Brake Lights constantly on...

[WhitAlpin]

HI, I am new to this message board, and i don't know much about cars, but i am going to start learning with my 1986 Subaru GL-10 turbo wagon.

 

So, my problem: I recently came back from christmas break and tried starting my car...dead! So i charged my battery, i was able to start the car fine, but i noticed that my rear brake light would remain on after i took the keys out of the ignition. (so i unpluged the lights). My concerns are that the brake lights will continually drain my battery, unless i unplug them everytime i am out of the car...and 2, there are other parts/electrical things of the car that are mysterously on, when the power is off, consequently draining the battery.

 

Is it electrical? Simple fix, hard fix?

 

Any idea would be great, THANKS!!

 

Nate

[Subaru Jim Maple Ridge]

Check the switch on the brake pedal. It can be adjusted closer to keep the switch normally open. Also look to make sure that nothing is stopping the pedal from returning to rest against the rubber stopper. Brake lamp switches should not require adjustment. Maybe some wires are in the way. Good luck.

[mtsmiths]

Are you certain it's the brake lights? Go around and look at the front, if it's your parking lights, flick the 'Virgin Switch' on the top of the steering column.Welcome to the board.

[85Sub4WD]

Are you certain it's the brake lights? Go around and look at the front, if it's your parking lights, flick the 'Virgin Switch' on the top of the steering column.Welcome to the board.

WhitAlpin said its an '86, so the only switch on the steering column will be the hazard switch

 

check to be sure that your light switch is in the "off" position, and not parking

 

if your center stop lamp is illuminated, you can be sure you have a bad brake switch, or something along those lines - should be easy enough to replace, good luck and welcome!!

[mtsmiths]

SO, did the Virgin Switch started on the '87? I didn't know that, thanks. I'm sure both our '87 GLs had it.

[85Sub4WD]

SO, did the Virgin Switch started on the '87? I didn't know that, thanks. I'm sure both our '87 GLs had it.

yep - the whole dash control layout/styling changed in '87 -

85-86 have big differences in:

hazard contol on the top of the steering column

light switch/dash dimmer in place of 87-later hazard switch - no seperate "virgin switch" - push and turn clockwise for parking lights

windshield wiper switch below A/C controls, where fan is for 87-later, fan control is in a smaller "hole" that is unused on 87-later

no second stalk on steering column; no seperate flasher unit, it is actually a transistorized circuit in the turn signal switch

 

there are some other styling differences, but those are the big ones - 85's also had detached side view mirrors, no later models including the 86 had them

 

I think starting in 87 all cars had power steering too - earlier models had it as an option

[WhitAlpin]

The light is a "dimmer" red light in the place where the brake light comes on.

 

Could it be a possiblity that it is tied to the alternator?

 

I also get really dim front panel lights, on either sid of the steering wheel (3 lights on the panel "oil, fliuds? and another, but it is not the ECS light") and they remain there. Before i went for break they would come and then "clicked off" after the car got warmed up, now they just stay, although a bit dimmer.

 

It seems like they get brighter as the car continues to idle.

[calebz]

That is definitely the sign of a dying alt, but I'm not sure that your original problem is related to that. you either have some sort of swicht on when it shouoldn't be, or something in the wiring is grounding out. Check all related switches and as much of the wiring as you can get to easily, you dont find the problem, then its time to dig deeper. Do you have any sort of DVM?