and what else needs repair.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Pretty sure ours takes the two connector style - 28575-5M200 think is the right one. Not sure what the dealer is charging for the part, but labour should be really minimal for this. 
the pics on this russian site show more, and even which connector to undo to disable the daytime running lights

Îòêëþ÷àåì ôóíêöèþ ïîñòîÿííîãî ñâåòà íà Nissan X-Trail · FAQ Nissan X-Trail (Íèññàí Õ-Òðåéë) · FAQ Nissan.

As an aside this russian site has quite an extensive how to list for the x trail. Glad I found it. Its pretty amazing how easy it is to get a translation these days.


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## giantpanda77 (Aug 5, 2006)

back from dealer, the part number is 28575 eq600, did a google, more of this ==>
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Infiniti-N...ghts-Module-DRL-DTRL-Controller-/172275710456

this is the first year i have repair beyond the disk / pad and all sort of oil change. did a drive belt replacement in May, then now the day light module (i dont know if it is one module or two, if it is two, then the quality control of the parts is pretty good, as both went off pretty much close. i experienced the same for my brake light bulb of this car), tie rods need to be replaced (i will search the forum to see if others also experienced tie rod issue).

still felt the car is pretty strong, but may prepare to replace with a new one next year. this year already spent $2300 for repair.





quadraria10 said:


> Pretty sure ours takes the two connector style - 28575-5M200 think is the right one. Not sure what the dealer is charging for the part, but labour should be really minimal for this.
> the pics on this russian site show more, and even which connector to undo to disable the daytime running lights
> 
> Îòêëþ÷àåì ôóíêöèþ ïîñòîÿííîãî ñâåòà íà Nissan X-Trail · FAQ Nissan X-Trail (Íèññàí Õ-Òðåéë) · FAQ Nissan.
> ...


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## otomodo (May 23, 2008)

giantpanda77 said:


> tie rods need to be replaced (i will search the forum to see if others also experienced tie rod


I ve done that last year, 45$ for both outside, 2 beers and 1 broken wrench(1\2") 
I did a manual alignment and no signs of a bad wear on tires. 

Are you sure it s the tie rods?
Have you checked the ball joints?


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## giantpanda77 (Aug 5, 2006)

good for you guys know of the skill, so far my ability have only up to change none safety related items, such as bulbs, battery, changing tires and etc. It is outer tie rod, did a check of parts online, cost about $20, while paid close to $500 at dealer for parts and labor.




otomodo said:


> I ve done that last year, 45$ for both outside, 2 beers and 1 broken wrench(1\2")
> I did a manual alignment and no signs of a bad wear on tires.
> 
> Are you sure it s the tie rods?
> Have you checked the ball joints?


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Thanks for letting us know the part number you received. It is the two connector style and is interchangeable with the the one I posted and we both put up the same ebay link. Dealer pricing is nuts as per usual but good to know there are much cheaper diy options, and that it is easy to change.
Tie rod ends at the dealer are 95 each plus tax, labour and alignment, so 500 total would be quite possible. On the other hand you could take it to an alignment shop, provide the parts and probably be out approx 200.

http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/nissan,2006,x-trail,2.5l+l4,1434432,steering,tie+rod+end,7428
I would order the MAS extended life ones
http://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=7524020&cc=1434432&jsn=366

Made in Canada and very good quality.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Just noticed I have a bit of an intermittent fault with my daytime running light on the right side. I have noticed it's off on one side from a reflection in a bumper, or when I have started the car, and then low and behold its working again later when I go to check. The bulb is good and works on low and high beams. I may take a trip to Kenny U pull and see if I can't a replacement module really cheaply. It's not even in their price list. Who knows might end up being free lol.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

I was able to get one at Kenny U pull. They charged $5 for the part plus 3$ for admission to their yard. For fun called Nissan dealer--same part $375. Super easy to get at and remove. Requires a screwdriver to depress the connector tabs and a 10mm socket to remove the bracket bolt that retains it. Hopefully it fixes my problem and I don't have to do any electrical detective work.
Based upon the quote GiantPanda got, Nissan would charge 1 hr labour to replace it. If it takes me more than 15 minutes to install and put everything back in place, it will be because I am taking my time lol.


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## otomodo (May 23, 2008)

Lol

And don t forget the KY while you re at the dealer.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Crazy thing is ever since I got the used one, mine has been working fine. Oh well I have a spare for if and when it starts acting up again.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Well it started failing on one side again, so I installed my $5 Kenny U Pull one and both daytime running lights are now working. As shown on videos online I took my old one apart (cracked the case a bit), and there is one obvious spot where the solder has fully cracked around a pin. According to the video it just needs to be re-soldered. So I will keep it and should the problem come up anew will try and do the fix. But until then, I will happily leave the used one I installed in place. It is a 15 minute job to disassemble the trim, replace the part and put everything back together.


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## paulkurucz (Aug 12, 2018)

*DRL part...thanks!*



quadraria10 said:


> Don't know where you are but you may want to contact this guy
> 
> [Kijiji link]
> 
> ...


Thanks for this!  I just bought a 2016 X-Trail and am loving it. 2 weeks in? The right-side DRL stops working and bulb replacement doesn't fix it. Ordered one from the eBay link noted above and fingers crossed I can change it on my X-Trail easily and get it working...

- Paul in Nanaimo, BC


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Super easy to change it. You need to first pull up the door runner trim. Basically cover a flat screwdriver with tape and pry up the piece which is held by 3 retaining pins that pop out. You will then want to move the rubber door trim at the side of your driver's side footwell. With that off there is screw on pin cover just to the left of the foot resting pad that you pop off. With that off the plastic cover can be pried off by pulling it towards you, the daytime running light unit is behind it. The unit is held in place by a snap on bracket that you will probably have to attach to the new or repaired unit you get. It is attached with a 10mm bolt. With it removed its easy to flip up the unit and undo the two connections which have tabs you press in to undo them.
On mine as well it was the right hand daytime light that was not working. In examining the board on mine, one of the pins has cracked solder all around it that is most likely the actual issue. Someday soon, I will resolder it, and will keep it as a spare. Ours is pretty similar to the one here





I am pretty sure the fixed ones available on Ebay or Kijiji have had a similar repair done to them.
Congrats on your new to you X Trail. Great cars and lots of info to save you money on repairs and maintenance to be found here.


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## paulkurucz (Aug 12, 2018)

*Re: DRL replacement steps*



quadraria10 said:


> Super easy to change it. You need to first pull up the door runner trim. Basically cover a flat screwdriver with tape and pry up the piece which is held by 3 retaining pins that pop out. You will then want to move the rubber door trim at the side of your driver's side footwell. With that off there is screw on pin cover just to the left of the foot resting pad that you pop off. With that off the plastic cover can be pried off by pulling it towards you, the daytime running light unit is behind it. The unit is held in place by a snap on bracket that you will probably have to attach to the new or repaired unit you get. It is attached with a 10mm bolt. With it removed its easy to flip up the unit and undo the two connections which have tabs you press in to undo them.
> On mine as well it was the right hand daytime light that was not working. In examining the board on mine, one of the pins has cracked solder all around it that is most likely the actual issue. Someday soon, I will resolder it, and will keep it as a spare. Ours is pretty similar to the one here
> 
> I am pretty sure the fixed ones available on Ebay or Kijiji have had a similar repair done to them.
> Congrats on your new to you X Trail. Great cars and lots of info to save you money on repairs and maintenance to be found here.


Thank you, again!!! This is super and I now feel a lot more confident taking on the repair myself. And I will definitely go through the forum and contribute to it if I can help others.

I have a Japanese-made 2002 Nissan Maxima, too, which I love for the quality they put in and how smooth and powerful it is. Oh, no!! I might like the X-Trail better now and have to sell the Maxima!! Eeeeekkk!! ;-)


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Glad to help. If you have any questions don"t hesitate to ask. If you have the soldering ability it would be worth trying, but as I said getting it out of the case is a bit tricky, though I am sure electrical tape will be sufficient to fix the damage I did. Of course that adds time to the job, so its probably worthwhile to order a repaired one as they are not that expensive. Or do as I did and visit a Kenny U pull or other scrap yard and see if you can luck out with a used one. You can see on the ebay listing that they were used in different Nissan and Infiniti models. But it is definitely something you can fix yourself without having to pay $500+ at the dealer.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

The two connector black colour cased module covers the following models:

- Infiniti G35 2003-2006

- Nissan Xterra 1999-2004

- Nissan X-Trail 2005-2006

- Nissan Quest 2004-2009

- Nissan Sentra 2001-2006

- Nissan Maxima 1995-1999

- Nissan 240SX 1995-1998

In case someone decides to go searching for one. They all use the same part and its always in the same drivers side footwell location from what I can see.


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## Papa Smurf (Aug 15, 2018)

quadraria10 said:


> Don't know where you are but you may want to contact this guy
> kijiji.ca/v-other-auto-parts-and-accessories/london/nissan-drl-module-fix/1310832029
> 
> or better
> ...


I went through this a couple of years ago. What a PITA, tried fixing my module and messed it up, bought a couple of used modules which worked or partial worked for a while. Then I bought the module on line with lifetime warranty from the guy on Kijiiji, never had to worry about it again PROBLEM SOLVED! :laugh:


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Thanks for letting us know. I figured the soldering might not be as easy as it looks. Good to learn that the guy on Kijiji does a good job. And welcome to the forum by the way!


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## paulkurucz (Aug 12, 2018)

*(sigh) DRLM module changed...still not working*

Thanks for all the support, folks! I bought a replacement used DRLM from Derek in Ontario through Kijiji/eBay links noted earlier. With "tested OK" on it, I replaced the module as instructed. 

Passenger side DRL still not working (headlight mode does). 

Suggestions for troubleshooting next steps? Any way I can be sure the module I replaced actually does work? Or should I just open up the old one, solder it as noted above, and try it?


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

My guess is the repaired unit is defective. I would either contact the seller and see about getting another, and/or try to repair my old one. Otherwise, it has not been a common problem so doing like I did and pulling a used one at a junk yard should work with a bit of luck. Posted the list of models that use the same one to help someone out in the search for one. Kenny U pull charged me $5 for mine.


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## paulkurucz (Aug 12, 2018)

quadraria10 said:


> My guess is the repaired unit is defective. I would either contact the seller and see about getting another, and/or try to repair my old one. Otherwise, it has not been a common problem so doing like I did and pulling a used one at a junk yard should work with a bit of luck. Posted the list of models that use the same one to help someone out in the search for one. Kenny U pull charged me $5 for mine.


Thanks for the suggestions. Will get another unit first to prove it is, or is not, a defective unit I got. Then move on from there...


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## paulkurucz (Aug 12, 2018)

*Nissan X-Trail DTRL saga conclusion - a new solution!*

For future 2005-2006 Nissan X-Trail owners struggling with the day-time running light problem:

After trying two used DTRL modules, purchased through eBay, I brought my X-Trail to a local auto electrical shop. "Oh, yes, we see lots of these. Always on the right side". After testing the original and one of the used replacements, they noted that the power coming out of the modules for the right side was too low. "You can spend $360 + tax + installation [DIY, of course] for a new one, or... we can install a relay instead of the controller. We do this for U.S. imports that need daytime running lights. When your ignition comes on, your headlights come on. You will never have a problem again."

Cost:

Relay: C$21.60
Shop supplies: C$3.00
Labour: C$99.00
GST/PST: C$14.83
---------
C$138.43

Thank you again to everyone who supported my odyssey! I hope this helps those who find this in the future...

Paul

Nanaimo, BC


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Thanks for posting that. It provides another option for people with the issue. Another option along the same lines would be to use the fog lights, as in Canada they can be used as legal daytime running lights. The only down side to what your car electrician did, is to increase the usage of your low beams, and you will probably have to replace your headlight bulbs more often as a result. The DRL's on ours use the high beam filament at a lower power setting.
Happy to report the used I one I pulled at Kenny's is working fine.
Hope the fires and smoke in BC end soon.


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## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

*Me too!*



quadraria10 said:


> Just noticed I have a bit of an intermittent fault with my daytime running light on the right side. I have noticed it's off on one side from a reflection in a bumper, or when I have started the car, and then low and behold its working again later when I go to check. The bulb is good and works on low and high beams. I may take a trip to Kenny U pull and see if I can't a replacement module really cheaply. It's not even in their price list. Who knows might end up being free lol.



Hey Quad... I have the same issue. Right side DRL works intermittently, but when it is off, the left one is twice as bright! I am taking the Little Silver Bus in for an oil change, rear brake pads, and front rotors tomorrow at my mechanic's. I was going to call him and mention this light, too...my other mechanic actually replaced that bulb on my last oil change as it must have been out when he saw it. So obviously it was not the bulb. But curious as to why the other one gets so bright, like a high beam almost... Your do-it-yourself suggestions are fine but we have no access to a garage now that we have moved again, and there is a foot of snow out there. Plus that kind of finicky electronic work is not up my or my hubby's alley!! >


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## Papa Smurf (Aug 15, 2018)

Hi, you can get a replacement module on eBay


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Hi Molly,
Sad to hear about all that early snow in your neck of the woods. Have faith in a week it will all be gone. I am not sure why your other light glows twice as bright but basically our day time running lights use the high beam, and its the module that regulates the power to them. My guess is that your module is giving up the ghost and is no longer regulating the power to the high beam on that side the way it should. Your husband or even yourself is up for the job of replacing this. Its an easier job than replacing the cabin filter, or a headlight, but your best bet will be to order one of the modules off ebay, have it delivered to you and bring it to your mechanic to swap out the old one. Basically you need to remove the lower trim to the left of the drivers side footwell, remove the unit held in by 1 or two screws, remove bracket from old and place on the new, plug in the connector and then reinstall. 
Other option is to have your mechanic do as Paul suggested, or hope you get lucky like I did at a junk yard. I posted a list of the different models using the same part as on ours.
Glad to hear your little silver bus is still going. What mileage are you at these days?


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## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

Thanks, Quad. I'll ask my guys what they would charge to install that module. In the meantime I'll just turn on my headlights manually! My bus just rolled over 398K. We are getting a bit worried as we now live about 250 KM from Calgary where my Mom just recently got put in to a nursing home, so a visit will be 500 km every time, so it will add up a lot quicker now! That said, we still want to make sure it is taken care of...just had new front rotors installed yesterday. I guess I should have had the brake pads done, too, as they squeal now, so I will have to go back and do that! My rear brake pads are about half worn, too. Still getting very good gas mileage!


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## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

*Got'em fixed!*

Hey there! Finally ordered that DRL module from the DRL Guy on Kijiji. I ended up doing it mostly my ownself! Hubby had a bit of trouble seeing down in the corner and his fingers can't get in there as well as mine, I guess.... Felt pretty dang proud of myself too! So nice to have the lights working properly again. :nerd:


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Way to go Molly. I knew you could do it. Sadly mine has started to act up and its occasionally not working on the passenger side, but then works fine for days afterwards. I will either try and resolder my old one as I can see where the solder has cracked, or when I get a chance I will go by a Kenny-U Pull and grab another.
How is the engine running with the new timing chain?


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## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

Thanks, Quad!  I wouldn't even dare attempt what you plan to do. This is just unplug the old one and pop in the new one, after wrestling with the plastic covers! I am still miffed at my one previous mechanic who said it would take 1 1/2 hours... I haven't been there since, mind you. The Little Bus is running great...I should do another gas mileage calculation. One thing we have noticed; since having to change the oil again with that repair (and using some high mileage oil this time) it is staying cleaner looking on the dipstick. Before it didn't take very long before looking very black.


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

I did not say I would succeed lol. I have never soldered before. Will probably grap a spare at Kenny's when I get a chance. Removing one from a scrapped car is the same as removing yours to install a newer one.
Glad to hear yours is running great. I am happy you gave it some open heart surgery. For the money you paid to fix it and the money you would have received selling it, I don't think you could buy anywhere near as good a used vehicle where you are. I am 90% sure you will reconsider selling it now, and probably keep it another year or two. Onwards to 500,000 kms...


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## quadraria10 (Jul 6, 2010)

Well finally I just went to Kenny U Pull and as they had no X trails, I grabbed one off a 2004 Quest. Was not able to locate one in an Infiniti G35, but since learned its next to windshield washer fluid container in the engine bay. Found the one for the Quest in the engine bay as well left side towards the rear. 
Required repositioning the bracket on it, but works fine. In both the original and the used one I just replaced, I have some whiskering cracking on one solder pin, which is what I assume is the cause of the daylight running not working occasionally. Curiously I am hoping there is a possibility the 2004 one which is now a discontinued part, used lead solder prior to its being phased out in 2006.
I will try and repair one of the two I have now as spares, but first I will need to get a soldering iron and solder or find a friend with one I can borrow. Once again Kenny charged me $6 for the part plus their $ 3-yard entry fee. 

In addition to the list I provide of models that use the same daytime running light module as Canadian X trails, are 2001 to 2006 Nissan Sentras.


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## sumonsbd (Nov 27, 2019)

His is a good post. I had the same problem, right side DRL was coming on and off. As the the instruction in this forum, I have took out the DRL module, it was very easy process, took me 5 minutes; after taking out the left side door panel, and the rubber trim, I have unscrewed the plastic flat nut/screw which is just by the foot rest. here is the tricky part, that plastic cover is secured with 2 metal clips on the left side, just pry with a flat screw drive behind the cover and it will come out easy. then 10 mm socket to take out the bracket. When I tried to open the circuit board from the box, it was tough and tight though. I used the heat gun to soften the box and pried with flat screw driver, and came out. (In my first attempt without heat gun, I broke a small piece of the cover.). 
I found some solder welding was burnt and brown. What I did, I gave some heat with the heat gun and its working now. I should have taken some picture of the process though. 
Hope it will be helpful for any one who wants to try as DIY.




giantpanda77 said:


> my xtrail (06 Canadian model) day time running light is no longer working, first one light, then now both went off. i took the factory bulb off (osram 54193), replaced with one i bought at walmart Sylvania 9003). the day time running light remain off.
> the same bulb running fine for the high beam, i am kind of puzzled, unless this is something related to the hand brake switch, as day time running light would be turned on after the release of hand brake.
> 
> anyone of you have encountered similar issue before? thanks for sharing, much appreciated.


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## otomodo (May 23, 2008)

Change mine twice last week at the pull place. Before it was buzzing by the left foot,then under the hood and now nothing. Still no right beam or drl. Now that motorcycle season is officially over the xtrail will sleep in the garage and i ll diagnose better the problem. 
The right headlight was faulty but it was replaced since then. Contacts seemed rusted with some verdigris and with my son activating the switch i had no voltage on high beam(on the right side)


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## Kevin J (Nov 30, 2019)

I just purchased a 2006 a couple of weeks ago with electrical gremlins , no front or rear wipers , no pass headlight and no DRL . pulled the module in drivers kick panel and found two broken solder joints . Also found two broken wires at the passenger headlight . Lights are all working now .


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## otomodo (May 23, 2008)

For future guidance


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## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

I think I have this issue on this "new" Exxie, too...right side DRL not always on. I bought a bulb at Napa, totally forgetting it could be the module.


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## tonyvancity (Jan 2, 2017)

There is some online debate about the old saying '' replace both headlight bulbs, not just the burnt out one''. Personally, if i had the old style , cheap to buy bulb headlight it would not be a bad idea to buy a pair for say $4-10 , change out both bulbs or at least keep the second new bulb as a spare. Or Molly, you can upgrade your headlight bulbs to LED as i did on my 06 Xtrail. I have had the same pair of LED bulbs for about 4-5 years now, never burnt out and super reliable, they cast a really nice white LED light . They make my 06 Xtrail look like a new modern suv, especially at night. If you do go an upgrade, but the LED bulbs that come with a ''plug and play'' canbus. That will ensure your turn signals do not rapid flicker when you have your headlights turned on and signaling. I paid about $80-90 off amazon.ca for a good pair of LED bulbs. Three things to mention if you do decide to get the led bulbs : Get the ones with a canbus ( see the little box/wire? that's a canbus....some kind of electrical converter) , do not go cheap and buy low quality made in china bulbs/you will regret later. And the only real issue You may have is that led bulbs do not give off any real heat so if you live in Alberta and winter comes, your headlight covers will not warm up so the thin layer of frost melts off . I live in Vancouver so i get mostly rainy, mild winters and on cold frosty winter mornings i just use my squeegee to remove the frost....not a big deal for Me.


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## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

Thanks, Tony. But I think I still will have the DRL module issue even if I get new headlight bulbs? I have wished for better lighting at night so maybe the LEDs would be better; I will have to polish the lenses with my polishing kit, too. That helped brighten things up a little on my LSB 1.0.


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## tonyvancity (Jan 2, 2017)

ahhhhh, ok. I actually lost the daytime running light function once i installed my LED bulbs, but it does not bother me because i always manually turn on my full headlights every time i hope in any vehicle i drive since i first got my DL over 30 years ago. As for the polishing head light covers, i just did that again last night in my driveway. I do that frequently. I do not bother with store bought polishing kits. For me, i just use sime $8 container of Turtle Wax. Of course i experiment and use other waxes, some more grittier/finer polish then others. Also, lately i've been using Goo Gone spray to first clean the head light covers. That works very well. Then i apply the wax and just use a clean waxing rag by hand and i'm very satisfied with my results. Keep in mind some head light covers are just too old, UV faded, scratched and too far gone to bother with any polishing. Also, sometimes the Inside of the headlight cover is deteriorated and reached the point where you just have to buy new headlights! I'm satisfied with mine the way they are now and will not go spend money on new head light assemblies unless i get into a car accident and they get busted up.


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## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

Good tips, Tony. I'm almost out of my Meguilar's polish so will try some Turtle stuff later. Thanks!!


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## X-hale (Apr 17, 2017)

I use glass top stove cleaner for headlights. It is absolutely identical to headlight cleaner. Same colour, same smell, same grit, everything. It's cheap too.


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## molly (Oct 31, 2014)

X-hale said:


> I use glass top stove cleaner for headlights. It is absolutely identical to headlight cleaner. Same colour, same smell, same grit, everything. It's cheap too.


Great suggestion! I have some!


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## tonyvancity (Jan 2, 2017)

yes, i use that glass top stove cleaner too. I believe i mentioned that on here a few years ago while discussing ''polishing headlight covers''. Also use chrome polish. Bought a $8 Mother's chrome polish from cnd tire two years ago and use a bit of that now and then. I think any wax will do. I love watching ''how to videos'' on Youtube, especially the ChrisFix videos. One thing he mentions is after you do whatever waxing/polishing is to add a spray coat of clear coat. But i think it is overkill on my now 14 year old truck. Just waxing the head light covers once in awhile keeps them 95% clear.....you need to go eyeball them to see the pits and fine scratches.


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## DFSpencer (Oct 21, 2019)

Although this thread is a little old I'll give some, hopefully useful, information here about what I have learned about Canadian T30 daytime running lights. The first caution, one that it took me a while to figure out, is that although DRL was also installed in XTrails for Northern Europe (Germany and I guess other places) the DRL module and general setup for that system was not what was used for Canadian T30s (so 2005/2006 model years). I have only one T30 service manual, the European one, and I have never seen reference to any other version, say Australian or certainly Canadian (which I doubt exists) so when I was exploring converting my 2006 to LED headlights I wanted to study the DRL module (and general system setup) to see if I could get the DRL working with LED headlights. After much confusion with what seemed to be obvious conflicts between my XTrail DRL module and the one described in the service manual I decided to check the service manuals for the DRL systems in other 2006 Nissans and quickly realized that the 2006 Sentra (as well as some older Nissans like the 2004 Pathfinder and 2004 Xterra) clearly used the same system used in the Canadian T30s. The DRL system of course requires the engine to be running and the parking brake off for the DRLs to come one (once the lights are on putting the parking brake back on doesn't turn off the DRLs). The way the system works is that when the DRLs are activated voltage is first fed to the left high beam, but that bulb is not grounded and what would be the ground line is fed back to the DRL module, and a relay connects it to the high beam side of the right headlight, which is grounded. So the two lights are connected in series, hence run at half the system voltage, which with the engine running (and the alternator functional) comes out as a little under 7 volts per bulb. When I first took apart my DRL module it was to repair bad solder joints and there was one very obvious bad one and several other questionable ones; I redid all those but didn't take note at the time of their locations on the circuit board. Recently I took out the DRL module to study the circuit and how the module functioned and realized that the bad soldier connections I repaired were for terminals associated with the higher current connections associated with the relays.
The reason that substituting the Canadian T30 halogen headlights with high intensity LEDs results in non-functional DRLs is that all LED headlights that I have seen for sale require at least 9 volts to operate; it also is a fact that those LED light setups have a much higher resistance than halogen bulbs. Hence hooking them together in series can never produce the minimum voltage to get the lights to work. I am studying the DRL module and general wiring setup and I'm pretty sure I can see how to do mods and reworking of the module to get LED headlights to fully substitute for the standard halogens, including as DRLs. We shall see.


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## tonyvancity (Jan 2, 2017)

DFSpencer said:


> Although this thread is a little old I'll give some, hopefully useful, information here about what I have learned about Canadian T30 daytime running lights. The first caution, one that it took me a while to figure out, is that although DRL was also installed in XTrails for Northern Europe (Germany and I guess other places) the DRL module and general setup for that system was not what was used for Canadian T30s (so 2005/2006 model years). I have only one T30 service manual, the European one, and I have never seen reference to any other version, say Australian or certainly Canadian (which I doubt exists) so when I was exploring converting my 2006 to LED headlights I wanted to study the DRL module (and general system setup) to see if I could get the DRL working with LED headlights. After much confusion with what seemed to be obvious conflicts between my XTrail DRL module and the one described in the service manual I decided to check the service manuals for the DRL systems in other 2006 Nissans and quickly realized that the 2006 Sentra (as well as some older Nissans like the 2004 Pathfinder and 2004 Xterra) clearly used the same system used in the Canadian T30s. The DRL system of course requires the engine to be running and the parking brake off for the DRLs to come one (once the lights are on putting the parking brake back on doesn't turn off the DRLs). The way the system works is that when the DRLs are activated voltage is first fed to the left high beam, but that bulb is not grounded and what would be the ground line is fed back to the DRL module, and a relay connects it to the high beam side of the right headlight, which is grounded. So the two lights are connected in series, hence run at half the system voltage, which with the engine running (and the alternator functional) comes out as a little under 7 volts per bulb. When I first took apart my DRL module it was to repair bad solder joints and there was one very obvious bad one and several other questionable ones; I redid all those but didn't take note at the time of their locations on the circuit board. Recently I took out the DRL module to study the circuit and how the module functioned and realized that the bad soldier connections I repaired were for terminals associated with the higher current connections associated with the relays.
> The reason that substituting the Canadian T30 halogen headlights with high intensity LEDs results in non-functional DRLs is that all LED headlights that I have seen for sale require at least 9 volts to operate; it also is a fact that those LED light setups have a much higher resistance than halogen bulbs. Hence hooking them together in series can never produce the minimum voltage to get the lights to work. I am studying the DRL module and general wiring setup and I'm pretty sure I can see how to do mods and reworking of the module to get LED headlights to fully substitute for the standard halogens, including as DRLs. We shall see.


*So, any luck? i am pretty sure this is why i do not have DRL ( replaced my halogen headlight bulbs with LED= no more DRL).
i need to either find my old halogen bulbs and swap them back in and see if the DLR work once again. Or just live without the DLR and use my led bulbs . *


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## otomodo (May 23, 2008)

tonyvancity said:


> *So, any luck? i am pretty sure this is why i do not have DRL ( replaced my halogen headlight bulbs with LED= no more DRL).
> i need to either find my old halogen bulbs and swap them back in and see if the DLR work once again. Or just live without the DLR and use my led bulbs . *


The drl module uses a low voltage to run the high beams when the light switch is off. Since i never changed my bulbs cannot say if it should work or not. 

When my drl module went bad ,i could ear a buzz near my left foot inside of the car.


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## tonyvancity (Jan 2, 2017)

otomodo said:


> The drl module uses a low voltage to run the high beams when the light switch is off. Since i never changed my bulbs cannot say if it should work or not.
> 
> When my drl module went bad ,i could ear a buzz near my left foot inside of the car.


thanks, bud. 
i got busy with a family thing today and no chance to goof around with the Xtrail.
Maybe i look for my old halogen bulbs and try them out/ drl might work again. If so, then i think my LED bulbs were the culprit.


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## DFSpencer (Oct 21, 2019)

tonyvancity said:


> *So, any luck? i am pretty sure this is why i do not have DRL ( replaced my halogen headlight bulbs with LED= no more DRL).
> i need to either find my old halogen bulbs and swap them back in and see if the DLR work once again. Or just live without the DLR and use my led bulbs . *


It is possible to rework the T30 DRL control unit to give proper functioning with LED bulbs. I have done it and it is a bit of a fussy job and I'm not sure how many people would decide to do the required work. However, the good news is that the reworking of the DRL unit does does involve any messing with electronic components, it is a process of changing/rewiring the lines leading to the two output connectors/sockets. If you decide to do the work you must have (and are reasonably comfortable using) a proper electronics soldering iron, say about 40W (or even say a 30W), with a small tapered end.
The first problem that I had was finding a wiring diagram and basic description of the DRL operation in the X-Trail. I have several copies of X-Trail T30 service manual PDFs (they may be variations of the same manual) but they all describe the "daytime light control" system used on North Europe vehicles and that is totally different from the Canadian DRL setup. I don't know if Nissan even produced a specific Canadian T30 service manual (someone here may know that info). I looked around and found that the 2006 Sentra service manual actually has the critical information you need to perform the required mods. The first two attached files have the 2 important pages that cover the operation and have the general schematic of the circuitry of the Canadian vehicle DRL system. The third attachment shows the top (component) side of the board, with the covers of the two relays removed. The fourth attachment is a labelled photo of the solder-side [bottom] of the circuit board before any mods. [NO-normally open; NC-normally closed]. Note that the pin outs are all identified, so you can figure out what has to be changed. So by comparing the schematic diagram with the labelled circuit board bottom photo you should be able to understand how the system works normally and what changes have to be made. So the first thing that is obvious is that you have to remove the jumper on the top of the board that runs near the edge. I desoldered it but you could cut it off at both ends using the (fine) electronic wire cutters, that you should also have available. That wire and the relay beside it are concerned with only one function, namely grounding the left headlight [LH] for normal headlight function or redirecting the ground of the LH to be in series with the high beam of the RH, hence running the two high beam bulbs at half the system voltage with the engine running and the alternator producing about 13.5 volts, when the daytime running lights are on. Filament bulbs (like the halogens) will produce light at about 13.5/2 volts, but LEDs won't. As I and others have noticed if you hook up LEDs in series (so across 13.5 V) only one bulb will fire. I did nearly all of the wiring mods on the top of the board right at the output pins for the two connectors. Some of the pins have to be cut between the board and the connector sockets so they can be rewired for the final setup. So pin 7 must be connected to pin 9 at the back of the socket to permanently ground the LH, and as well the connection for pin 7 on the circuit board should be removed. There are two V+ lines to the circuit board, one through pin 2 and one through pin 3. In DRL mode the pin 3 V+ is what supplies both LH and RH high beams, and the pin 2 V+ supplies some of the voltage for the circuit board, but I decided to use pin 2 V+ for the RH in DRL mode and the pin 3 V+ for the LH in DRL mode. That required some more jigging of wiring around at the output socket. The next attachments have photos of the modified top and bottom of the circuit board. The photo for the wiring at the back of the connector sockets is clearly not something that you can use as a specific reference for your own reworking and I don't pretend it is the prettiest wiring you'll ever see but that area is a tight place to perform the soldering and wire routing (and pin cutting) you must do. The bottom shot is actually not the final photo (I forgot to take it) so I marked an additional cutting of a trace with yellow and an additional jumper wire in red. Without that I discovered (after I had reinstalled the unit in the car) that one light in DRL mode was dimmer than the other (correct) one. You will also note that there are two pairs of wire that disappear in the housing heading to what is the top of the controller when installed in the car. The final photo shows you what they do. The problem is that in the simplest reworking you will have both high beams running at full intensity in DRL mode, which I would say is not good. So I designed the system with external connector blocks (with small screws to secure wires and resistor ends) so I could put resistors in series with the wires carrying the voltage to the bulbs (obviously only in DRL mode). I tried different values of resistors, all 5 watt, to try to decide what light intensity for DRL mode was reasonable; for my specific LEDs I decided that 15 ohm would reduce the light intensity to where I liked it. I could easily go back and swap in different resistors if I wanted to.
So that's the story. From what I can tell by studying Nissan service manuals for that era the '06 Sentra and '06 X-Trail where the last Nissans sold in Canada that used the same type of discrete DRL control unit. Subsequent Nissans and even some other '06 Nissans had already switched to the CAN (now I assume referred to as CAN1) communication system and they had a BCM (Body Control/Computer Module) that among many other things controlled daytime running lights. I have no idea how those systems behave if you substitute LEDs for halogens.


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## VStar650CL (Nov 12, 2020)

DFSpencer said:


> It is possible to rework the T30 DRL control unit to give proper functioning with LED bulbs.


I can only say, "Nice work!" Both the research and the fix, well done. Kudos!


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## tonyvancity (Jan 2, 2017)

DFSpencer said:


> It is possible to rework the T30 DRL control unit to give proper functioning with LED bulbs. I have done it and it is a bit of a fussy job and I'm not sure how many people would decide to do the required work. However, the good news is that the reworking of the DRL unit does does involve any messing with electronic components, it is a process of changing/rewiring the lines leading to the two output connectors/sockets. If you decide to do the work you must have (and are reasonably comfortable using) a proper electronics soldering iron, say about 40W (or even say a 30W), with a small tapered end.
> The first problem that I had was finding a wiring diagram and basic description of the DRL operation in the X-Trail. I have several copies of X-Trail T30 service manual PDFs (they may be variations of the same manual) but they all describe the "daytime light control" system used on North Europe vehicles and that is totally different from the Canadian DRL setup. I don't know if Nissan even produced a specific Canadian T30 service manual (someone here may know that info). I looked around and found that the 2006 Sentra service manual actually has the critical information you need to perform the required mods. The first two attached files have the 2 important pages that cover the operation and have the general schematic of the circuitry of the Canadian vehicle DRL system. The third attachment shows the top (component) side of the board, with the covers of the two relays removed. The fourth attachment is a labelled photo of the solder-side [bottom] of the circuit board before any mods. [NO-normally open; NC-normally closed]. Note that the pin outs are all identified, so you can figure out what has to be changed. So by comparing the schematic diagram with the labelled circuit board bottom photo you should be able to understand how the system works normally and what changes have to be made. So the first thing that is obvious is that you have to remove the jumper on the top of the board that runs near the edge. I desoldered it but you could cut it off at both ends using the (fine) electronic wire cutters, that you should also have available. That wire and the relay beside it are concerned with only one function, namely grounding the left headlight [LH] for normal headlight function or redirecting the ground of the LH to be in series with the high beam of the RH, hence running the two high beam bulbs at half the system voltage with the engine running and the alternator producing about 13.5 volts, when the daytime running lights are on. Filament bulbs (like the halogens) will produce light at about 13.5/2 volts, but LEDs won't. As I and others have noticed if you hook up LEDs in series (so across 13.5 V) only one bulb will fire. I did nearly all of the wiring mods on the top of the board right at the output pins for the two connectors. Some of the pins have to be cut between the board and the connector sockets so they can be rewired for the final setup. So pin 7 must be connected to pin 9 at the back of the socket to permanently ground the LH, and as well the connection for pin 7 on the circuit board should be removed. There are two V+ lines to the circuit board, one through pin 2 and one through pin 3. In DRL mode the pin 3 V+ is what supplies both LH and RH high beams, and the pin 2 V+ supplies some of the voltage for the circuit board, but I decided to use pin 2 V+ for the RH in DRL mode and the pin 3 V+ for the LH in DRL mode. That required some more jigging of wiring around at the output socket. The next attachments have photos of the modified top and bottom of the circuit board. The photo for the wiring at the back of the connector sockets is clearly not something that you can use as a specific reference for your own reworking and I don't pretend it is the prettiest wiring you'll ever see but that area is a tight place to perform the soldering and wire routing (and pin cutting) you must do. The bottom shot is actually not the final photo (I forgot to take it) so I marked an additional cutting of a trace with yellow and an additional jumper wire in red. Without that I discovered (after I had reinstalled the unit in the car) that one light in DRL mode was dimmer than the other (correct) one. You will also note that there are two pairs of wire that disappear in the housing heading to what is the top of the controller when installed in the car. The final photo shows you what they do. The problem is that in the simplest reworking you will have both high beams running at full intensity in DRL mode, which I would say is not good. So I designed the system with external connector blocks (with small screws to secure wires and resistor ends) so I could put resistors in series with the wires carrying the voltage to the bulbs (obviously only in DRL mode). I tried different values of resistors, all 5 watt, to try to decide what light intensity for DRL mode was reasonable; for my specific LEDs I decided that 15 ohm would reduce the light intensity to where I liked it. I could easily go back and swap in different resistors if I wanted to.
> So that's the story. From what I can tell by studying Nissan service manuals for that era the '06 Sentra and '06 X-Trail where the last Nissans sold in Canada that used the same type of discrete DRL control unit. Subsequent Nissans and even some other '06 Nissans had already switched to the CAN (now I assume referred to as CAN1) communication system and they had a BCM (Body Control/Computer Module) that among many other things controlled daytime running lights. I have no idea how those systems behave if you substitute LEDs for halogens.


thanks for the detailed reply.
I'm a moron when it comes to vehicle electronics.
i had a bad experience with my xtrail last year and had to get it towed/$250+ repair.
I just leave the DRL alone. So i just installed some NEW led bulbs with canbus and they look very nice at night. Did not cure the non DRL , meh, no biggie.
Been driving for i guess 5+ years with no DLR and no issues with police traffic fines so i let sleeping dogs lie.


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