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How do you turn ON DRL on a 1997 940?

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Old Nov 30th, 2017, 15:09   #1
black t top
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Default How do you turn ON DRL on a 1997 940?

OK, so I've searched and searched and can't find any threads that cover this.

Basically on our recent purchase (a blackberry pearl 1997 940 estate to with our blue 1998 940 estate) there are no daytime running lights (DRL's).

I've tried the obvious 2 things, the headlight switch and the relay....I've swapped them out from our Blue car (which has working DRL's) into the new car, but still, no DRL's. I've gone over the wiring and can't see any obviously cut or messed with wires. The headlight assemblies and bulbs are the same on both cars too.......so is there some other way that they would have been turned off, if so, I want to put them back ON again!

Bit of car info:

It's a 1997 2.3 manual M90 Turbo. It was originally sold in Germany, to an army sergeant stationed there, then shipped back to the UK a year later when he came home, has every option going (inc cup holders) and every receipts from new, bill of sale ect. It is RHD.

Car started, light switch set to OFF (\).....front sidelights (small ones above the indicators) illuminate, dash illuminates, rear lights illuminate.

Car started, light switch set to PARKING LIGHTS (|).....same as above, no change.

Car started, light switch set to HEADLIGHTS (/).....headlights come on dipped beam as they should and operate as normal, parking lights above indicators stay illuminated as they should.

Anybody got any suggestions??
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Old Nov 30th, 2017, 17:40   #2
capt jack
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I believe that it goes something like this:

Day running lights were originally introduced on the Volvo 240 in the late 1970s, and were the two big white lamps at the upper outer edge of the front cluster, plus the regular red rear lamps.

Early 740 cars (including my 1986 744GL) had the same set up.

In the early 1990s the concept of Dim-Dip DRLs were introduced, which were basically as per the original but with half-power dipped headlights and half-power white marker lights at the front.

If I remember correctly Dim-Dip fell foul of EU regulations, and, because the technology of the day was a bit crude, they tended to destroy headlamp bulbs at a rate of knots. I had a 1992 944 GLE, and I'm certain that it did have Dim-Dip lights.

Through the late 1990s and into the early noughties there were different rules in different countries about daytime lighting. I've had 4 phase 1 x70 cars - three V70 and an S70, and all had DRLs. All had little selector switches built into the the main light switch, and came with detailed instructions for different setting for different territories.

At a guess, I'd say that your car is probably one that falls somewhere between DRLs and Dim-Dip, with a dash of confused and confusing EU vs UK regulations and the limited lighting technology of the day thrown in for good measure.

Cheers

Jack
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Old Nov 30th, 2017, 18:21   #3
bob12
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I would have though (excepting any EU considerations) that you don't have DRL's. They were done away with the end of the 740 run ... at least my 1990 745 GL only has dim-dip. Have you got dim-dip? If so I reckon there ain't DRL's.
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Old Nov 30th, 2017, 18:39   #4
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Imagine Cpt Jack has probably got it.

I've had two UK 940's (both 1997) and both had DLR's.

Would be interesting to know if Uk ones had somehting extra to make them work or EU ones had something removed to stop them..
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Old Nov 30th, 2017, 20:03   #5
Laird Scooby
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Jack and Bob are the closest without digging into exact dates which i can't remember. I know the UK Dim-Dip system came in in 1986 (poss 87), early 740s had a 21/5W bulb in the front marker light, the 21W filament served duty as the day running light bulb until the lights were switched on at which point the sidelights came on using the 5W filaments.
On later cars (including my 1988 facelift 760 but not 740s of the same year until facelift i believe) the separate 21W filament was deleted leaving just the 5W bulb as the sidelights. Up to and if memory serves, 1992 the dim-dip functioned with the DRLs and sidelights.
On the facelift pre-92 cars with just the 5W bulbs, dim-dip formed part of the DRL set up, reducing the need for a "brighter" sidelight bulb to perform DRL duty.
As Jack says, the EU outlawed the UKs Dim-Dip system (mainly because the Europeans found it too costly to be safe) and on most cars this was deleted except certain makes, Volvo being one of them that continued with dim-dip when the sidelights and ignition were both on. As the sidelights were by that point part of the DRL circuit (DRLs have been a legal requirement in Sweden for decades) the dim-dip system seemed to remain on Volvos of all years although the sidelights were simple 5W bulbs on later cars.

In other words, the OPs car seems to be par for the course for the year.
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Old Nov 30th, 2017, 21:05   #6
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I thought all 940s had dipped headlamps when the ignition was switched on. My 94 car has a relay on the drivers a post just above the bonnet release lever. On my model at least if you remove it the headlamps only come on when you use the light switch. It doesn't turn off the side lights as these are wired separately.
I know later cars had revised wiring so it's quite likely things changed since mine was built.
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Old Nov 30th, 2017, 22:25   #7
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+1 for Steve’s response. That relay (5DF 005-445-08) failed on my ’94 940 resulting in just the side-lights coming on with the ignition. I sourced a replacement via eBay, but they are very often mis-described there as fuel relays.

I think later cars like yours have a fuse that can be removed to disable the DRLs. The manual for my 1998 940 says this is fuse 25 which is third from the left in the very front row of four fuses. It should be 25A if fitted. It is not there on cars with the earlier wiring and may also be region specific.

In the USA disabling the DRLs seems to be a popular mod and involves swapping the headlight switch for one from a model without DRLs. I do not know if the switch is in the circuit in the UK, but if it is it might be a place to check for a fault or intentional disconnection by a PO.

You may also find some helpful info in this thread, especially post #5.

https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=58641
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Old Dec 1st, 2017, 08:37   #8
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Looking at the electrica diagrams of a 97/98 940 there seem to be three different layouts:
For the UK it will have a reduced low beam with light switch in position "0".
For the Nordic countries, Holland and Belgium low beam with the light switch in position "0".
All other countries no lights when the light switch is in position "0".

UK spec has a resistor 7/46 in series with the head lights (reduced lights) which is bypassed if the light switch is switched on (normal light head lights). I have never seen the resistor, but it seems to be located somewhere at the NS inner mud guard.
The Dutch/Nordic spec has an additional fuse 25 which bypasses the head light relay 2/37 when the light switch is off. This way the low beam will always be on, regardless of the light switch position. Fuse 25 is switched over the ignition key. Pulling this fuse 25 gives you control over the lights again. Normally both head lights have their own fuse, but fuse 25 is a single fuse for both of them. It therefore carries quite a load which can cause the fuse holder to melt if the contact get dirty over time. I have pulled mine.

The side markers are on a different circuit with the rear lights. If on a UK spec car the head lights are not working with the light switch in "0", I would suspect the resistor has given up. Or it has never been there in the first place as this could be a German spec car.
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Old Dec 4th, 2017, 11:25   #9
black t top
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Hi guys,

Thanks for all the input! Sorry for the delayed reply, our little girl brought a bug home from toddler group, so been up to my neck in nasties!

Ok.....so if I follow this all correctly it is either:

1) The car never had them because it's a German spec (but RHD) car and the EU didn't like the dim dip thing.

2) This relay Steve is talking about above the hood catch is faulty/missing

3) Fuse 25 is blown (assuming I've got that fuse)

So......plan of action......go and check fuse 25 (front row, 3rd left) if it's there, if that checks out, pull the under dash panel and look for this relay??

If all fails, give up and accept that the car was never fitted with this lol!

The only reason I'm wanting to turn it on, is that I use the 98 car at the weekends as its got the baby seat and my wifes kitted it out with all the baby gear, when I get back into the 97 car and use it for work, I forget to put the lights on as the dash is lit up and I'm thinking it's the same as the 98 car haha. Maybe I just need to get a sticky label to use a reminder and save myself the hassle!
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Old Dec 4th, 2017, 11:43   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by black t top View Post


Car started, light switch set to OFF (\).....front sidelights (small ones above the indicators) illuminate, dash illuminates, rear lights illuminate.

Car started, light switch set to PARKING LIGHTS (|).....same as above, no change.

Car started, light switch set to HEADLIGHTS (/).....headlights come on dipped beam as they should and operate as normal, parking lights above indicators stay illuminated as they should.

Anybody got any suggestions??
Your DRLs ARE WORKING!!! There's no separate DRL filaments on later cars, just a sidelight bulb. It's possible you either don't have dim-dip or if so, it's not working but the DRLs are working.
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