3 Way Switch Only Works If Other Switch Is On . I have tried every possible combination on my own but still can't get it to work independently at both. The inside switch needs to be in the up position and the garage switch needs to be in the up position for the lights to turn on( the garage switch is mounted upside down). 3way switch doesn't work right YouTube from www.youtube.com Some of the other common problems you'll need to address include: Here's the situation i have 2 3 way switch's that control my 4 outdoor lights. This explains why the actual switch has no on/off labels.