Does a Trailer Wiring Harness Power Wire have to Connect to Battery on 2012 Nissan Murano

Question:

i have two questions, will my car tailights work if i have everything plugged in but dont have the power wire hooked up? Also ive seen on some forums where people just plugged into the factory trailer wire power supply in the spare tire well. I would love to do that because i dont know how i will run the wire under the vehicle.. Is there somewhere inside i could run it possibly?

asked by: Dave

Expert Reply:

For a wiring harness that requires a direct connection to the battery, like # 118653, for the 2012 Nissan Murano, the harness will not work unless the battery connection is made. The trailer lights get their power from the battery so if not connected the trailer lights will not work.

The harness has not been tested for any other connection and is not rated to connect anywhere but the battery. Connecting it anywhere else, since not tested, would end up voiding the harness warranty.

Routing the power wire is not all that difficult. It is just more time-consuming then the rest of the installation. I actually wrote an FAQ article with tips on routing the power wire because this issue comes up often. I have included a link to the FAQ for you. Every vehicle is going to be different and the article covers different methods. The easiest of which is just routing the wiring under the vehicle and wire-tieing it to the frame.

expert reply by: Michael H