Hey folks, just picked up a 1990 CRX Si and new to honda-tech. Still getting familiar with the car but today I've noticed a strange intermittent issue with the tail lights:

When the car is off, turning the light stalk to the mid setting or headlights on both give me the "dim" illumination of the tail lights. Switch in the light stalk appears to be working fine while the car is off.
Once I start the car sometimes the tail lights drop out. Once they drop out they will not come back on without shutting off the engine.
Corner lights at the front and headlights always work when called for regardless of if the car is on or off, same with the brake lights.

If the tail lights do work, after driving for a while they will drop out again and I have to shut the car off and restart it and sometimes they come back. Not sure what condition I end up satisfying to get them back on, sometimes it takes multiple attempts.

Additionally, it seems to have the same intermittent issue if I have the key in ignition but do not start the car, sometimes the tail lights work and sometimes they do not as above.

Any thoughts or suggestions? I've searched for this issue in the forum but haven't found this specific case.