steering column switches and what they do?

[dougkirkbride]

i am planning my wiring/harness and have a couple questions about 2 of the switches on the OEM column. unfortunately i dont have the 2006 wrx owners manuals so i cant get the info from there and the maintenance manuals lighting section didnt help me either. and its been over a year since i have torn this apart.

what lights does this switch turn on.
32412


i assume this is the dimmer for the dash cluster but does it also contain a contact that turns the interior light on when turned all the way up on high? like GM's have.

32413

i see the light toggle has three positions i assume off, parking/marker lights and full on lights. i cant remember but does this vehicle have DRL's?

thanks for the help

Doug

[Hindsight]

Give me some of those cookies and I'll tell you

[wallace18]

Top one is fog lights. Other is dimmer for dash lights.

[dougkirkbride]

Give me some of those cookies and I'll tell you

my wife just made those....they are supposedly "good for you" cookies. they dont use any flour. they probably taste bad and you would only want one. thats why they are good for you.

[dougkirkbride]

Top one is fog lights. Other is dimmer for dash lights.

i have a separate fog toggle switch on my dash for my fogs. it must be for something that all models get not just the wrx or limited. i wish i had an owners manual, i am sure it would be in that.

do you know if the dimmer turns on the overhead dome light or footlights when turned all the way up?

[billjr212]

Top one is for parking lights

[Jaime]

The top light is the park light. It turns on the marker lights even if the ignition is off.

The 2006 has DRLs. The low beam switch runs a relay that runs the bulb current to ground through a resistor when off and directly to ground when on. The car has no way to totally turn off the low beam, so the switch doesn't have an extra position.

The dimmer goes directly to the body integrated module. There's no special circuit when it's all the way up. The body integrated module is in charge of the overhead light, but I don't know if it turns it on if the dimmer is all the way up.

[Goldwing]

If my old outback is any guide, the drl's can be turned off with the parking brake, but everything else sounds all sorted out. I just can't verify any of this since my lights aren't hooked up yet.

I think my dash lights aren't working (dimmer switch above had no effect either). I think my alternator is also dead, so I'm not digging just yet in case the two issues are tied together. Could just be a loose plug. I really hope I didn't mis wire something, that could be a headache, lol.

[AZPete]

Doug, send me a PM with your email address and I'll send you a pdf of the 06 WRX Owner's Manual. I think there is very little difference between 06 and your 07.

[metalmaker12]

The top light is the park light. It turns on the marker lights even if the ignition is off.

The 2006 has DRLs. The low beam switch runs a relay that runs the bulb current to ground through a resistor when off and directly to ground when on. The car has no way to totally turn off the low beam, so the switch doesn't have an extra position.

The dimmer goes directly to the body integrated module. There's no special circuit when it's all the way up. The body integrated module is in charge of the overhead light, but I don't know if it turns it on if the dimmer is all the way up.

Agreed, not sure on the dimmer activation if it's all the way up either.

[Jaime]

If my old outback is any guide, the drl's can be turned off with the parking brake...
There are two switching systems for the headlights. The steering column controls control the ground side of the circuit. The DRL module controls the power side of the circuit. The DRL module will turn off the headlights (both high and low beam including turning off DRLs because it totally cuts power to the headlights) under the following circumstances:


Parking brake
Engine starting
Automatic transmission in park

[Goldwing]

do you know if the dimmer turns on the overhead dome light or footlights when turned all the way up?

I'm still going by my old outback, but I do not believe so. The overhead light is only activated by a door open or the switch directly on the light. My outback had atrocious interior lighting, I added a second dome light and footwell lights to make it reasonable. To add to my lighting woes, all those lights controlled by that dimmer? I must have had a bad voltage regulator, I had to replace hidden lights all over the dash and in the radio as they burned out. :/

[dougkirkbride]

I'm still going by my old outback, but I do not believe so. The overhead light is only activated by a door open or the switch directly on the light. My outback had atrocious interior lighting, I added a second dome light and footwell lights to make it reasonable. To add to my lighting woes, all those lights controlled by that dimmer? I must have had a bad voltage regulator, I had to replace hidden lights all over the dash and in the radio as they burned out. :/

This is they way i remember it to. thanks for everyones input to help me sort it out!

[Evan78]

For future reference, you can download manuals from Subaru:

http://www.subaru.com/owners/resource-center/owners-manuals/index.html

[Kevin W]

Now I have a problem! I wired the three position switch for bright light - dim - off. I probably don't need brights. I do have emergency flashers which I also don't think I need. Looks like I need parking lights in Illinois. How much of a problem do I have switching out the bright lights to parking lights?