Service Issues: Headlamp Failure Service Required - Auto Levelling ISSUE.

[V70 D5 SE AUTO 05]

Please help. I have tried everything I can.

I have a D5 V70 2005. It has the auto levelling halogen headlights which uses a sensor on the rear left suspension arm.

The problem.

Upon start up, the lights come on. They then track all the way up followed by all the way down to approx 3metre in front of the car. The service warning then comes on the dash.

I know from experience this is an MOT failure.

I bought this car about 9 months ago and it came with this issue. It has never bothered me but now I'm sure it'll bother the guy doing the test.



How I have attempted to solve this problem.

- Replaced rear sensor, twice. Once with Volvo sensor, once with OEM sensor. Both times the auto level works for the first drive. The next drive, the problem persists.

- Checked all fuses - no issues.

- Had Volvo specialist DMW plug it into VIDA reader and got codes CEM-8F18 Xenon lamp left. Signal too high/signal missing. Now at this point in time I thought they were Xenon lights which I told VOLVO specialist, turns out there are H7 halogen bulbs in them, and no ballast box underneath. Thus, most certainly no Xenon. However I may be wrong. He asked if they had been changed in the past, to which I replied I do no know. So maybe I need to buy and try Xenon lights? My landlord has a 2005 D5 V70 which has the manual level halogen lights (by manual, I mean it has the extra control on the headlight switch board next to steering wheel to adjust headlight height). I have tried his lights on my car, no joy. But I wonder now why they would have cars of the same year with two different systems?

So the result from the VIDA reader got the same codes for both left and right headlamp. Suspect cause is short circuit to supply voltage in the signal cable. Open circuit to the signal cable.

- Purchased and fitted new headlamp level motors for inside headlamps which produced no different result. I have put the old motor back on and will return these motors to Germany.

- I have adjusted the white nipple on the motor to try and get it through MOT but the service light persists. So no good.



So. ... . . . I have no idea what to do. Car is sitting there pristine but idle. Please help if you can!

Based in SW London.

Many thanks and all the best to the Volvo world.
Sam

[IC]

Hi, you do need to clarify if you have Bi-Xenons. I can only talk about V70R/S60Rs - if there is an issue with the xenons they go into default mode - the headlights will point downwards so they don't dazzle oncoming traffic. In order to work as they should the Xenons need to be recalibrated using Vida, this is a simple process for someone that can use Vida.

At start up Xenons will move into position. They are bi-Xenons as they work as dip and headlight. One issue with the Xenons not moving from dip to full is a faulty actuator in the headlight - this is not a serviceable part! The n/s rear sensor is responsible for the height of the headlights. The two rear height sensor arms can deteroriate and even break off causing a fault. I'm also fairly sure that the xenons also have H7s as well as xenons so don't let that cause confusion! The Xenon bulbs are different to standard bulbs and have different fittings. The ballasts can only be accessed by taking the headlights out!

I'm sorry that I can't help with your specific car, however hope that my above notes help to understand Xenons. When recalibrating R headlights the suspension needs to be within a specific voltage range.

[IC]

Just a point, a substantial voltage is needed to ignite the xenons at start. Proceed with extreme caution when working with xenons checking the correct safety procedures!

[V70 D5 SE AUTO 05]

Thank you for your in depth reply. From what I can observe the headlight bulb seems to be halogen. However I will pull it out and take a look when I next get a chance. So the main beam is a H7, then the full beam (high beam, blue light on dash) was a H5 from memory, maybe.

One thing which leads me to believe they're not Xenon is that there is no ballast underneath lights on the underside, which you've mentioned. Any clues here?

[IC]

Hi the xenon bulb fitting is completely different to a "normal" bulb. The female part that the bulb fits in to has a lead to the ballast and the bulb is very different to a standard H7.
I hope that someone with knowledge of your specific car will give you further advice!

[100K+]

Originally Posted by V70 D5 SE AUTO 05

I have a D5 V70 2005. It has the auto levelling halogen headlights which uses a sensor on the rear left suspension arm.



Sam

I am 95% certain the word "Halogen" in the above statement is wrong - at least when the car left the factory. To my knowledge halogens do not use auto levelling only xenons do. Halogens have a manual adjuster by the light controls - as you have found.
Xenons were a factory option on many models, Halogens were the default.
Attached is an image of my Xenon bulb in its holder - sorry its not in good focus.

Originally Posted by V70 D5 SE AUTO 05

Upon start up, the lights come on. They then track all the way up followed by all the way down to approx 3metre in front of the car. The service warning then comes on the dash.

I know from experience this is an MOT failure

Sam

If you have Xenons that is one set of problems, If you have as you think halogens, that's a whole different can of worms!! In order to remove the error message you may need to convert back to Xenons and all that entails ie Balasts etc.
In order to help we need to be certain of the bulb type you have for daylight running and dipped beam, and then we can move forward.

Cheers
Bob

[V70 D5 SE AUTO 05]

Seems they're halogen bulbs to me.

So if they're supposed to be Xenon I'd also have to change the headlight wiring harness? Including bulbs this will be about half the cost of the car !

After how much time I've invested in this problem, I would really like to solve it. The puzzle continues.

Was wondering if/how/why the previous owner would've converted to halogen. Theres no damage anywhere in the front. What would be the benefit?

If that has happened, how/why the headlights are able to level normally when I change to a new sensor.

Cheers chaps!

[100K+]

Sorry but for me there is nothing in your pictures that would confirm or deny what type of bulb you have fitted to your car. Please take a picture of the actual bulb ( the middle unit) taken outside of the lamp unit. The inner main beam bulbs WILL be halagens.
If you can find no evidence of wire tampering at/near the connectors, I'd conclude that the bulbs are Xenons. You maintain there is no manual adjustment of the headlights, and you have renewed the leveling sensor, both elements of Xenon fitment.
You originally stated the lights shine 3m down the road, yet in your last post you say the lights level normally when a new sensor is fitted.
Is the problem not now solved???

As you why someone would swap light types...???...unsure..

Cheers
Bob

[Technician]

The images of the headlights above are the halogen type. The Xenon one has a small lens section between the indicator and dipped beam for the side light to stop it getting too hot.

Hopefully this link will show you what I mean: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/264879343957

The Halogen headlight has the sidelight in the se reflector. Firslty It is highly unlikely the previous owner has modified a xenon unit to halogen because of the lack of sidelight lens on the pics, secondly it would be near impossible to get the bulb to seat as the halogen unit is a different size. Thirdly the beam pattern would be well off as the spray of light out of the bulbs is different, so it would be unlikely to pass MOT.

What I can probably say with certainty is the previous owners headlights went yellow and could not be revived with polishing. They looked at the price of a replacement unit and went F**k paying for that and sourced some halogen ones either new or 2nd hand.

Volvo and latterly the pattern part makers have a helpful sticker on the headlight telling you its type. Pop your phone camera behind the light unit and take some snaps of it. Hopefully it will say RHD HAL on it, denoting right hand drive and Halogen.

If you were anywhere near me you would be welcome to test your car on a yellow/un-saveable set of xenons that i have in the shed.

Run down of light units available for S60/V70/XC70

Pre- facelift (all glass fronted)
Halogen - lens pattern moulded on glass
Xenon Black - clear lens on glass
Xenon Silver 'R' - clear lens on glass

Facelift (all plastic fronted clear lens' except R)
Halogen - basically the standard headlight
Xenon - sidelight lens between indicator/main beam
Xenon Adaptive - late 06/early 07 dipped beam moves with steering
Xenon Silver R - clear lens on glass

To meet UK legislation all Xenon equiped cars will have a headlight washing/cleaning system of some kind along with leveling. Earlier cars had the wipers and latter ones the high pressure jets. Some MOT testers will take the dashboard adjuster of the lights to count as auto-adjisting as the law was predominantly brought in to stop the HID in Saxo conversion crowd who were blinding people with healights brighter than Simon Cowells teeth.