Dipped Beam Message
 

Hi All
1 week ago I brought the following care:
2004 (54) - Volvo XC90 2.9 T6 Executive 5dr Geartronic
In the last couple of days I have been getting a dipped beam failure message. They are Xenon Headlamps. I went to Halfords first where a mechanic checked and said it wasn't the bulbs, as they go black when they are spent (but that is apparently incorrect). A mechanic put on his diagnostic today and although it gave a fault it didn't give a "code" so he couldn't help me further. I am at a loss here - Help!
The headlights come on (sometimes), other times just one comes on, sometimes they flicker, sometimes they are on normally, sometimes they go off and if I turn off the ignition and then re-start the car, they come back on.
I work away a lot and obviously with the winter nights starting I rely on the car for work (leaving early mornings in the dark, coming home in the dark etc.) I live in a rural area (no bus service - so without a car....) I am not technically minded but I need to get this fixed asap.
Any ideas what might be wrong out there please and what I need to do to put it right.
Other than this she drives like a dream and is everything I was looking for.

Change the bulbs. They are not "normal" filament bulbs but use a high voltage to generate an arc. When they begin to fail they can flicker and fail to start at the first attempt.

Don't pay Volvo prices. You can get "genuine" quality bulbs for about £40 each or cheap Chinese ones for less than £10 per pair. You pays yer money and takes yer choice.

^^^^ What he said.

www.powerbulbs.co.uk has previously had good feedback from forum members as a source of quality, branded lamps.

Also I would check that the car left the factory with Xenon lamps and that they are genuine Volvo Xenon units - not an aftermarket kit.

If the internal plastics on the headlamps are silver then they are genuine, if they're black it's an aftermarket upgrade (which won't work well).