Need Help With 5-lens Tail Light for 1983 240 DL
 

Hello and thanks in advance for any help anyone can provide. I am posting outside of the US for a reason and hope you will bear with me...

I am the original owner of a 1983 242 DL. As it ages, parts are getting more difficult to find. Right now, with water getting into the trunk (you call it the boot?) I am thinking I require new tail light assemblies. Mine are original and are a bit beat given their many years of service.

Volvo lists the correct part as made by Bosch (right side is 1235588). While hard to find, these are sometimes available but VERY EXPENSIVE.

There are also listings for some alternative 5-lens units in the Volvo parts fiche I have found. One example is made by Hella (right side is 1234670). The alternatives are often far less expensive. So I am trying to find out if I can substitute with relative ease. I would anticipate the need to re-wire my harness/connector as it seems that the reverse and brake light positions are swapped.

In the photos attached, I show the inside of both the "correct" Bosch (with white plastic) and the alternative Hella. The seem quite similar overall and generally speaking they seem to be physically compatible/interchangeable. But to my untrained eye the connector for the wiring harness seems maybe a bit different.

I wonder if someone actually has any experience swapping between Hella and Bosch and could enlighten me on how that went? At the least, I am hoping that someone might be able to snap a few photos and take a few measurements of the connector they use with their Hella units so I can compare with those on my Bosch units.

I really cannot understand why Volvo would go to the trouble to have different connectors/wiring harnesses. But I also cannot understand why there are so many different model numbers listed for the same part. So I really could use some advice/information.

Thanks in advance and happy new year!

Not so good news.
 

As you're a North American resident you're really only going to be able to source the correct replacement in North America. European-market cars with the five lamp taillights had the reversing (back-up) light mounted in the top row and a rear fog light, with a 21-watt bulb, where the North American-market models had the reversing light (i.e mounted vertically and closest to the car's centre-line). This almost certainly accounts for the different wiring looms.

You could replace both lamp assemblies and modify the loom to suit the European-spec light-clusters but I'm not sure if your state's DoT would accept the modification, as the clusters would not be American Type-approved.

If you do go down that route the upper lamps are 21-watt for turn signal and back-up, while the lower are a 21-watt stop and 5-watt rear. Don't connect the rear fog unless your state's regulations allow it.

Maybe not totally bad news
 

Hi and thanks. I have been spending way too much time trying to figure this all out. I have found that you are correct that there is only 1 true assembly spec'ed for use in the USA. And you are correct that there are Euro-spec'ed assemblies (both Hella and Bosch versions) that do swap the reverse lamp with a "fog" lamp. And they MAY not be legal in the USA (rather doubt that anywhere anyone would be able to notice this).

But it turns out that there are both Bosch and Hella assemblies that appear to be at least superficially identical to the US part. They both have no "fog" lamp and the reverse lens is in the same position and size as the US assembly. The Bosch is listed as 1235585 and 1235586. The Hella as 1234670 and 1234669. Finding actual photos of these items has not been easy.

There may be small technical differences between these and the US assembly. But I cannot seem to find any details. These alternative variants seem to be form/fit/function compatible with the US variant (note that the gaskets do not seem to be compatible between Hella and Bosch). There is only one wiring harness listed in the parts manual. So that means the connectors must be the same and suggests the same for the wiring (although it seems that moving the wires in the connector is not hard to accomplish should that be needed).

One thing I am completely sure about is that the cost of the true US assembly is extremely high while the cost of the alternatives (especially the Bosch) is within reason and my reach.

Cheers!

I wanted to update my final result with all of this. Thanks to all who have helped...

Today I received my shipment from Sweden of part numbers 1235585 and 1235586 from Genuine Classic Parts www dot gcp dot se/en/. Even with the expensive FedEx shipping, it was still less than buying via any US dealer's website. And I am sure that delivery was faster as well since dealer orders first go to the dealer before being shipped out to the customer.

In all practical ways, these parts are identical to the US version of the part numbers 1235587 and 1235588 which cost much more from all sources (but are, however, available at very high price from IPD in the USA). They basically look the same inside and out. The same connector fits. The wiring is unchanged. They come with gaskets, sockets, and bulbs.

The one difference I can see (both inside and outside) is that the US part has a square, special reflector or something on the outer side of the lower red lens which is not present on the units I just received and installed. Given the huge price difference, I am sure I can live with this.

Glad to learn that you've resolved the issue, and without bankrupting yourself in the process.

Is it possible that the reflector you mention is a side-marker lamp? From (skiing) holidays in the U.S. and Canada, including in Washington State, I recall that all U.S-specification cars had front and rear side-marker lamps fitted, even if the original lamp clusters had wrap-around tail lights.

You can see what is NOT found on my new assemblies here. I have no idea what it really is or does. In fact, never really noticed them until all this came up. Cheers!

Having looked at the thread you linked to makes me glad that I don't have that problem. I own or have owned 2 saloons (or sedans in American parlance): a 1979 DL which had the European 5-lamp assembly and a 1987 GLT which has one version of the 6-lamp/lens tail lamp assembly. Yes the European 6-lamp assemblies have varied over the years, with the stop, tail and fog lamps moving around in 1989 or thereabouts.

The blue 244DL belongs (belonged) to another Forum member and was his grandfather's car originally. There's a project thread on it somewhere elseon this forum.

Finally, at over 60 years of age, I understand "saloon"! Heard it used many times on Top Gear, etc but never quite knew what they were talking about. Thanks!

It is raining again now. So perhaps I will find out how well my new tail lights and over "fixes" will work in keeping water out of my trunk (boot?). I have been fooling with this for months now and, once done, I have to face the same (but slightly different) problems in my wife's 1980 244. The fun just never stops :-)