Yesterday it rained off-and-on while I drove home from work, and I had my lights on. Left them on all night, apparently, cuz the car was dead as Anna Nicole this morning.

Jump started it with no trouble, reset the radio with the code on the glove box sticker, and started to work. It was just after daybreak, so I was driving with headlights on.

On the way, I tried to turn my lights off, and they would not turn off. The switch turned to the "off" position, the dash lights went out, et cetera, but the headlights stayed on.

(Side note: I did notice, by the way, that I could now turn the fog lights on with the headlight switch off. But the headlights were on in spite of the switch position, so I can't say I drove with the foglights on and headlights off.)

Got to work, shut the car off, lights stayed on. The taillights were not burning, only the headlights. I could turn the taillights, parking lights and fog lights on and off by turning the switch back and forth as usual, the only difference was the headlights staying on.

Disconnected the battery, waited a minute, touched the cable to the battery and the lights still came on. Disconnected it again and shot the breeze for a few minutes with a coworker. Reconnected the cable and they were OFF. Everything was back to normal.

Did I just have to give the ECU time to reset itself? Or WHUT? I'm sure that's what happened, but maybe if this happens to anyone else on here, my experience will help them.

Thankya, Thankyaverrmuch.

 

Maybe the squirrels are at it again. Seems like there is a short of some kind in the headlight circuit. Maybe there is defect with the switch causing current to run through the headlight relay.

 

Could be. But it has stayed "fixed" since my original post. I believe the computer just had to reset.

Oh, Man, I can't even think about the possibility of squirrels. I am still paying for the repair on that one.

 

Joe,
Thanks for the heads up. Very strange behavior. I agree that it must be some hiccup with the ECU. Smart move on your part to disconnect the battery at work and wait for better results, instead of needing a jump start to get back home. I will file this in the back of my mind in case it happens to me.

 

That's weird Joe. Maybe I remembered something wrong but when I came back to my car, only my tailights were on and not my fronts? Or maybe the lights are just so dim anyway that it's hard to tell in a lit parking lot if they're on or not... hmm...