Nissan QashQai Forums

Hey guys/girls,
I seem to be having a strange issue with my nearside rear indicator and/or brake light. When I indicate and brake the light goes alot quicker and when using hazards it's dull AF.

I've tried changing the indicator bulb but sadly don't have a replacement brake light until Friday (amazon...)

I've taken it apart and checked the earth on the strips of metal in the light and the earth behind the light (connected to the bodywork under the boot trim) both working fine. The bolts jumped from 12.68 to 7.23 (approximately) when it flashes on and off but the brake light flickers too.

I've also used wd40 electronic contact cleaner everywhere.

Any help is appreciated

If your indicator bulb is flashing fast thats normally one of the other indicator bulbs has blown (side or front indicator bulbs). While your waiting for your brake bulb to arrive just take the bulb out of the other side and swsp them over to see what happens

All the other bulbs are fine

Interesting?

From the diagnostics diags:

1. The Turn/Indicator lamp flashing is controlled by the Body Control Module (BCM).
2. Brake lights are switched directly form the brake foot pedal...no BCM control.

BCM controls the Hazard light function using the Turn/Indicator lamps. The only common element for both braking/indicator lamps is Earth (Ground) in each lamp unit vicinity.

You don't seem to have a Turn/Indicator bulb problem if you changed the bulb ok. I assume the indicators work correctly without braking?
Do the Hazards work correctly without braking?

Note: The Tail lamps use the same Earth connection as the Stop/Brake lamps

That's the weird thing, it flashes rapidly when braking but stays normal speed when not braking. I haven't replaced the brake lights because I'm waiting on them to be delivered.

I pulled the trim off the inside of the boot and used the boot light as a positive and tested all the light cluster internal metal plus the earth on the inside because I thought it may be a ground issue. Unless I buggered that up I assume the earth is fine.

And you are saying that the Hazard flashing is dim when the brake pedal is pressed? Is that faster flashing as well?

I haven't actually checked it via the hazard just indicator (for when the brake is pressed) but both with hazard and indicator it's dull normally. It speeds up with indicator and brake pressed. I'll check hazard now and get back to you.

It seems when hazard flash and you press the brake the brake light starts flashing and the indicator goes even duller. It's gotta be a ground issue but everything I checked is fine.

Here's a few pics showing the multimeter readings from the ground wire (in the boot) and the metal strips inside the light.

Edit the current goes from 12 to 7 when the indicator flashes though. Maybe a loss of power issue?

The behaviour you describe is typical of a bulb acquiring an alternative Earth. The wrong path to earth (ground or -ve) thereby causing all bulbs along that path to illuminate. Since the two bulbs relate to a higher resistance the illumination is lower.

Its likely the flashing speed change is because BCM detects the wrong (higher resistance path) and initiates fast flash (faulty bulb). There's something similar as link:

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=1830210

I was wondering where the earth/ground pick up to the rear lamp clusters are? At the B pillar? Which means the earth/ground is transmitted via the harness and not shown like that in the diagnostic diagrams. That throws some suspicion on the harness perhaps. There exists a struggle for the bulbs to get a good earth/ground.