I just realized that my parking lights never go off, is that normal? By parking lights I mean everything except the headlights. Parking brake on and switch turned off and they stay on.

 

Isn't that the" LAW" in Canada?

 

Dear Mr Oblivious
Have you had any flat batteries after you leave the car for a few days? If not then I would think that the lights go off after a while.
Canadian spec vehicles.
Starting the car with the handbrake on all the lights except the head lights will come on.
Taking the hand brake off will turn the headlights on.
Putting the hand brake on again will turn off the headlights.
Turning the ignition off, all the lights will go off.
After exiting the car and closing the door the lights minus the headlights will come on for maybe twenty seconds and then they too go off. This twenty seconds may be adjustable by the dealer or maybe I should say, someone with knowledge.

 

Yeah thanks,

I should clarify by switch I meant the light switch and not the ignition...

I realize how the lights are on delayed turn off, the parking brake and day time running lights etc. work, its just that usually (on most vehicles) when the lights are turned off they are off, except for daytime running lights in Canada. Or else why have a parking light position on the switch? 1st notch=parking lights, 2nd notch=headlights when the vehicle is in drive or when handbrake is off. The switch works fine when the car isn't running, off=off, 1st notch=parking lights, 2nd notch=headlights, but when its running there is no difference between off and 1st notch, the parking lights are always on.

I just read my manual and it says that "all lights are automatically switched on whenever the vehicle is started and the parking brake is released". So I'm assuming that they mean they should be off when the parking brake is on...Mine turn on even if the switch is in off position and the handbrake is on.

Is this a common short circuit or problem?

 

I think when they say `all' they mean that the DTRL's are on already and then the low beams headlights come on when the hand brake is released.
The switch has been reconfigured to suit the Canadian regulations, so the first position is superfluous and the headlight position is only used when you want to use the high beams.
Starting the car will get the DTRL's on and releasing the handbrake turns on the low beam headlight.
However, from what I read you say that your low beams come on at the same time as the DTRL's, in that case I would say that the switch that is operated by the hand brake is not adjusted correctly or is broken.
PS
I was only joking with the Mr O phrase, but you did say call you oblivious, so I did. Rather politely I thought.

 

This may be your problem.... pay close attention to the switch and make sure you have it in the Off position. Turning the **** all the way to the left will cause the running lights to stay on. You want the switch to be somewhere in the middle which is the off position.

Not sure exactly what all the positions are but I do remember one time I turned the headlights off by turning the **** to the left. I remember I went back past the off position and noticed the running lights were still on and wouldn't turn off.

 

one notch left of off is right side marker lights and two notches left of off is left side marker lights.....

I found out by accident(yep, I turned it past off) and then looked it up in the owners manual....

 

Yes it needs to be pointing straight up and down to be in the off position.

 

Lets deal with Mr Onehundred80 first...
I wasn't offended what so ever by your Mr O' remark, I never even realized it, I would need more than that, I have thicker skin than that. But I would like to say, thanks for responding to my problem. I have only appreciation for this forum and find it very useful, But...

I must not be explaining myself properly, here's the problem;

I do get the hand brake, fog lights, daytime running lights, left and right standing lights, parking lights, low beam lights and OFF position.

The keyword is OFF

I seem to remember waiting for my buddy in his alley in back of his house and being able to turn all lights off, you know like a stalker or as if I was a cop on a stake out, you know incognito, inconspicuously...but now even in OFF position they don't turn OFF.

Reference; 2005 Crossfire Owner's Manual, Chapter 3, page 73

The light switch has 5 positions, well actually 7 but lets forget about the fogs and the extra pull that (as I was told in a past thread) is for European rear lights or something. So lets stick to 5 positions from the left going clockwise to the right;

1-left standing lights
2-right standing lights
3-OFF (straight up)
4-parking lights (everything except the low beams)
5-low beams (which also turns everything on except the fogs and high beams)

So my question is;
Why is it that when the car is running and the parking brake is on or off and the light switch is in the OFF position (straight up) do the parking lights stay on?

I know that the parking brake switch is functioning properly, because when I take it off, the (Canadian regulation) daytime driving lights come on.

So how can I turn all lights off (including the dash lights) with the engine running and parking brake on???

Whats the point of an OFF position if I can't turn them OFF???

The manual says that "all lights are automatically switched on whenever the vehicle is started and the parking brake is released". So I'm assuming that they mean they should be off when the parking brake is on...Mine turn on even if the switch is in off position and the handbrake is on.




Thanks....

 

Mr O if it helps my lights operate the same way as yours.......can't have the car running without the lights being on no matter what position the switch is in. With the car running and the hand brake applied only the headlights (DRL's) are unlit all the running lights remain on. A friend of mine had a VW Fox, same thing. I made the assumption this is normal for CDN spec Crossfires.........am I wrong?

 

Your car must have come that way from the factory. Must be a Canadian thing. I am sorry I can't help you. My 2000 camaro used to do the same thing. Never tried to rig it but wanted to.

 

Once the car has been started the lights do as I outlined in post #3.
The switch is for vehicles with similar regulations to Canada,
tonygg (Toronto) did not like the DTRL's and fitted a US spec switch. If you do not like your switch then you should consider doing the same.
My previous post said the following;
"After exiting the car and closing the door the lights minus the headlights will come on for maybe twenty seconds and then they too go off. This twenty seconds may be adjustable by the dealer or maybe I should say, someone with knowledge."
I think the headlights do in fact come on, I'll check sometime. The lights come on for security at night.
Your switch seems just fine.

 

Thanks, I might just get a US switch...