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Old 07-27-2005, 06:50 PM   #1
raulin3
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Default Parking lights don't work

The parking lights on my 02 WRX won't work, not in the parking light mode, nor when the headlights are on. They work only when I turn on the Parking light switch on top of the steering column. They also work with the alarm on. Do you have any idea what the problem may be? I'm worried about driving at night without tail lights and side markers, it's also illegal. Help please.
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Old 07-27-2005, 07:01 PM   #2
DrD
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light switch might be bad (the one on the top of the column and the main one for the headlights, etc. are discrete which would explain why the one on top of the column still works)
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Old 07-27-2005, 07:31 PM   #3
raulin3
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Thanks, would you know how to check them both to see which one is bad? The first time it happened, I tapped on the switch on top of the steering column and the lights worked fine for about a week.
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Old 07-27-2005, 09:55 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by raulin3
would you know how to check them both to see which one is bad?
Get out the multimeter and check to see which one isn't doing what it's supposed to be doing. (see pic below)

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Old 07-28-2005, 01:26 PM   #5
raulin3
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Thank you, now I have something "fun" to do over the weekend. I checked the parking light switch on top of the steering column and seems to be operating fine, I suspect the main light switch.
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Old 07-28-2005, 01:47 PM   #6
Alan
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If the switch works the parking lights, you need to check the parking light relay and fuse #12 in the under dash fuse box and also fuse #7 in the main underhood fuse box.
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Old 07-28-2005, 08:30 PM   #7
DrD
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan
If the switch works the parking lights, you need to check the parking light relay and fuse #12 in the under dash fuse box and also fuse #7 in the main underhood fuse box.
Pretty sure the lights get power through fuse #5 (if you are looking at the service manual, see page 96)
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Old 07-29-2005, 02:21 AM   #8
Alan
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DrD
Pretty sure the lights get power through fuse #5 (if you are looking at the service manual, see page 96)
But if you look at page 84 you see that the parking switch SENDS power to fuse #5 when it's NOT in the ON position, that comes from FB-11, which is shown on pages 17 and 18 as being from fuse #7 and #12.

The fact the lights work when the parking switch is turned on proves fuse #5 is good.
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Old 07-29-2005, 09:04 AM   #9
DrD
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you aren't reading the diagram properly - pull fuse 7, and you loose your foglights, but the clearance lights still work with either switch. Pull fuse 12, and the dash illumination (speedo, etc.) doesn't work, but the clearance lights still work with either switch. Pull fuse 5, and the clearance lights don't work with either switch. If you don't believe me, go to your car and try it for yourself (I just did to make sure I wasn't going insane)

The connections you are looking at are to control the dash illumination (so it turns on when you turn on the main light switch, but not the one on top of the column) and the foglights (so that they can only operate when the headlights are turned on from the main light switch)
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Old 07-29-2005, 10:20 AM   #10
Alan
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OK, I'll accept that the fuse #12 is for the dash lights, but fuse #7 in the MAIN engine fuse box should kill the parking lights - along with some others too including the dash lights. And if tapping on the top of the column helped, it's probably a bad parking switch or the connections to it. He should try flicking the switch fully on and off a few times.
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Old 07-29-2005, 12:04 PM   #11
raulin3
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Hello and thank you again. I checked absolutely all fuses under the dash and the hood(even those not related to the lights) and they are all fine. I cleaned the parking lights switch with WD-40 and now it operates fine. But I still don't have clearance lights when I turn the lights switch to either position. I checked resistance for both the combination light switch and the parking lights switch and they seem to be normal. I don't know what else to check, except maybe the clearance-tail light relay which I couldn't find. Does anyone know where it's located and wheter is marked, and how I could test it? Any other thing that I should check?

Thank you for all your help
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Old 07-29-2005, 12:40 PM   #12
DrD
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan
but fuse #7 in the MAIN engine fuse box should kill the parking lights
Sure - that one kills them, too - but then neither switch will operate the clearance lights (so it's not terribly useful as a diagnostic if you know one of the switches is working, but not the other... the interior #5 is used to operate the relay, while power for the lights comes through the main box #7)
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Old 08-02-2005, 02:15 PM   #13
raulin3
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OK, this is what I found out. I checked the power on fuse #5 (tail lights) and it's fine (12V)with the parking lights switch, but when I turn the head lights switch to the position 1, fuse 5 only gets like 2.4 volts. Any idea what may be causing this?
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Old 08-02-2005, 03:07 PM   #14
Alan
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BRIGHT BLUE!

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Quote:
Originally Posted by raulin3
OK, this is what I found out. I checked the power on fuse #5 (tail lights) and it's fine (12V)with the parking lights switch, but when I turn the head lights switch to the position 1, fuse 5 only gets like 2.4 volts. Any idea what may be causing this?
I think that pretty well narrows it down to the tail light relay, or the wiring and connections to it. The relay shows in the clearance light circuits, but I really can't figure where it is located. Stupid Subaru diagrams...
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