my running lights turn as soon as i put the battery teminals on , they stay on even after i go press off on the button... any ideas?

switch on top of the steering column

ok i'll look tomm for that switch cause all i had seen was the switch to left of steering wheel , thanks

This is the most common issue affecting new owner's of Subaru.

that fixed it sorry for being such a soob noob

don't feel bad I pulled my fuse for about a month before this board helped me:lol:

lol i was getting ready to install a battery shut off switch , well after i'm able to get the car running lol,,,

don't feel bad I pulled my fuse for about a month before this board helped me:lol:

 

yep, me too.

I went and looked at a Legacy that had the whole dash torn apart trying to figure out why the parking lights stayed on!

I went and looked at a Legacy that had the whole dash torn apart trying to figure out why the parking lights stayed on!

 

awesome. next time i sell one of these to a newbie, i am hitting the switch as they drive off...in the past i always explained that switch to them, and explained it to my family as they have now gotten into the Subaru groove. My parents have 2 and now my brother has 2 as well.

ha!! i went through the same thing i was cleaning the car up and accidentally hit that switch i didnt know what it was for was wondering why the lights were still on and someone on here told me oh check on the top of the steering column .. its pretty common and its called the "virgin light"

I played around and found out what that switch did on my parent's subaru long before I could drive. But I re-discovered it the first time I took out my gauge cluster. The next morning I went to my car to drive to class, and my battery was not only dead. But frozen and bulged out.... Took it inside to warm up and it was alright...

Why would they make that switch and put it there?

 

what good is it?

Why would they make that switch and put it there?

 

what good is it?

 

In some countries it's a law that cars require a switch to turn on the parking lights when the key is out. This is how subaru deals with that.

 

In the US we tend to just use our hazards if parking on the side of the road temporarily, etc. But that's why the switch is there. Why the USDM cars get it? ...

this is because there is no way to operate the lights without the key on. this is an override switch for the running light, to be used when the key is off

I MUCH prefer this setup. As it allows the regular headlight/parking light switch to be automatically turned off with the ignition.

 

I am in the process of modifying both my Toyotas to function the same way.

with the hazzard being able to work, i don't see the point of it?

'parking lights' like when you are parking off the side of the road. some municipalities require it fro curbside parking after dark in urban areas. much different than hazard, which denotes emergency or stay clear

Yep, it's the correct use of the indicator lights. And I'm pretty sure, the law.

hmm so i guess it doesn't drain your battery too much say, over night?

hmm so i guess it doesn't drain your battery too much say, over night?

 

Trust me. It does. I froze a battery solid because that switch.