D23 trailer brake wiring

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the_bluester

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I am just in the process of turning over my leased R52 Pathfinder on a new D23 ST-X.

I will need to wire in my electric trailer brake unit, I could never find proper information however a bit of hunting showed that the R52 was pre wired for electric brakes although I could never get hold of the OEM patch loom and ended up making my own to the connector under the dash.

Does anyone know if the D23 is pre wired for electric brakes with a connector under the dash somewhere or will one of my first jobs after it is delivered next week be clambering under the car and dash to wire it up?

I am thinking also that now is the time to change over to a Redarc Tow Pro elite controllers from the P3 Prodigy I currenbtly have. Dash space is a little more limited in the D23 than the pathfinder so reducing the visible part to a simple knob in a switch knockout would be nice, if it works I would change it my wifes D40 as well as she often bangs her knee on the P3 in the only spot we could make work.
 
So, a related question. I finally got around to fitting my brake unit on the weekend and have then spent quite some time chasing my arse and doubting my install. The unit appeared fine but as soon as you connected a trailer it all went pear shaped with very odd behavior.

Are the chassis rails supposed to be grounded on these utes? The trailer light loom fitted by the dealer was grounded on one of the bumper dumb iron bolts and the earth was bad. I sanded the paint off under the bolt and tried again, no better. Even digging multimeter probes into the threads in the chassis rail where it was supposed to be grounded came with significant resistance (Around 500 ohms) to metal parts of the tub.

I have sorted my issue at least temporarily by moving the grounding point to another ground in the area which is on the tub not the rail, suddenly everything works like it should. It just seems odd to me that the chassis rails would not be grounded. If they should be then I will have to go chasing why they are not. More time under the car.

That leads to my usual shed lament. "God I wish I had a hoist!"
 
may pay to make a chassis to earth lead.
i recall the patrols having issues and fitting an extra earth fixed it.
 
Sigh, back under it I go. I think I will wait a few days until the race car can come off the ramps so I have a bit more working room underneath it. I am sure I can recall seeing an earth strap near the front when I was running the wiring for the trailer brake, maybe it is like the original point they had the trailer loom grounded too, paint in the threads and paint on the chassis. Even using the multimeter between the dumb iron bolts was coming back with the best part of a kohm resistance.

Argh, maybe next year I will get a hoist! Even a four poster will do, just something to be able to stand up under a car I am working on. A good four poster with a scissor lift in the middle to be able to lift a car off it's feet to do suspension work.
 
I ran separate earths to the rear of my car for my caravan (2x 21sq mm cables for earth, 2x 21sq mm cables for positive). Yep, 4 big cables. Seriously considering ditching the 4 cables and putting in a single pair of 2Ga cable and terminating both under the tub floor up around the spare tyre (to one side, of course) and then run smaller cables from that point.

Then again, I don't have the NP300 and maybe the NP300's chassis is isolated. With my turbo gone (and a new one currently in transit) I am thinking about future possibilities, and they are definitely NOT excluding a Titan import + conversion, but with my new-found wealth (*cough* not) I may only be able to stretch to a 2nd hand 550.
 
I would love my D23 with the V9X engine out of my wifes 550. The little 2.3L does surprisingly well and is OK for all foreseeable purposes (Including being surprisingly relaxed with an empty horsefloat behind it for a test run of the brake controller) but it lacks the fire and shove in the back that the V6 oiler has.
 
while more power is always nice, it comes at a cost.
frankly most utes are just getting bigger and bigger. you might as well just import a titan.
i like that nissan hasn't gone bigger. boss found the gatepost with his new ford ranger within a week of getting it.
tho i wish nissan had put the twin turbo 2.3 across the range. maybe reserved the v9x engine for a top fancy over priced version.
i think the new merc ute (based on the D23) thats due out soon is going to have a big v6 option for its top model.
 
Merc's V6 3.0 will be 190kw and 600NM of torque, bettering the Amarok's V6.

That won't be available until mid next year, and I can't see Nissan getting their hands on it - yet.

Im sure Renault will have a V6 oiler available, it'll be costs benefits that see it come to fruition.
 
As far as I know it was emissions that nixed the V9X engine from the 550. They were actually a pretty old engine and had been around for I think the best part of a decade in Europe before we saw them here.
 
Got one at home, and it is staying there. The chances of shoehorning my wife out of hers are the original Buckley's and Nunn!

When I got the D23 the dealer did say that they get one occasionally as a trade in and they drive off the lot very quickly even in average nick.
 
OK, now I have towed with it. I can say that the Towpro Elite is a pretty good unit and that fitting the remote controller dial in the switch blank between the seat heater switches was a good move.

The tow job varied from freeway cruising at 110KMH to stop start city traffic and as usual with electric brakes they became quite grabby after a while at low speed if they were wound up to a power level that was comfortable for freeway work. Putting the controller in the console allowed power level changes even while braking when conditions demanded it. When traffic was really slow I even changed between inertial and timed mode on the fly as it made the brakes more predictable, changing back when the road ahead cleared.

I reckon I will buy another for my wife's ute to replace the P3 Prodigy.

Oh, and while it has not got the fire of the V9X V6, it towed perfectly well even if the ground was fairly flat.
 
Old Thread dig up but did you ever find out if the NP300 had its own wiring for a brake controller? I have just bought a 2019 D23 and ill be installing a Tow Pro Elite.
 

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