Center Console, Steering Wheel, & Ambient Light Out
 

So I was messing around last night and decided to change my ambient light to red to match the rest of my interior lighting (I know orange is close, but it's what I like). So I touched the ambient light with my multimeter, and now it doesn't work. Also, the center console lights and steering wheel lights went out. I have checked the fuses in the footwell, and they're good. Any suggestions on where to go next?

Check the fuses in the IPDM. It's next to the battery.

I have checked all the fuses, including the two boxes next to the battery. All fuses are good. I took apart the center console and checked the wiring harnesses for the AV and HVAC controls, and none looked like they were over heated. Still trying to track down the problem.

How did you check the fuses? A visual check will not always work. Put a meter on them.

Get a copy of the FSM (link in my sig). Find the appropiate wiring diagram and use your multimeter to track down the problem. Start at the fuse and work you way to the lamps - when you lose power, you know the fault is between there and the last good point.

I did use a multimeter... not sure how else you would check the fuses. I'm not an electrician, and I'm only okay at using wiring manuals. However, I looked extensively through a lot of the the FSM over the past few days, and the ambient light isn't even mentioned (that I can find).

I drove the car for the first time at night today and realized my tail lights and license plates lights are also out. The brake lights and turn signals work, though.

If I can't figure it out tomorrow, I'm just going to take it to someone else. Someone told me it might be a circuit breaker, but I didn't even know cars had circuit breakers. I'm probably in over my head here.

The symptoms you describe have "blown fuse" written all over them. I had the exact same thing happen a couple of years ago, on my 2017 roadster. It turned out to be one of the fuses near the battery. The labels on the fuses are not intuitive, and I remember it turned out to be a fuse with a label that didn't seem obvious. I also recall that the fuse block was really hidden down under the battery. (It was NOT the easily-accessible fuse block by the kick panel.)
So, my advice is to remove every single one of your fuses and check each one for continuity. I expect you'll find one is blown.

I disconnected the battery and ohmed out every fuse, including the two fuse boxes next to the battery.

After finding out my tail lights and license plates lights are also out and consulting the manual, I think it might be a bad Body Control Module (BCM). The BCM controls the Parking Lamp, License Plate Lamp, Tail Lamp, Side Marker Lamp, and there is another line in the manual that says "to illuminations." The BCM is between the combination switch (the switch next to the steering wheel with your headlights and turn signals) and all those lights.

I guess I got lucky enough to not blow out the headlights, but unlucky enough to blow everything else.

I will update this whether or not it is the BCM so someone with the same problem can look into this in the future.

So a few years back I tried to change the surface mount LED in the "S-mode" button. After that, I lost the lights on my steering wheel, center console, and the little ambient light by the map lights went out. Couldn't figure out why so, for the hell of it, I swapped the cluster as a test. After swapping the cluster, those lights started functioning again.

Which cluster did you swap? I might try that if the BCM doesn't work. I have to get the Nissan guys to do the BCM because it has to be programmed. It is getting done this coming Friday.

The gauge cluster

The Nissan dealer confirmed it was my BCM. They also confirmed the one I got was for a manual and I own an automatic. Whoops.

Finally got the BCM installed. Everything is right with my car now. I can not recommend not messing that thing up enough.

This thread is perfect timing for me; I screwed up last night and caused a short losing my steering wheel and map light. I haven't checked my fuses yet and was hoping one was blown, but now I'm scared that I'll need a new BCM :icon14: