C30 Electrics : C30 Xenon headlight control module

[Darkside]

Hi,
Just after some quick advice before I end up spending money on the wrong stuff.
The C30 1.6D 2009 has dipped beam fail offside.
Bulb, fuse, HID pack checked (substitution from the nearside) and all ok.
Local garage has diagnosed the control module which apparently sits in the wing, and say they don't really want to do it.

Question is, can I just take that out and buy a used one with the same number and fit it, or is there something that a dealer ir indy need to do with the software to make it work?

Cheers,
Chris

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Darkside

Hi,
Just after some quick advice before I end up spending money on the wrong stuff.
The C30 1.6D 2009 has dipped beam fail offside.
Bulb, fuse, HID pack checked (substitution from the nearside) and all ok.
Local garage has diagnosed the control module which apparently sits in the wing, and say they don't really want to do it.

Question is, can I just take that out and buy a used one with the same number and fit it, or is there something that a dealer ir indy need to do with the software to make it work?

Cheers,
Chris

This is quite a complex circuit involving 3 major components one of which you have already eliminated as the cause , the reason they don't want to do it is because they don't know how it works and if they spend £300 on it and it doesn't fix it they will be stuck with the rest of the bill to fix it which could easily be £800 or so ..!
Your really need to take the car to the only specialist there is and that is the dealer .. they know how it works and what signals to check and what those signals should be . Therefore they will be able to tell you exactly what is wrong and how much it will be for a 100% first time fix ...

you have probably already wasted a lot of time and money on the problem ....

[Darkside]

Hi,

Thanks. Clan.
I'm only just over £40 in so far, but not keen on wasting a couple of hundred on attempted fixes, so I think I'll take the advice and contact the main dealer.
I can feel my wallet twitching already with this one, but it needs to be done, and the car is not useable with the O/S light out.
Thanks again,
Chris

[LizardOfBodom]

From what I remember from my reasearches - the control modules in wheelarches are basically ballasts+igniters and those also are responsible for auto levelling (translating the physical levelling signals to commands for levelling motors). Replacing it with the same part number may work BUT it will need Vida+Dice to calibrate and program those in. Im alcmost sure I read about people doing it DYI for V50 having only spare part from scrapyard and Vida laptop (no software needed for download). But if its not something you have access to or abilities/will to play around with, main dealer is your only option. I can only imagine it will be a good $$$ though :/

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Darkside

Hi,

Thanks. Clan.
I'm only just over £40 in so far, but not keen on wasting a couple of hundred on attempted fixes, so I think I'll take the advice and contact the main dealer.
I can feel my wallet twitching already with this one, but it needs to be done, and the car is not useable with the O/S light out.
Thanks again,
Chris

It should be the most efficient way of handling the problem , tell them what you have done already too .

[BJB]

Does the bulb light up at all, or does it light up,and go out (dash warning) after a couple of minutes?
Had à problem (with latter) myself, changed ballasts, still the same. Made a mistake and bought brand new ballasts (correct units) from a German supplier. What I, and the supplier didn't realise, was that they needed a Volvo pre-programming to fix self levelling out before a Vida final program.
My local Volvo Indy checked it out, and found it was a bulb problem. Refitted my OLD ballasts, and reprogrammed them.
The supplier was great about it, and returned all the money, even though it had been over six months when I bought the First one..

It might be worth changing the bulbs, because they can give you problems after a while, as they aren't like normal bulbs, and rely on an arc to make them work

[dennisl1]

I had the same problem on my C30. The nearside dipped beam had gone and on investigation it was found to be the control unit hidden up behind the wheel arch liner. Mine was sorted at Seymour Horwell a Volvo specialist here in Devon at a cost of £477.89 the unit alone is £314.5 plus vat. But it just has to be done as running with one light is not good news and an automatic MOT failure.