Head and Tail Lights Won't Go Off on 2003 Forester

Thanks. Good grief! That's a surprise.

Brian wrote:
> "W. Watson" wrote in message
>
>> Yep, that's my problem in the Subject. I had to disconnect the battery
>> tonight. Possibly the timer is defective that turns out the lights when
>> the the ignition is turned off while the lights are on. It may have been
>> precipitated by an earlier event. A woman had drained her battery and
>> asked if I had jumpers. I did and got her started. At the next stop, I
>> noticed my lights were still on when I came back to the car. I thought I
>> might have turned them on with the remote somehow. When I got home the
>> same thing happened in the garage. They wouldn't go out after 5-10
>> minutes. Comments? Solution?
>> --
>> Wayne Watson (Nevada City, CA)
>>
>> Web Page: <speckledwithStars.net>
>
> Look on the top of the steering column for the parking light switch.
> Welcome to the club.
>
>
>
> ~Brian
>
>

--
Wayne Watson (Nevada City, CA)

Web Page: <speckledwithStars.net>
 >> Stay informed about: Head and Tail Lights Won't Go Off on 2003 Forester 

On Feb 22, 8:22 am, "W. Watson" wrote:
> Thanks. Good grief! That's a surprise.
>
>
>
> Brian wrote:
> > "W. Watson" wrote in message
> >
> >> Yep, that's my problem in the Subject. I had to disconnect the battery
> >> tonight. Possibly the timer is defective that turns out the lights when
> >> the the ignition is turned off while the lights are on. It may have been
> >> precipitated by an earlier event. A woman had drained her battery and
> >> asked if I had jumpers. I did and got her started. At the next stop, I
> >> noticed my lights were still on when I came back to the car. I thought I
> >> might have turned them on with the remote somehow. When I got home the
> >> same thing happened in the garage. They wouldn't go out after 5-10
> >> minutes. Comments? Solution?
> >> --
> >> Wayne Watson (Nevada City, CA)
>
> >> Web Page: <speckledwithStars.net>
>
> > Look on the top of the steering column for the parking light switch.
> > Welcome to the club.
>
> >
>
> > ~Brian
>
> --
> Wayne Watson (Nevada City, CA)
>
> Web Page: <speckledwithStars.net>


You are now truly a subaru owner. Sometimes its called the 'virgin'
switch.

Dave
 >> Stay informed about: Head and Tail Lights Won't Go Off on 2003 Forester 

Was to me too a few Subarus back. They're great cars, but they can
make you feel like a real idiot at times when you're new to them because
things just work a bit differently than they do on many other cars.


W. Watson wrote:
> Thanks. Good grief! That's a surprise.
>
> Brian wrote:
>> "W. Watson" wrote in message
>>
>>> Yep, that's my problem in the Subject. I had to disconnect the
>>> battery tonight. Possibly the timer is defective that turns out the
>>> lights when the the ignition is turned off while the lights are on.
>>> It may have been precipitated by an earlier event. A woman had
>>> drained her battery and asked if I had jumpers. I did and got her
>>> started. At the next stop, I noticed my lights were still on when I
>>> came back to the car. I thought I might have turned them on with the
>>> remote somehow. When I got home the same thing happened in the
>>> garage. They wouldn't go out after 5-10 minutes. Comments? Solution?
>>> --
>>> Wayne Watson (Nevada City, CA)
>>>
>>> Web Page: <speckledwithStars.net>
>>
>> Look on the top of the steering column for the parking light switch.
>> Welcome to the club.
>>
>>
>>
>> ~Brian
>>
>


--
Catherine (Hampton) Jefferson
Personal Home Page * <http://www.devsite.org/>
The SpamBouncer * <http://www.spambouncer.org/>
 >> Stay informed about: Head and Tail Lights Won't Go Off on 2003 Forester 

Alway's good to see someone's cherry popped on a Friday morning.

"W. Watson" wrote in message

> Thanks. Good grief! That's a surprise.
>
> Brian wrote:
>> "W. Watson" wrote in message
>>
>>> Yep, that's my problem in the Subject. I had to disconnect the battery
>>> tonight. Possibly the timer is defective that turns out the lights when
>>> the the ignition is turned off while the lights are on. It may have been
>>> precipitated by an earlier event. A woman had drained her battery and
>>> asked if I had jumpers. I did and got her started. At the next stop, I
>>> noticed my lights were still on when I came back to the car. I thought I
>>> might have turned them on with the remote somehow. When I got home the
>>> same thing happened in the garage. They wouldn't go out after 5-10
>>> minutes. Comments? Solution?
>>> --
>>> Wayne Watson (Nevada City, CA)
>>>
>>> Web Page: <speckledwithStars.net>
>>
>> Look on the top of the steering column for the parking light switch.
>> Welcome to the club.
>>
>>
>>
>> ~Brian
>
> --
> Wayne Watson (Nevada City, CA)
>
> Web Page: <speckledwithStars.net>
 >> Stay informed about: Head and Tail Lights Won't Go Off on 2003 Forester 

Catherine Jefferson wrote:
> Was to me too a few Subarus back. They're great cars, but they can
> make you feel like a real idiot at times when you're new to them because
> things just work a bit differently than they do on many other cars.
>
>
> W. Watson wrote:
>> Thanks. Good grief! That's a surprise.
>>
>> Brian wrote:
>>> "W. Watson" wrote in message
>>>
>>>> Yep, that's my problem in the Subject. I had to disconnect the
>>>> battery tonight. Possibly the timer is defective that turns out the
>>>> lights when the the ignition is turned off while the lights are on.
>>>> It may have been precipitated by an earlier event. A woman had
>>>> drained her battery and asked if I had jumpers. I did and got her
>>>> started. At the next stop, I noticed my lights were still on when I
>>>> came back to the car. I thought I might have turned them on with the
>>>> remote somehow. When I got home the same thing happened in the
>>>> garage. They wouldn't go out after 5-10 minutes. Comments? Solution?
>>>> --
>>>> Wayne Watson (Nevada City, CA)
>>>>
>>>> Web Page: <speckledwithStars.net>
>>>
>>> Look on the top of the steering column for the parking light switch.
>>> Welcome to the club.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ~Brian

Had a similar problem with my Daughter. I went into great detail,, over
the phone, about how to track the wiring and location of the windscreen
washer motor, and how to check that it was plugged in, and to check for
blocked washer nozzles on her WRX.
A couple of weeks later she told me she had found the button on the end
of the stalk. :>)
 >> Stay informed about: Head and Tail Lights Won't Go Off on 2003 Forester 

On Feb 22, 9:40 am, wrote:
> On Feb 22, 8:22 am, "W. Watson" wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > Thanks. Good grief! That's a surprise.
>
> > Brian wrote:
> > > "W. Watson" wrote in message
> > >
> > >> Yep, that's my problem in the Subject. I had to disconnect the battery
> > >> tonight. Possibly the timer is defective that turns out the lights when
> > >> the the ignition is turned off while the lights are on. It may have been
> > >> precipitated by an earlier event. A woman had drained her battery and
> > >> asked if I had jumpers. I did and got her started. At the next stop, I
> > >> noticed my lights were still on when I came back to the car. I thought I
> > >> might have turned them on with the remote somehow. When I got home the
> > >> same thing happened in the garage. They wouldn't go out after 5-10
> > >> minutes. Comments? Solution?
> > >> --
> > >>                          Wayne Watson (Nevada City, CA)
>
> > >>                        Web Page: <speckledwithStars.net>
>
> > > Look on the top of the steering column for the parking light switch.
> > > Welcome to the club.
>
> > >
>
> > > ~Brian
>
> > --
> >                           Wayne Watson (Nevada City, CA)
>
> >                         Web Page: <speckledwithStars.net>
>
> You are now truly a subaru owner. Sometimes its called the 'virgin'
> switch.
>
> Dave- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -


Like Wayne, I encountered the same problem with my first Subaru (have
had 3 more [Subarus, not mysterious light events] since, disconnected
the battery, eventually turned it off by just playing with every
control on the dashboard until I found one that worked, but I've
always been baffled by the presence of this switch. The salesman who
sold my my first stumbled through a series of explanations of its
need, none of which made any sense. Why is it there? What purpose
does it serve that can't be addressed by using the main headlight
switch or hazard warning flasher? Why do we need a switch to keep the
lights on without the key in the ignition? Why is Subaru, to my
knowledge, the only manufacturer to offer this "feature". Why? Why?
Why?
 >> Stay informed about: Head and Tail Lights Won't Go Off on 2003 Forester 

The best explanation I've found is that this is a result of the DRL. On
most cars, the light switch has a position for park lights, then a position
for head lights. On the Subaru, there is no position on the light switch
for park lights, due to the DRL feature. So there is a separate switch to
enable parking lights if you need them. Like you, I'm not sure when I'd
need parking lights that flashers wouldn't work...but maybe there is some
place where you are required to have parking lights without head lights or
flashers on?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


On 2/23/08 3:35 PM, in article
a19e3253-cc5e-4c9f-9a4b-f6051bc01beb.DeleteThis@71g2000hse.googlegroups.com,
"suburboturbo" wrote:

> On Feb 22, 9:40 am, wrote:
>> On Feb 22, 8:22 am, "W. Watson" wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> Thanks. Good grief! That's a surprise.
>>
>>> Brian wrote:
>>>> "W. Watson" wrote in message
>>>>
>>>>> Yep, that's my problem in the Subject. I had to disconnect the battery
>>>>> tonight. Possibly the timer is defective that turns out the lights when
>>>>> the the ignition is turned off while the lights are on. It may have been
>>>>> precipitated by an earlier event. A woman had drained her battery and
>>>>> asked if I had jumpers. I did and got her started. At the next stop, I
>>>>> noticed my lights were still on when I came back to the car. I thought I
>>>>> might have turned them on with the remote somehow. When I got home the
>>>>> same thing happened in the garage. They wouldn't go out after 5-10
>>>>> minutes. Comments? Solution?
>>>>> --
>>>>>                          Wayne Watson (Nevada City, CA)
>>
>>>>>                        Web Page: <speckledwithStars.net>
>>
>>>> Look on the top of the steering column for the parking light switch.
>>>> Welcome to the club.
>>
>>>>
>>
>>>> ~Brian
>>
>>> --
>>>                           Wayne Watson (Nevada City, CA)
>>
>>>                         Web Page: <speckledwithStars.net>
>>
>> You are now truly a subaru owner. Sometimes its called the 'virgin'
>> switch.
>>
>> Dave- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
>
> Like Wayne, I encountered the same problem with my first Subaru (have
> had 3 more [Subarus, not mysterious light events] since, disconnected
> the battery, eventually turned it off by just playing with every
> control on the dashboard until I found one that worked, but I've
> always been baffled by the presence of this switch. The salesman who
> sold my my first stumbled through a series of explanations of its
> need, none of which made any sense. Why is it there? What purpose
> does it serve that can't be addressed by using the main headlight
> switch or hazard warning flasher? Why do we need a switch to keep the
> lights on without the key in the ignition? Why is Subaru, to my
> knowledge, the only manufacturer to offer this "feature". Why? Why?
> Why?
>
 >> Stay informed about: Head and Tail Lights Won't Go Off on 2003 Forester 

On Feb 22, 1:03 am, "W. Watson" wrote:
> Yep, that's my problem in the Subject. I had to disconnect the battery
> tonight.

Wayne, lucky you. I too my car to a dealer and paid $40 to be taught
the lesson. ARRGGH!
 >> Stay informed about: Head and Tail Lights Won't Go Off on 2003 Forester 

"Jack Countryman" wrote in message

> The best explanation I've found is that this is a result of the DRL. On
> most cars, the light switch has a position for park lights, then a
> position
> for head lights. On the Subaru, there is no position on the light switch
> for park lights, due to the DRL feature. So there is a separate switch to
> enable parking lights if you need them. Like you, I'm not sure when I'd
> need parking lights that flashers wouldn't work...but maybe there is some
> place where you are required to have parking lights without head lights or
> flashers on?
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This feature makes sense in markets like here in Australia where you have a
choice when you use your parking and headlights, and appropriate switches.
With the lights being disabled when the ignition is off (great feature -
should be fitted to all cars) you may wish to leave your parking lights on
for visibility when parking in a badly lit street (which, I suspect, is what
they were invented for). The extra switch will allow that. I seem to
remember a vehicle which had a parking light switch which only activated the
road-side parking lights to save battery power - can't remember the brand
though - another good idea which seems to have vanished.

Dave
 >> Stay informed about: Head and Tail Lights Won't Go Off on 2003 Forester 

David Coggins wrote:
> "Jack Countryman" wrote in message
>
>
>>The best explanation I've found is that this is a result of the DRL. On
>>most cars, the light switch has a position for park lights, then a
>>position
>>for head lights. On the Subaru, there is no position on the light switch
>>for park lights, due to the DRL feature. So there is a separate switch to
>>enable parking lights if you need them. Like you, I'm not sure when I'd
>>need parking lights that flashers wouldn't work...but maybe there is some
>>place where you are required to have parking lights without head lights or
>>flashers on?
>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>
> This feature makes sense in markets like here in Australia where you have a
> choice when you use your parking and headlights, and appropriate switches.
> With the lights being disabled when the ignition is off (great feature -
> should be fitted to all cars) you may wish to leave your parking lights on
> for visibility when parking in a badly lit street (which, I suspect, is what
> they were invented for). The extra switch will allow that. I seem to
> remember a vehicle which had a parking light switch which only activated the
> road-side parking lights to save battery power - can't remember the brand
> though - another good idea which seems to have vanished.
>
> Dave
>
>

Yep, that's very close to what I understand. In parts of Europe, use of
parking lights when actualy parked at the curb is enforced. That switch
alloys Subes ,which do disable the 'stalk' light setting when the key is
removed, to keep parking lights on.

Carl


--
to reply, change ( .not) to ( .net)
 >> Stay informed about: Head and Tail Lights Won't Go Off on 2003 Forester 

On Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:34:09 -0800 (PST), Uncle Ben
wrote:

>On Feb 22, 1:03 am, "W. Watson" wrote:
>> Yep, that's my problem in the Subject. I had to disconnect the battery
>> tonight.
>
>Wayne, lucky you. I too my car to a dealer and paid $40 to be taught
>the lesson. ARRGGH!

What dealer is this that raped you? I can't believe you paid. We
experienced a similar cherry-busting event the morning we wanted to
leave for a trip, and we just called our local dealer, and they told
us what to do over the phone, gratis.
 >> Stay informed about: Head and Tail Lights Won't Go Off on 2003 Forester 

On Feb 23, 11:12 pm, Carl 1 Lucky Texan wrote:
> David Coggins wrote:
> > "Jack Countryman" wrote in message
> >
>
> >>The best explanation I've found is that this is a result of the DRL.  On
> >>most cars, the light switch has a position for park lights, then a
> >>position
> >>for head lights.  On the Subaru, there is no position on the light switch
> >>for park lights, due to the DRL feature.  So there is a separate switch to
> >>enable parking lights if you need them.  Like you, I'm not sure when I'd
> >>need parking lights that flashers wouldn't work...but maybe there is some
> >>place where you are required to have parking lights without head lights or
> >>flashers on?
> >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> > This feature makes sense in markets like here in Australia where you have a
> > choice when you use your parking and headlights, and appropriate switches.
> > With the lights being disabled when the ignition is off (great feature -
> > should be fitted to all cars) you may wish to leave your parking lights on
> > for visibility when parking in a badly lit street (which, I suspect, is what
> > they were invented for). The extra switch will allow that. I seem to
> > remember a vehicle which had a parking light switch which only activated the
> > road-side parking lights to save battery power - can't remember the brand
> > though - another good idea which seems to have vanished.
>
> > Dave
>
> Yep, that's very close to what I understand. In parts of Europe, use of
> parking lights when actualy parked at the curb is enforced. That switch
> alloys Subes ,which do disable the 'stalk' light setting when the key is
> removed, to keep parking lights on.
>
> Carl
>
> --
> to reply, change  ( .not)  to  ( .net)- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -


I'm still having trouble with this one. Why would any jurisdiction
require the use of just the parking lights when the vehicle isn't in
motion, at least under its own power, and the key not in the
ignition? Hard to believe that the DRLs are too bright, but even so,
why wouldn't it then be just another position on the stalk? Is it
just one of those European things that we Americans aren't considered
sophisticated enough to comprehend, like a signal that you intend to
leave the car at the curb for some metric unit of time? Is it me or
Subaru? Like that dash-top "glovebox" on some models that was too
shallow and oddly shaped for anything useful like sunglasses or a
notebook, but could fit a pen or few sticks of gum that would leak or
turn to goo in the heat.
 >> Stay informed about: Head and Tail Lights Won't Go Off on 2003 Forester 

>
>Yep, that's very close to what I understand. In parts of Europe, use of
>parking lights when actualy parked at the curb is enforced. That switch
>alloys Subes ,which do disable the 'stalk' light setting when the key is
>removed, to keep parking lights on.

When I was stationed in Germany 72-76, I remember seeing cars with a
parking light on when parked on the street overnight. The difference
was they had a way to leave only the driver side parking lights on. I
supppose it was to show the highway side margin of the vehicle.
It wasn't a requirement on all streets, just those designated as
"priority" roads. It didn't apply to streets with designated parking
spots either. Mostly just the main road through the villages where the
road was about 2 1/2 lanes wide, and they were narrow lanes at that.
 >> Stay informed about: Head and Tail Lights Won't Go Off on 2003 Forester