Why are parking lights staying on?

[campbell48]

I have a 1996 Subaru Legacy Outback that developed a strange problem; the parking lights are staying on even with the key turned off. I washed and vacuumed it and later I noticed them on. What could cause this???

 

[Edward Hayes]

Look at small switch on top of the steering column. Seems most everyone does it. Cheers. Ed

 

[Richard Paquette]

I have a 1996 Subaru Legacy Outback that developed a strange problem; the parking lights are staying on even with the key turned off. I washed and vacuumed it and later I noticed them on. What could cause this???

look under the hood, probably a bad relay

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

My money's with Ed. very common issue with soobs after interior detailing. That switch is crazy - I keep threatening to rewire it for xtra fog/driving lights or something . I'll never use it for the parking lights.

Carl
1 Lucky Texan

 

[Florian Feuser FFF]

Look at small switch on top of the steering column. Seems most everyone does it. Cheers. Ed

rather large switch, I should say. With an orange-ish face when engaged. Something here makes me think you'd be aware of this one...

florian

 

[RankAndFile]

That switch got me once, too. Soon after getting the car, my wife was trying to find the hazards. After she got home, she couldn't figure out how to get the lights to turn off. Maybe someday I'll have a real use for this feature.

 

[Jim (7)]

Had my car in once for some minor body work and somehow they unknowingly bumped it while cleaning up and were baffled at why the parking lights were on and the battery was dead in the morning.

I personally see no use for this switch.

 

[guyinottawa]

This switch has gotten me a couple of times actually!

I was told that the switch was designed for europeans who often double park their cars. Turning this light on indicates they will be back shortly...

 

[a]

guyinottawa wrote:

This switch has gotten me a couple of times actually!

I was told that the switch was designed for europeans who often double park their cars. Turning this light on indicates they will be back shortly...

"RankAndFile" wrote:
Why are people so surprised at parking lights being used for parking?

Perhaps a warning beep when the switch is turned on, along with a couple of beeps if the ignition is subsequently turned on to remind you to turn it off when getting back in the car, would be an improvement.

 

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

People are surpeised that;
A. There are TWO ways to turn on parking lights

B. That ONE of those ways could drain your.

C. The switch is in an unusual, easily overlooked position.

Carl
1 Lucky Texan

 

[JW]

I have a 1996 Subaru Legacy Outback that developed a strange problem; the parking lights are staying on even with the key turned off. I washed and vacuumed it and later I noticed them on. What could cause this???

Up on the top of my steering column there are two rocker switches, one for the 4-way flashers and one for park lights. These will both work with no key in the vehicle and are intended for just that type of emergency use.

 

[oothlagre]

There's a rocker switch on top of the steering column. It's hard to see, but it lets you turn on the parking lights with the key off.

The reason for the switch is the headlights go off with the ignition, so you can't leave them on and kill the battery. The parking light switch is so you can turn the lights on if you are by the side of the road or somewhere where you need the lights.

Of course, you could just use the hazard blinker too no?

I leave my headlight switch on all the time as a consequence so I have daytime lights for safety. I never have to worry about forgetting to turn them off.

-Henry

 

[Ignignokt]

oothlagre wrote:

I leave my headlight switch on all the time as a consequence so I have daytime lights for safety. I never have to worry about forgetting to turn them off.

You don't drive with your high-beams on during the day do you?

- Greg Reed

 

[Don (archive)]

For auto enthusiasts only:

I used to love one feature of the 356 Porsches: when ignition was off and you flipped your turn signal on the front& rear turn signal lights on that side of the car would be turned on -- in series. This, of course, cut the power drain by ~60%(*), made the car more visable at night when parked on the side of the road.

(*) the restance carbon filaments of a bulb are non-linear as a function of current.

The other thing thing I've fussed about with my subarus is that you must Turn On the Cruise Control before you can use it. Not so with Porsche, it's 'on' at all times and all you have to do is Set at the speed you want. I tried to modify the On switch of my Outbacks and evidently there's a delay between Ignition On and the ability to Turn On the CC unit.

But, I did manage to blow a fuse in my meddling around. ;-)

Enough, this isn't a Porsche NG! Sorry folks,
Don

There's a rocker switch on top of the steering column. It's hard to see, but it lets you turn on the parking lights with the key off.

The reason for the switch is the headlights go off with the ignition, so you can't leave them on and kill the battery. The parking light switch is so you can turn the lights on if you are by the side of the road or somewhere where you need the lights.

Of course, you could just use the hazard blinker too no?

I leave my headlight switch on all the time as a consequence so I have daytime lights for safety. I never have to worry about forgetting to turn them off.

-Henry

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[Edward Hayes]

Gee: I used to have a 356 1951 Porsche, a 356A coupe and a 1965 Coupe. Great cars to drive.

 

[Don (archive)]

Ed, I had a '58 TR-3 then a '62 356; universes apart. Then a '68 912 for 13 years. Didn't have one from 1981 to 1998 and then a 1988 Carrera for 4 years; universes apart. Just an unbelievable car! Can't imagine what the 2000's are like, but can't afford one. Sigh...

Gee: I used to have a 356 1951 Porsche, a 356A coupe and a 1965 Coupe. Great cars to drive.

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[Ignignokt]

The other thing thing I've fussed about with my subarus is that you must Turn On the Cruise Control before you can use it. Not so with Porsche, it's 'on' at all times and all you have to do is Set at the speed you want. I tried to modify the On switch of my Outbacks and evidently there's a delay between Ignition On and the ability to Turn On the CC unit.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who's annoyed by this. The Audis I used to own didn't have a cruise toggle -- if you hit the "set" button it would set. Period. My Olds Intrigue did have a cruise toggle, but it would stay physically pushed in (and therefore "on") between starts and stops of the car. That button got touched exactly once in the 4 years I owned the car -- when I turned it on the day I bought it. AFAIK, it's still pushed in and hasn't been touched by the new owner.

Tell me what you learned about the cruise button. I'm wondering whether an think this is too OT for the group. My hotmail name is DoctorSnoopy.)

Of course, Subaru happily lets drivers set their fog lights to stay on all the damn time. Fog lights should only be used in the rain or fog, people. If it's not raining and it's not foggy, turn them off. IMHO, Subaru should swap the cruise and fog light buttons. Let people leave the cruise on if they want to, but force them to make a conscious effort to turn on the damn fog lights.

- Greg

 

[Don (archive)]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who's annoyed by this. The Audis I used to own didn't have a cruise toggle -- if you hit the "set" button it would set. Period. My Olds Intrigue did have a cruise toggle, but it would stay physically pushed in (and therefore "on") between starts and stops of the car. That button got touched exactly once in the 4 years I owned the car -- when I turned it on the day I bought it. AFAIK, it's still pushed in and hasn't been touched by the new owner.

Tell me what you learned about the cruise button. I'm wondering whether an think this is too OT for the group. My hotmail name is DoctorSnoopy.)

Of course, Subaru happily lets drivers set their fog lights to stay on all the damn time. Fog lights should only be used in the rain or fog, people. If it's not raining and it's not foggy, turn them off. IMHO, Subaru should swap the cruise and fog light buttons. Let people leave the cruise on if they want to, but force them to make a conscious effort to turn on the damn fog lights.

- Greg

Sorry, Greg, I did a brain dump with my initial message at the top. I popped the switch and tried to by pass it (short it out) and that did nothing. (That's not how I popped the fuse.) I learned about the necessity of time delay from someone here about 2 years ago when I first fussed about this "problem." But, I did kinda prove it to myself by starting the engine then shorting out the switch. It was in trying to apply the short quicker and quicker after starting that my fat finger fumbling managed to blow the fuse. I quit at that point.
Sigh...

I thought about an electronic delay circuit but decided against it for several reasons, where to get the power, where to put the circuit board, etc. I've gotten lazy in my old age, 75.

In 1962 I bought a Chev Impala 409 with 4-speed and positraction; va-va-voom! I had a catamaran I raced in Long Beach, CA. I didn't like the way the flasher sped up to almost "always on" when the boat trailer was hooked up so designed an "electronic" flasher, if you can call a 1,000 mfd, 25V, capacitor and a relay "electronics" . Used the coil of the relay for the inductance to form an LC time delay. Worked great at 1 flash per second, regardless of load! Had that car through 2 engine replacements, 1 year. But, I sure enjoyed it.

Designed an "electronic" pointless ignition that had a 2N174 power silicon transistor that replaced points and drove a Porsche blue 20,000:1 turns coil. One day the engine started missing going up a hill, got home and pulled the plugs. The center electrodes were burned down inside the ceramic insulator giving a 3/8" gap. Lost that ignition in southern Utah on a trip. Switched back to the regular ignition to get home and took the transistor apart to see what had happened, it was "ratting". Turned out the heat of Canyon Lands had melted the solder that held the transistor chip on the base and ripped the EBC leads off with it's flopping around. Sheeze, I remember while switching back to the regular ignition that I heard the battery boiling!!!

Learned the benefit of Michelins on that trip. Pulled into a filling station for gas and another car was on the apron with a blown! tire. Overheated and pressure build up popped the casing. I quickly slapped my Michelin to check it's temp, expecting it to burn my hand. No, I could actually lay my hand on the tire. Been a Michelin fan ever since!!

Enough stories of long ago... ;-)

Hehehe
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[Ignignokt]

Sorry, Greg, I did a brain dump with my initial message at the top. I popped the switch and tried to by pass it (short it out) and that did nothing. (That's not how I popped the fuse.) I learned about the necessity of time delay from someone here about 2 years ago when I first fussed about this "problem." But, I did kinda prove it to myself by starting the engine then shorting out the switch. It was in trying to apply the short quicker and quicker after starting that my fat finger fumbling managed to blow the fuse. I quit at that point.
Sigh...

I thought about an electronic delay circuit but decided against it for several reasons, where to get the power, where to put the circuit board, etc. I've gotten lazy in my old age, 75.

That's quite alright. Just the idea has gears turning in my head. Which is dangerous, because there really isn't as much lubricant up there as there should be...

- Greg Reed