Amazon: Reverse light switch

[222s]

Sorry, I'm not familiar with the auto box set up, but have you tried looking through the relevant manuals and parts books on this site to locate the operating switch:

www.volvoamazonpictures.se

Originally Posted by 222s

However, if that trick with the socket won't work I'm probably going to remove the ally cover that it fits in - a regular screw driver can't get in there due to the gearbox-to-overdrive extension casting still being in place (I'm leaving that well alone due to all the lock tabs) but I have a cranked set that look like they should do the job.

Sadly it didn't work - just ended up denting the ally cover, so I had to take it off. The cranked screw driver was useless with the gearbox still in situ - would have worked very nicely if it was out of the car though. In the end, I resorted to using a philips head drive from a 1/4" drive socket set and a tiny 1/4" ring spanner, which admittedly somewhat fiddly, did the job nicely as it was shallow enough to clear the overdrive adaptor casting, and also compact enough to still have a decent arch of movement inside the gearbox tunnel.

Once the ally casing was off, I had to do a bit of cleaning up (a socket of the appropriate size was idea for getting the internal dent out, and then I filed off any burring around the hole for the switch. Even with the casing off the car, it was a pain to get the switch back in, so I clearly haven't got the knack yet... Most importantly though & for the first time in almost four years, I now have working reverse lights!

Incidentally, the reason that the lights were stuck on in the first place (I wired a switch into the circuit to cut the power as a 'temporary' fix...) was that the spring on the old switch was bent sharply at its base so that it was always in contact with the plunger (apologies if that's not the right term) that operates it. No sign of any other damage or deterioration, so somewhat confused as to how that happened.