brake and hazard lights stay on

[Cam Penner]

Came home from work, parked in the garage and damn if the brake and
hazard lights stay on after I take the key out of the ignition. Is
this a wiring short or fuse issue or something else?

I suspect you mean the parking lights, not the hazard
lights. You've got tail lights, and side marker lights,
and small lights on the front.

Check for a switch on the top of your steering column. It
controls this feature. If you can't find it, check your
owners manual.

 

[Torris Bin Drinken]

Came home from work, parked in the garage and damn if the brake and
hazard lights stay on after I take the key out of the ignition. Is
this a wiring short or fuse issue or something else?

TIA




Torris

 

[Frank Logullo]

I suspect you mean the parking lights, not the hazard
lights. You've got tail lights, and side marker lights,
and small lights on the front.

Check for a switch on the top of your steering column. It
controls this feature. If you can't find it, check your
owners manual.

Same thing happened to me last month on bringing car home from repair shop.
I called them as to what they might have done when they replaced tail light
lense and was embarrased to find that it was the switch.
Frank

 

[Al]

Same thing happened to me last month on bringing car home from repair shop.
I called them as to what they might have done when they replaced tail light
lense and was embarrased to find that it was the switch.
Frank

Yup, happened to me too. Took the car to one of those carwashes where
they clean everything, even inside. Got back to the motel and my wife
asked me why I didn't turn the lights off. I looked out and sure enought
the parking lights were on. What the h***? I'm a zillion miles from home
and I'm having another problem with this car. I finally find the switch
on top of the steering column and that did the trick. I never knew it
was there; what's the point of it anyway? It only is used by accident by
the cleaning crew!

Al

 

[Bonehenge]

I never knew it
was there; what's the point of it anyway?

Your parking lights are keyed.

The switch is there to allow you to leave the lights on and take the
keys out, but you don't want flashing lights.

Barry

 

[Al]

Your parking lights are keyed.

The switch is there to allow you to leave the lights on and take the
keys out, but you don't want flashing lights.

Barry

So why go the expense of adding another switch when all you have to do
is leave the parking lights unkeyed?

Al

 

[Hallan Blaggit]

Because this way, you can leave the normal light switch "on", and
always know that the lights turn off when you shut the engine off.
It's a convenience feature. How often do you want the parking lights
on when the ignition is off, vs the number of times you would shut the
engine off, get out of the car, and then discover the lights are still
on?

 

[Al]

Because this way, you can leave the normal light switch "on", and
always know that the lights turn off when you shut the engine off.
It's a convenience feature. How often do you want the parking lights
on when the ignition is off, vs the number of times you would shut the
engine off, get out of the car, and then discover the lights are still
on?

Parking lights were originally developed so that horse drawn carraiges
would not run into cars on dark nights where there were no street
lights. The batteries had sufficient capacity so that the lights could
be on all night, maybe even for a number of nights, without recharging.
Since this is hardly the case lately, why do we even bother with parking
lights? In most jurisdictions it's illegal to drive with them, although
this is hardly enforced.

Does anyone reading this thread actually have a story where the parking
lights were useful? I think most of the time the headlights on my
vehicle were sufficient to prevent me from running into a parked car
even when it's parking lights are not turned on. ;-)

Al

Al

 

[Jim Stewart]

Does anyone reading this thread actually have a story where the parking
lights were useful? I think most of the time the headlights on my
vehicle were sufficient to prevent me from running into a parked car
even when it's parking lights are not turned on. ;-)

I spent a year in southern Germany back in '71
thanks to the US Army. It was very common
to see cars parked in dark, twisty alleys with
parking lights on. Quite civilized in my
opinion.

 

[Fuzzy Logic]

Parking lights were originally developed so that horse drawn carraiges
would not run into cars on dark nights where there were no street
lights. The batteries had sufficient capacity so that the lights could
be on all night, maybe even for a number of nights, without recharging.
Since this is hardly the case lately, why do we even bother with parking
lights? In most jurisdictions it's illegal to drive with them, although
this is hardly enforced.

Does anyone reading this thread actually have a story where the parking
lights were useful? I think most of the time the headlights on my
vehicle were sufficient to prevent me from running into a parked car
even when it's parking lights are not turned on. ;-)

According to the info at the bottom of this page the switch is required by
law in some countries:

http://www.drive.subaru.com/Fall02_QuickStops.htm

 

[Mike]

I spent a year in southern Germany back in '71
thanks to the US Army. It was very common
to see cars parked in dark, twisty alleys with
parking lights on. Quite civilized in my
opinion.

Some cars (maybe lots of them?) would turn on the front and back park
light on one side only if you left the turn signal on when the car was
off. I know my Opel done that.

 

[-rick-]

Does anyone reading this thread actually have a story where the parking
lights were useful? I think most of the time the headlights on my
vehicle were sufficient to prevent me from running into a parked car
even when it's parking lights are not turned on. ;-)

I use them without headlights when driving in campgrounds or backing
down the boat ramp after dark to avoid disturbing/blinding others but I
never leave them on with the car parked if that's what you meant.

-rick-

 

[Al]

I spent a year in southern Germany back in '71
thanks to the US Army. It was very common
to see cars parked in dark, twisty alleys with
parking lights on. Quite civilized in my
opinion.

Makes perfect sense for that application. But you had to reach back 34
yrs for an example '-)

Al

 

[Al]

I use them without headlights when driving in campgrounds or backing
down the boat ramp after dark to avoid disturbing/blinding others but I
never leave them on with the car parked if that's what you meant.

-rick-

Yup, another good use for them. But you are driving and not parking. ;-)

Al

 

[Al]

According to the info at the bottom of this page the switch is required by
law in some countries:

http://www.drive.subaru.com/Fall02_QuickStops.htm

OK, and what would be a good reason for that? More micromanagement by
gov't?

Al

 

[Bonehenge]

lights? In most jurisdictions it's illegal to drive with them, although
this is hardly enforced.

Are you familiar with jurisdictions outside of the US?

 

[lkreh]

I've had the same problem the OT complained. You make a good point,
but there are reflectors all over cars these days - you don't need to
leave any car lights on. I think the column mounted parking light
switch is pointless in this day and age. Now if people are driving
without lights and hit a car without lights....well, I guess that's not
something you can really plan for.

My two duckets,
LK

 

[lkreh]

But you still have to remember to turn a light switch off. It's just a
different switch, which seems to me to make it even easier to forget.
I gotta say, the column mounted parking light switch is a *stupid* idea
from a United States citizen's perspective. And (not necessarily
directed at you) don't tell me it's required in "some jurisdictions."
RHD is required in some jurisdictions, but that doesn't mean we all
have it.

-LK