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Old 01-13-2015, 03:48 PM   #1
mrmikeyp
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Default 02 wrx - No tail Lights, parking light switch works

Hey guys,

Been living with this issue since i got the car a few years ago, but I want to actually fix it.

So the tail lights dont come on when the head lights get turned on. I have to press the parking light switch on the steering column in order to get them to light up. While this is fine, I'd prefer to have it work normally: turn on headlights, tail lights come on too.

I've been searching around and I've heard that the 02/03 wrx has a tail light relay, but I've also heard it doesn't.

Can anyone give me a definitive answer and point me in the direction of a part?

before anyone asks I checked all the tail light related fuses in the cabin and engine fuse box. Parking light switch works.

Thanks!
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Old 01-15-2015, 01:48 PM   #2
mrmikeyp
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bump?
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Old 01-15-2015, 08:14 PM   #3
Cougar4
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The relay is inside the dash fuse panel along with the defroster relay. The light switch should turn on the relay which applies power to the lights. The switch on top of the column bypasses the relay circuit. That switch also supplies power to the relay when it is in the OFF position. The trouble may be with that switch. If you want to verify the relay operation is good you could ground the black/white wire that ties to pin 2 of a 12 pin connector that goes to the dash fuse panel. There is a key way between pins 3 and 4 of that connector.
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Old 08-11-2022, 11:03 AM   #4
Shik
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cougar4 View Post
The relay is inside the dash fuse panel along with the defroster relay. The light switch should turn on the relay which applies power to the lights. The switch on top of the column bypasses the relay circuit. That switch also supplies power to the relay when it is in the OFF position. The trouble may be with that switch. If you want to verify the relay operation is good you could ground the black/white wire that ties to pin 2 of a 12 pin connector that goes to the dash fuse panel. There is a key way between pins 3 and 4 of that connector.
7 year bump to say thanks to Cougar for pointing me in the right direction!

An '02 WRX I just picked up sat in a wet barn for 3 years. The car is not on the road yet but I was just looking over some things and noticed the tail lights weren't working. Long story short, the parking switch on top of the steering column didn't turn them on either...at first. Exercised the switch a few times and the tail lights started to flicker, then eventually stayed on with the rocker parking switch, but still not with the headlight switch. Continued to rock the parking switch on and off a bunch more times. The tail lights began to work intermittently with the headlight switch on and the parking switch off. Rocked the parking switch some more and now everything is working as it should, so I am guessing the contacts of the parking light switch may have developed some corrosion that needed to be worn off? Not sure, but they are working as they should right now.

Thanks again, Cougar.

Here is another bit of info from the Forester site that may be some additional help as well. There is also a thread there about bypassing the parking switch on top of the column if it is bad:

Quote:
Yes you do have an illumination relay, but that also controls the dashboard lights, so IF they come on with the normal light switch, the relay is good.

I would suspect the switch on the top of the steering column or the wiring to it. Here's why:

It's a SPST switch with the common center going to the front clearance lights and tail/license light. The ON side is +12v from the main fuse box ( under the hood ). Since that illuminates the lights, then all the wiring from there, thru a fuse and grounds are all good.

The OFF side comes from the contacts of the illumination relay. The same relay that supply power to the dashboard lights. So if the dashboard lights are working, AND your tail lights work with this switch turned on, the wiring leaving this area is good.

You either have a defective switch ( the OFF pole ), or broken wire from the illumination relay ( mounted in the top rear of the interior fuse box ) to that switch.
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Old 08-12-2022, 04:21 PM   #5
Cougar4
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Glad to hear that the previous info helped you get things going again.
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