Limp mode when headlights are turned on

[Cannonboy]

Hey guys,
I've posted a couple of times and got some pretty good feedback but never really been able to give any helpful advice in return. So this is to hopefully help out anyone who ends up having the same problem.
I've got a D22 2011 str 2.5 commonrail dual cab and yesterday it went into limp mode.
After stuffing around for an hour wondering what to do ( l was just heading out of Jamieson up the hills) when I realised it would happen everytime I turned on the headlights.
Ended up going to the mechanic in Jamieson and he hooked up his fault code computer thing but nothing showed up. Btw he was a great bloke who went out of his way to try and help me on the phone and when I went to his garage without charging a cent.
Anyway I drove home ( 3.5 hrs) without any problems.
I did have a tail light out on 1 side and a brake light out on the other side so figure l better put new globes in . I was also hoping on the off chance it was going to fix the problem. Sure enough the old girl is back to normal.
Hopefully this will be the end of the issue and a cheap easy fix for anyone else who has the same problem.

 

[Boogieboots]

Kudos for the tips mate, these weird problems are the hardest to work out.
And kudos to your mechanic...
Drop his name/business to help him out

 

[Cannonboy]

Thanks mate, I just hope it's the end of the issue. Seems strange to me that it would be that simple.
Don't have the mechanics name but it was Jamieson automotives.

 

[MANNING]

Not directly related but kinda(sorta) the same..
The Mrs has a NissanDualis - seemed to be pulling back power only when turning left.. After a few weeks and continually coming up empty handed while on the hunt for the problem, I was following her home just on sunset and noticed that while braking and the brake lights came on, the left indicator would very weakly illuminate aswell.. Whipped out the left tail light globes, sprayed them up clean and replaced - Wouldnt you know it - Problem solved..
Not sure why but it seemed that the two globe feeds had been touching and maybe been telling the computer to brake while indicating?

 

[Old.Tony]

^ Highly likely, @MANNING - the ECU restricts turbocharger boost levels in VNT turbo cars when either the brake is pressed or the gearbox isn't in gear.

Now what it considers "brake is pressed" may vary from car to car - is it an amount of power discovered in the brake light circuit, is it the activation of a separate switch (like my 2009 D40)? Hard to say!

 

[Boogieboots]

Not directly related but kinda(sorta) the same..
The Mrs has a NissanDualis - seemed to be pulling back power only when turning left.. After a few weeks and continually coming up empty handed while on the hunt for the problem, I was following her home just on sunset and noticed that while braking and the brake lights came on, the left indicator would very weakly illuminate aswell.. Whipped out the left tail light globes, sprayed them up clean and replaced - Wouldnt you know it - Problem solved..
Not sure why but it seemed that the two globe feeds had been touching and maybe been telling the computer to brake while indicating?

WTF??
This is what I mean... Stick this shit up and someone will remember and metion it.
And then someone will pop up with the same/similar problem and someone will have a tip for a relevant thread!
This forum rocks for helpful advice

I mean I might have bought a Hilux otherwise heaven forbid!!!!

 

[BarneyB]

I mean I might have bought a Hilux otherwise heaven forbid!!!!

Wash your mouth out!

 

[Frosty]

You don’t have LED’s for brake lights do you ? I got caught out when I replaced all with LED, same issue as yours and because it is a safety item went straight to limp mode when lights turned on . I thought I was going around the twist , and then when I got the bill from Nissan and they told me the problem….. I did loose it

 

[Cannonboy]

I was looking online and found a couple of things to do with LEDs causing the issue. I've got standard globes and changed them hoping for the best outcome. I'm wondering if the other brake globe was about to go and getting hot or something which caused limp mode to kick in?

 

[Frosty]

It’s only if you have standard globes to begin with and change your brake lights to LED. As the voltage is obviously a lot lower and being something connected to your brakes tells the ECU there’s a problem when you turn your lights on. Have you LED’s for brake lights? If so I’m guessing that’s it. Happy hunting

 

[Cannonboy]

It’s only if you have standard globes to begin with and change your brake lights to LED. As the voltage is obviously a lot lower and being something connected to your brakes tells the ECU there’s a problem when you turn your lights on. Have you LED’s for brake lights? If so I’m guessing that’s it. Happy hunting

It’s only if you have standard globes to begin with and change your brake lights to LED. As the voltage is obviously a lot lower and being something connected to your brakes tells the ECU there’s a problem when you turn your lights on. Have you LED’s for brake lights? If so I’m guessing that’s it. Happy hunting

It’s only if you have standard globes to begin with and change your brake lights to LED. As the voltage is obviously a lot lower and being something connected to your brakes tells the ECU there’s a problem when you turn your lights on. Have you LED’s for brake lights? If so I’m guessing that’s it. Happy hunting

No I've never had LEDs, but knowing l had a brake light out on 1 side and a tail light on the other made me think it could be something to do with that. Haven't had another issue since.

 

[tweak'e]

You don’t have LED’s for brake lights do you ? I got caught out when I replaced all with LED, same issue as yours and because it is a safety item went straight to limp mode when lights turned on . I thought I was going around the twist , and then when I got the bill from Nissan and they told me the problem….. I did loose it

we have several D22's with led lights, no issues engine wise.
one problem thats on the board here is no engine start if brake circuit fuse is blown.
the brake is an ecu input.
more likely is an earthing issue with one of the bulbs and its back feeding through the brake light. that can cause issues because the ecu thinks your braking when your foot is still on the gas.

 

[Frosty]

we have several D22's with led lights, no issues engine wise.
one problem thats on the board here is no engine start if brake circuit fuse is blown.
the brake is an ecu input.
more likely is an earthing issue with one of the bulbs and its back feeding through the brake light. that can cause issues because the ecu thinks your braking when your foot is still on the gas.

It’s just the brake lights I was saying if they were LED and changed from standard globes. So my issue was car ran perfect through the day as soon as I put the lights on …. Limp mode , turn them off all good again so was tracked down to LED brake lights , indicator’s, reverse, headlight’s no problem only brake lights and this D22 was 3 months old when I changed them out …. Never again . But as you say bad earth to the brake lights could be the problem .

 

[tweak'e]

It’s just the brake lights I was saying if they were LED and changed from standard globes. So my issue was car ran perfect through the day as soon as I put the lights on …. Limp mode , turn them off all good again so was tracked down to LED brake lights , indicator’s, reverse, headlight’s no problem only brake lights and this D22 was 3 months old when I changed them out …. Never again . But as you say bad earth to the brake lights could be the problem .

the issue is not because they where LED.
possibly faulty led ie shorting across to the brake circuit. or wiring/earth issue.
really common to have led rear lights fitted to flat deck utes.

 

[Frosty]

the issue is not because they where LED.
possibly faulty led ie shorting across to the brake circuit. or wiring/earth issue.
really common to have led rear lights fitted to flat deck utes.

Yeah your probably right, I was just saying what happened to me when I changed the brake / taillights to Led. Anyway good luck tracing the problem.