Various questions
 

Please bear with me on this[it could get a bit long] Last week I found I'd got a sunroof leak-which I think I've now cured-one side effect of which seems to have been I've now got the flashing arrow and the E,S,W buttons flashing.I've tried moving the selector through the gate several times to no avail,so first question How do I remove the surround from round the gear selector/handbrake?Pulling the ashtray out it looks as though the front edge just slides under the dash where it meets the transmission tunnel and at the rear just below the centre armrest it looks to be held by a lug on the moulding.Second question is there a screw/other fastening under the small plastic piece just ahead of the bottom of the handbrake brushes? Q3 how does this piece come out?Q4 If I remove the selector surround can I then access the PNP switch electrical connector to dry/clean it or do I have to go from beneath the car?
Next I normally drive with the E button depressed meaning the other two stand proud of the surround,pressing the S button makes the E button pop up and stand proud while the S button stays depressed,however pressing the W button seems to have no effect on the other two i.e. press the W button and the E button will stay depressed while the W button pops straight back up a soon as released.Does this mean the switch is faulty? if so are they repairable or better getting a replacement?Where from? How much?The car drives as normal even with the flashing arrow.Car in question is a 1995 960 auto saloon. Thanks in advance for any help.

How quickly did you move the selector through all positions to try and clean the PNP switch? Needs to be done fairly quickly to get the cleaning action.

I don't see how water leaking into the interior light could drip anywahere near the gear lever/selector so i think it's just coincidence.

Did it basically in one movement out of park straight down the "gate" to L and then straight back to P several times.Got in it last night and when started the flashing had stopped but as soon as I moved the selector to take it out of park the flashing immediately returned before I'd even settled it into D.

Sounds like it needs more of the same treatment. Might also be worth reading the codes using the underbonnet reader if your car has it. If it does, also try the reset function - i'm not sure how it's done, others know but if the reset clears it then it could be you've already cleared it and it's just showing a historical fault.

The only way to clean the gear selector switch is to take it off the side of the gearbox ( mark it so you put it back in exactly the same position , it rotates when you loosen the screws ! )
Then take the cover off , you will find plenty of hardened dry grease on the contacts . You could use a fresh light grease on the contacts if you wish but if you left it dry it would self clean brass on brass .I doubt you would wear it out in the next 20 years :regular_smile:

LS I don't know whether I have such a port under the bonnet-where would I look to find out?What would I need in order to read codes if I have such a port?
Will have to find out how to re-set/clear any historical codes.
Clan To remove switch do I need to be under the car or can that be done from inside?

you have to get under the car , it is between the inner front exhaust pipe and on the side of the gearbox . there are two screws and a bug plastic nut on the shaft going through tit , just loosen the plastic nut one turn and the switch will pull off the shaft . be careful you only tighten the big plastic nut one turn .( it will break before it feels "tight")

It can be done with a fiddle , but many might lower one or two of the front pipes from the manifold..

Thanks for that.Note taken re-the plastic nut.If it does indeed prove necessary to remove the switch it'll have to wait for drier[preferably warmer]weather.

I'm not entirely sure, i believe there's a space around the area where the bulkhead meets the inner wing on the passenger side, small rectangular black box i think. Others you need a custom fault code reader (Loki the GLT built some to order a while back i think) to plug into your "not-quite-OBD" port in the centre console but a lot depends on what year your car is and what injection system you have as to whether you have one or t'other of those or none at all.

This might help point you in the right direction :

https://www.volvoclub.org.uk/faq/EngineOBDCodes.html

According to that link mine would be the OBD-1 system as mine has the two black boxes under the bonnet up against bulkhead passenger side-I'd wondered what they were as they look identical apart from one having a black wire coming out of it with a white connector on the end where the other has no wire at least now I know what they are!! Don't know what injection system it has but the car was first registered 1/1/95 so built in 94? Don't know what the gearbox designation is but it has no dipstick tube. Hope some of this info helps.