Electrics: 850: Side lights.

[flaggy]

The front side lights don't come on,850,Rear ones working, headlights working, not the bulbs not the fuse, any ideas. Thanks Steve.

[Cookeh]

Fuse is fine, bulbs are fine, how is the wiring loom?

[Luxobarge]

Headlight rotary switch is a common failure on these, perhaps pop that out and have a look, you might find it's fallen apart somewhat or is otherwise dodgy.

[DaveNP]

The rotary switch for the lights can do funny things.
Looking at the wiring diagram in Haynes it seems the sidelights are on two fuses but split left and right not front and back, the only thing the front sidelights share but not with the rear ones is the earthing point, but that is also shared by other things like the headlights and indicators.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Cookeh

Fuse is fine, bulbs are fine, how is the wiring loom?

there was a recall in the late 1990's to change the light switches for this problem .

[tdidave]

Originally Posted by Clan

there was a recall in the late 1990's to change the light switches for this problem .

Yeah.. I can back up what the guys above have said about the headlight switch problem. I had the switch let me down, back in 2013 on a pitch black road one night. Scary indeed.

Luckily I was helped out by one of the forum members here>Paffel< who was selling some bits and pieces and had a switch. Touch wood, its still performing now..

History : https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showt...76#post1398376

Dave..

[Cookeh]

Originally Posted by Clan

there was a recall in the late 1990's to change the light switches for this problem .

Wasn't aware of that, curious if mine had the recall or not. If there was a recall then the switch is definitely more likely than the wiring harness. I only suggested loom as the headlight wiring can fail.

[flaggy]

Thanks for all the replies, problem solved. My daughter used it over Christmas and it was all ok then. I have been working on it since and forgot I changed the winker/lights for a better pair I had. Suddenly dawned on me and hey ho no bulbs in them. What a plonker, don't get old.

[tdidave]

Originally Posted by flaggy

Thanks for all the replies, problem solved. My daughter used it over Christmas and it was all ok then. I have been working on it since and forgot I changed the winker/lights for a better pair I had. Suddenly dawned on me and hey ho no bulbs in them. What a plonker, don't get old.

I'm sure we've all done things like that 'flaggy'.. I know I have, but I'm not telling all on a public forum.. ha ha. Glad you got it sorted anyway..

Dave..

[DaveNP]

Originally Posted by flaggy

...Suddenly dawned on me and hey ho no bulbs in them...

LOL
If tdidave is prepared to admit to similar I'll leave it at that, but my dilemma in those circumstances is how to make up some technical sounding mumbo jumbo to explain to the wife why I've been 'fiddling about with that car' for ages.
Working with musicians and sound systems the common problem is not plugging something in, the technical explanation is 'we checked over the signal path and we've rectified an air gap' I suppose something like 'a component omission' would cover the missing bulbs.