2009 altima/545t lighting issues
Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Security and Convenience
Forum Discription: Car Alarms, Keyless Entries, Remote Starters, Immobilizer Bypasses, Sensors, Door Locks, Window Modules, Heated Mirrors, Heated Seats, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=115838
Printed Date: July 14, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Topic: 2009 altima/545t lighting issues
Posted By: mike253
Subject: 2009 altima/545t lighting issues
Date Posted: August 23, 2009 at 12:44 AM
Recently had a 545t installed in my 2009 Altima 2.5s. Headlights work as expected, my issue is that when they do come on (either via the 545t or using the headlight switch) the radio illumination turns off completely, the climate control illumination and gear indicator lights next to the shifter do not turn on at all. From what I've read, it looks like it would be "tricky" to get those lights to dim as they would if the 545t wasn't installed and I'm fine with that. Does anyone have any insight into how I can get my radio illumination to stay on and my climate control and gear indicator illumination to turn on when the 545t turns on the lights? Thanks for any help you can offer.
Replies:
Posted By: t&t tech
Date Posted: August 23, 2009 at 6:35 AM
The radio illumination shutting off would be to prevent distraction of the driver, i don't know if it's against the fourum rules to help you bypass that. One of the more senior members will verify this.
Posted By: t&t tech
Date Posted: August 23, 2009 at 6:37 AM
Also does the gear shifter lights and climate controls illuminate with the headlight switch?
Posted By: mike253
Date Posted: August 23, 2009 at 10:30 AM
The climate control and gear indicator lights do not illuminate with the headlight switch anymore (they did before the 545t was installed). Also, i'm not saying I want the radio to not dim down, I'm saying that since the 545t install, when the lights come on, the radio goes completely black..
Posted By: t&t tech
Date Posted: August 23, 2009 at 10:42 AM
Do you have dimmer controls? Did you do the install?
Posted By: mike253
Date Posted: August 23, 2009 at 11:56 AM
I didn't do the install and there are no dimmer controls for anything other than the gauge cluster. Are you at all familiar with how the 07+ Altima's work?
Posted By: t&t tech
Date Posted: August 23, 2009 at 12:39 PM
Why not take it back to the installers and have them rectify it! I am not personally familiar with your vehicle! And i do apologise for wasting your time! ------------- COMMIT YOUR WAY TO JEHOVAH AND HE WILL ACT IN YOUR BEHALF.
PSALMS 37:5
Posted By: audifive
Date Posted: August 23, 2009 at 3:11 PM
the dimmer switch is probably unplugged. same thing happened to me after doing an alarm on an altima and i forgot to plug it in when i reassembled the dash
Posted By: Chris Luongo
Date Posted: August 23, 2009 at 7:14 PM
I know exactly what this is from doing remote starters in these cars.
There are two ways to connect the parking lights:
1. There's a RED / blue wire in the driver's fuse box, inside the car. There's also a similar wire in the underhood fuse box.
A simple positive trigger to this wire turns on the exterior parking lights as desired, BUT it also blacks out the radio and HVAC controls, just as you describe.
Follow this link and scroll down to Page 3, and read the connection that says "+ PARKING."
https://ifar.ca/en/download/1193/can-sl2_nissan_altima_-_automatic_transmission_%282007-2009%29.rev-j.pdf
2. At the BCM (Body Control Module) behind the instrument cluster, there are many plugs and wires.
There are two wires at the BCM, pink/black and light GREEN/ black (in two different plugs), which if shorted together, turns on the parking lights in the correct manner.
Follow the link below, download the install guide for your car, and scroll to page 18. You'll see on the diagram a wire coming out of the remote starter labeled (+PARKLIGHTS), going to a relay, which is then connected to the corresponding wires in the car.
https://idatalink.com/search/index/model/6150
---------------------------------
Your installer probably used method 1 above, just tapped into the car's positive parking light wire. That's what most installers would do and it usually works fine......just not on your car. They probably didn't know.
To correct this issue, they'll need to disconnect that positive parking light wire, and install the relay behind the BCM as shown.
IF THE LINKS DO NOT WORK:
Basically, just go to the sites www.ifar.ca and www.idatalink.com.
Select what kind of car you have, and it'll show you the products that you need to install a remote starter in your car.
(I know you probably don't have a remote start, but use these guides so you and your installer can see where the wires are.)
You need to hook up the parking lights the ADS (idatalink.com) way, NOT the Fortin (ifar.ca) way.
Posted By: mike253
Date Posted: August 24, 2009 at 8:57 AM
t&t tech wrote:
Why not take it back to the installers and have them rectify it! I am not personally familiar with your vehicle! And i do apologise for wasting your time!
t&t tech, I re-read what I posted and I see why you took it the way you did. I appreciate your offer of assistance and my post wasn't meant to offend, I was just trying to make sure you didn't have the older (pre 07) Altima confused with the newer ones :)
Posted By: mike253
Date Posted: August 24, 2009 at 9:03 AM
Chris, A million thanks to you for sharing your experience with the 07+ Altima, your help is greatly appreciated! Chris Luongo wrote:
I know exactly what this is from doing remote starters in these cars.
There are two ways to connect the parking lights:
1. There's a RED / blue wire in the driver's fuse box, inside the car. There's also a similar wire in the underhood fuse box.
A simple positive trigger to this wire turns on the exterior parking lights as desired, BUT it also blacks out the radio and HVAC controls, just as you describe.
Follow this link and scroll down to Page 3, and read the connection that says "+ PARKING."
https://ifar.ca/en/download/1193/can-sl2_nissan_altima_-_automatic_transmission_%282007-2009%29.rev-j.pdf
2. At the BCM (Body Control Module) behind the instrument cluster, there are many plugs and wires.
There are two wires at the BCM, pink/black and light GREEN/ black (in two different plugs), which if shorted together, turns on the parking lights in the correct manner.
Follow the link below, download the install guide for your car, and scroll to page 18. You'll see on the diagram a wire coming out of the remote starter labeled (+PARKLIGHTS), going to a relay, which is then connected to the corresponding wires in the car.
https://idatalink.com/search/index/model/6150
---------------------------------
Your installer probably used method 1 above, just tapped into the car's positive parking light wire. That's what most installers would do and it usually works fine......just not on your car. They probably didn't know.
To correct this issue, they'll need to disconnect that positive parking light wire, and install the relay behind the BCM as shown.
IF THE LINKS DO NOT WORK:
Basically, just go to the sites www.ifar.ca and www.idatalink.com.
Select what kind of car you have, and it'll show you the products that you need to install a remote starter in your car.
(I know you probably don't have a remote start, but use these guides so you and your installer can see where the wires are.)
You need to hook up the parking lights the ADS (idatalink.com) way, NOT the Fortin (ifar.ca) way.
Posted By: Chris Luongo
Date Posted: August 24, 2009 at 9:47 AM
You're welcome, Mike! Glad to help!
You might want to print out the ADS install guide, or at least the page showing the parking light connection, as well as print out these posts here.
Installers can sometimes be arrogant and touchy about customers telling them how to do their job.......even though the installer is NOT always right!
Hopefully you can present these papers to the installer in a way that won't hurt his pride, but will still help him to wire up your lights correctly.
P.S. All information above is for parking lights only. I assume that 545T activates the headlights too, correct?
I've never had any reason to connect to the headlights on an Altima.
It might not be a bad idea for the installer to first COMPLETELY disconnect the 545T from your car's parking lights........let it activate ONLY the headlights the way he already has it hooked up.......and verify that the radio and HVAC to not black out, before going on to hook up the parking lights the other way.
Posted By: mike253
Date Posted: August 31, 2009 at 2:52 PM
And now I have to ask that this topic be revisited.. Chris, According to the installer, your info was spot on. Unfortunately, the problem still exists. Iv'e had the 545t removed to ensure it isn't the issue and that did not fix it. Took it to Nissan for a diagnosis and the answer they provided was essentially "we're to busy to chase this problem down, looks like the BCM is fried though.. for ~$1,200, we can try that.. if that doesn't fix it, you just bought a BCM for no reason". It's quite odd.. my cluster lights dim as expected when I turn the headlight switch on. Also, the LEDs in the middle of the climate control buttons dim. Radio illumination turns off entirely and the climate control illumination doesn't turn on. Any clues what to check before I take it back to the shop for the 8th or 9th time? (been to 2 shops and the Nissan dealer since the first shop attempted a 5701 install). Also important to mention: When the 545t was removed, the parking light interface for the 5701 was un-wired as well just to make sure.
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