Mountaindave

This is something I of course didn't pause to think about in the haste of my original post. I do feel better, however, knowing that Subaru is simply adhering to a law, albeit in a strange fashion. I guess the reason I posed the question in the first place is because I DID notice the number and frequency of "Why are my parking lights on?" posts and figured someone would have found a work-around by now (other than me growing a brain cell or two). Perhaps we all just can't get enough of Subie-virgins. And just for the record, my father had to tell me what to do when it happened to me... after he killed his own battery. BTW, Marinarius, no harm done, I'll still read your posts.

Thanks guys. I know we're a small town, but with the number of Subarus running around here I'd have thought we would need our own forum. I'm not a cut-the-wires kind of guy, but I suppose I could just disconnect one if I had a repair manual, which I don't (only owned the car for a couple of weeks), with a wiring schematic. I like the "turn the key one click" idea, almost sounds like it was designed by a German engineer. I also like the illuminated switch idea, an LED wouldn't draw hardly any current at all. I just wish the switch were somewheres else. Perhaps I should just design an illuminated aftermarket switch for $1.29 and make millions! Dave

I discovered this year that we've been running Cooper Wintermaster studless tires for FIVE seasons. Time for new tires. We got studless because we live in town and rarely have to plow through snow. If we lived out in the boonies, like my parents, we'd probably get studded tires. Even still, my father refuses to purchase anything but all-seasons for his '03 Outback and has never gotten stuck even when the roads were pure ice. I'd go studless if you're a city driver and studded if you spent more time out on the backroads. I personally prefer a quieter ride and think the studless are better for what I do during the winter - driving in town on either wet, slushy roads, icy roads, snowpacked roads, or dry roads. I don't have to drive up a mountain through a foot of powder - ever. Plus I never throw a stud on the interstate when visiting relatives across the state. Some people even claim the studless can match a studded tire if not outperform it. Check out this review to see what I mean. Granted the tires are tested on a '02 Jeep and the review is 4 years old, but the point is made. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/chartDisplay.jsp?ttid=24 IMHO, get a decent set of studless for around $400 (installed). Dave

My father and I both have 2003 Outbacks with the infernal parking light switch mounted on the steering column where the hazard light should go. I've yet to drain my battery, but we both have occasionally found our parking lights have inadvertently been turned on - usually after resetting the milage or wiping the dashboard clean or something. In all my life I have NEVER had the need to leave JUST my parking lights on when the key is NOT in the ignition. It's almost as if Subaru made an agreement with AAA: "Hey, if you give us a kickback from every dead-battery call from a Subaru owner, we'll replace the hazard light on the steering column with a DIFFERENT switch that simply leaves the lights on even when the car is turned off!" I have grew up with Subarus and love Subarus but this has got to be the DUMBEST feature I have ever seen on a car. Does anyone have a simple remedy to disable this switch permanently? Any help is appreciated, Dave