Parking Lights Wont Turn Off

slowbubblecar · 12-17-2003

Had my brother 92tsiawd84 install some neon lights in my car (under the seats). he hooked them up off of the lighter power and ground. Now, two weeks later the parking lights will not turn off. They will just stay on no matter which possition the switch is in. He disconnected the neons thinking that may be the problem but it didn't help it at all. Could it be the switch on the steering wheel? Maybe the extra current from the neons blew the switch. Could it be stuck in the on possition?

MATCHBX · 12-17-2003

Sounds like either the switch has gone bad or you have a bad wire somewhere in the switch wiring. Try disconnecting the wiring for the headlight switch. If the lights stay on, check the wiring from the plug down to the power source. If they turn off, then your switch (or the wiring up from the plug to the switch) is bad.

john · 12-17-2003

Thanks for the info. I will check that tomorrow.

MATCHBX · 12-17-2003

I know it sounds like a basic answer, but it's the easiest way to troubleshoot it. Just remember the motto of troubleshooters "Eliminate the simple stuff first."

Good Luck. If you need some help with it (tracing wires and such) I can bring my mutlimeter up there and take a look at it. As long as you have a garage or something to do it in.

john · 12-17-2003

Yeah I have a garage and a multimeter. I am just too stupid to use it and cannot find the manual. I will have to settle for a circut tester I have laying around somewhere.

Alpine TSi · 12-17-2003

Look for a wire shorted to ground. In most foreign vehicles(including DSM's) the parking light circuit is a negative trigger(wire rests at voltage and when put to ground triggers the circuit it is connected to) and such a short would force the lights on all the time. The negative trigger wires are blue with a white stripe or gray at the steering column(watch for plugs at the column wires like to change colors there). There is also one positive trigger wire(rests with a lack of voltage and goes positive to trigger the function) and that is green with a white stripe at a harness above the hood release(big old harness that runs to your instrument cluster). I believe these are the wires and their right location.

I would be willing to help if needed, but it should be pretty easy to find.

TheBlizzard · 12-18-2003

Just curious? Does the car run ok still? Is there any other dash lights on the battery warning ect?

If any of that is happening check the 80A fuse for the alternator under the hood. Also make sure the all the relays are working. If the alternator fuse is blown it will cause all kinds of weird problems like, the lights staying on, dash lights coming on for no reason, power windows not working ect. It seems like a short or even a ECU problem.

If thats not blown it could be a lot of things. I would suspect a fuse or something since you put in them neons or whatever.

1QUICK4 · 12-18-2003

If you find that it is a bad switch let me know. I have an extra 1G turnsignal/headlight/wiper switch you can have.

john · 12-19-2003

Thanks for all the ideas. I will probly start looking into it on saturday.

There is no dash warning light on. The gauges are still lit up, and parking lights remain on when the car is turned off. It the door opens you also hear the warning chime. I was thinking it may be a relay or something. To turn the lights off, I have to pull the fuse under the hood. Thanks

TheBlizzard · 12-19-2003

Definetly check the alternator fuse, thats the same thing my car was doing. To get the lights to turn off I had to pull the fuse.

CRAIG