Parking lights are important for keeping everyone safe on the road, but you don’t need them all the time. If the engine is off, the parking lights will drain the battery, so they should be used only when necessary. But what can you do if the parking lights won’t turn off?
The first thing you should do is toggle the headlights switch several times and see if it regains function and turns the lights off. If that doesn’t work, pull the corresponding fuse or disconnect the battery completely to keep it from draining while you address the issue.
In this article, I’ll focus on creating the most comprehensive guide to fix the parking lights, starting with the most trivial issues and moving on towards the more serious problems.
Parking lights provide you with a way to safely outline the position of your vehicle on the road in conditions with reduced visibility – night, snow, rain, or fog. When you have to park on the side of the road because of a breakdown, you may not always be able to get the entire vehicle off the asphalt.
City roads are generally illuminated by street and building lights, as well as high density of slow-moving traffic, so this may not be a problem, but when you’re on an open road, your vehicle will be much harder to see. If you just leave the low beam lights on, they can obstruct the vision of the oncoming traffic, so you switch to the parking lights which will provide enough illumination to make your vehicle visible, but not obstruct other drivers.
Parking lights are rarely used, and some drivers do not even know how to engage them. There are two primary ways of turning parking lights on:
On some vehicles, like the older Mercedes-Benz, the headlight switch has 5 positions: left indicator, right indicator, off, parking lights, headlights. The setup depends on the make and model of your vehicle, but broadly speaking, the controls are tied to the headlights switch or lever.
If you’ve left your vehicle in a hurry and noticed the lights are still on, you might have hit the turn signal lever on the way out, or only turned the headlight switch once. Go back to the car and check if everything is in the correct position. I understand that you’ve probably done this already, but it happens to everyone so it’s best to include it on the list.
It’s possible that the headlight switch is failing, so toggle it repeatedly until the parking lights finally turn off. You should replace the headlights switch as soon as possible, and I’ll show you how to do it in a later section.
Pulling the parking lights fuse will break the circuit and prevent them from getting power. The first thing you need to do is locate the fuse box – it can be found underneath the steering wheel or inside the engine bay. You can use the owner’s manual to help you locate it, as you’ll also need to use it to identify the right fuse.
Every vehicle has a different fuse layout, so consult the manual and pull out the right one. It may be included with the headlights fuse, or you might have to pull out both to disconnect the lights.
The straightforward way of cutting the power to the parking lights is to disconnect the battery. Lift the hood and use a wrench to disconnect the battery – negative terminal first (black wire) then the positive terminal (red wire). This will render the vehicle unusable, but since you need to fix the parking lights issue before continuing to use the vehicle, it shouldn’t be a problem.
The previous methods will keep your battery from draining, but they will not solve the problem. To do that, we can address two parts that are within the scope of what a DIY mechanic can do: change the relay and change the headlight switch. For anything else, you’ll have to consult with a mechanic or an electrician, as it goes beyond even my knowledge of repairs.
The challenging part of replacing the relay is locating it. In some vehicles, it’s right next to the fuse box, but the lights relay can be positioned anywhere underneath the hood, usually towards the edges and the front mask.
Some relays are positioned inside one headlight and fork off to the other, so there’s no way for me to tell you where to look for with any accuracy. The easiest way to find the relay is to look through the owner’s manual or search online based on the make & model.
Once you’ve found it, pull it out and read the markings to know exactly what replacement you should get. Put the new relay in, and check if the problem persists. If it does, you might have to replace the lights switch.
The switch controlling the headlights and parking lights can be an independent switch or integrated into the turn signal lever. The process of removing the switch varies greatly on the type, but also the make & model of the vehicle. I’ll provide you with two examples to give you an idea of what to expect, but the precise steps may differ.
The light switch can have a couple of screws holding it in, which will require you to remove the bottom plastic of the dashboard. However, some can be removed by finding the sweet spot and pulling the switch, which will take the entire assembly out. Then it’s just a matter of replacing individual components or the switch as a whole, reconnecting the power cable, and putting it back in.
The process of replacing the light switch integrated into the turn signal lever requires a bit of skill, but it’s nothing you can’t do at home. The only tools you’ll need are a set of screwdrivers, and possibly a couple of star or hex keys.
Remove the steering wheel column shroud to reveal the screws holding the turn signal lever. You might have to remove the steering column tilt lever to allow the shroud to come off. Then, it’s just a matter of disconnecting the power plug, unscrewing the old lever, and installing the new one. When the light switch is integrated into the turn signal lever, you have to change it all at the same time.
Fixing a faulty light switch is not too complicated, but if there’s a problem with the wiring, you’ll have to get assistance from a professional. However, the tips provided in this article should be more than enough to solve almost all of your parking light problems. For more useful information on troubleshooting and repairs, keep reading VehicleFreak articles!
Find out more interesting tips here:
10 Reasons Your Car’s Lights Won’t Turn Off
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