During the 1990s and early 2000s, Nissan partnered with Zexel to supply ECUs for their off-road and commercial diesel engines. The most common applications include:
: Because Zexel ECUs vary by year and region, it is essential to identify the Manufacturer P/N (e.g., 407917-xxx) or the Nissan Part Number (e.g., 23710-xxxxx) before attempting a pinout swap. nissan zexel ecu pinout
These ECUs are typically aluminum boxes with large multi-pin connectors. During the 1990s and early 2000s, Nissan partnered
| Pin | Wire Color | Signal Name | Description | Spec | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1 | B/W (Black/White) | Main Relay Control | Activates ECU power relay | Switched ground (12V coil) | | 2 | Lg/W (Lt Grn/White) | Check Engine Lamp (MIL) | To combination meter | Ground to illuminate | | 3 | W (White) | Tachometer Signal | Engine RPM to cluster | 12V square wave | | 4 | G/Y (Green/Yellow) | Injection Timing Control Valve | Regulates hydraulic timing advance | PWM duty cycle (10-90%) | | 5 | L (Blue) | Fuel Cut Solenoid (Stop Solenoid) | Shuts off fuel pump | 12V run / 0V stop | | 6 | B (Black) | Power Ground | High-current ground for drivers | 0V | | 7 | N/C | Not Connected | – | – | | 8 | R (Red) | Battery Backup (Constant 12V) | For ECU memory & clock | 10-14V (always live) | | 9 | B (Black) | Power Ground | Same as Pin 6 | 0V | | 10 | Br (Brown) | Glow Plug Relay Control | Activates glow timer | Ground to engage relay | | 11 | G (Green) | EGR Solenoid Control (if equipped) | Exhaust gas recirculation | 12V PWM | | 12 | L/W (Blue/White) | Cold Start Advance | Solenoid on pump for cold idle | 12V when coolant < 60°C | | 13 | Y (Yellow) | Feedback Fuel Temperature | Fuel temp sensor input | 0-5V | | 14 | P (Pink) | Injection Pump Cam Sensor | Pump position verification | 5V pulse | | 15 | B/R (Black/Red) | Ignition Switch Signal (IG ON) | Main ECU wake-up | 12V with key ON | | 16 | Gr (Gray) | Alternator L-Terminal | Load detection for idle up | 12V when charging | | 17 | Or (Orange) | Data Link Connector (K-Line) | Diagnostic communication (Nissan Consult) | 0-12V variable | | 18 | B/W (Black/White) | Power Ground 3 | Final ground to engine block | 0V | | Pin | Wire Color | Signal Name
This article serves as your definitive guide. We will dissect the history of Zexel ECUs, explain why their pinouts differ from Bosch or Denso systems, provide a detailed pin-by-pin breakdown, and offer practical advice for diagnostics and swapping.