XC70 Headlights Dire

[RandyMcH]

Hi guys

Long time reader, first time poster...

Been running a 2003 XC70 for the past 36 months which I love to bits. Picked it up for a great price, 95k miles, bodywork immaculate, one previous owner and a full Volvo main dealership service history.

Touch wood, absolutely everything works including all the interior lights/switches, cruise control, heated seats and the AWD system.

The only trouble I have is the extremely poor amount of light I get on dipped beam. It's definitely not the fact that my wife's car (a 2010 Insignia) has HIDs as all my passengers comment and I actually find driving at night down unlit roads difficult. Made worse by the fact we've just moved out into the countryside.

I've check the lenses and everything seems OK and clean. I've even installed the expensive GE 130% brighter bulbs to no avail.

Can anyone make any recommendations? I'm told the pre-facelift non-HID headlights were notoriously poor? Was thinking of maybe looking at facelift replacement units and/or aftermarket HID kits?

Any help really appreciated as I'm seriously considering selling up.

Many thanks

Kyle

[Brendan W]

Check the voltage at the bulb pins particularly the drop between the earth pin and a good body earth. On the supply side it shouldn't be more than a few tenths of a Volt below battery voltage. Grounds do not improve with age.

[BillDD5]

Are the outer lens covers cloudy or dull? Might be cutting down the light output.

[boggymarsh]

Personally, this sound perfectly normal to me.

I owned a P2 V70 (X Reg) for about 6 years and currently have a 2002 XC70 which I’ve owned for around 2 years now. The dipped beam light spread on both of them has not been good and yet switch on main beam and the whole world lights up! Well, not quite but the difference is significant. Glass lenses, clean reflectors inside and standard Volvo genuine part bulbs. They are what they are and I don’t think your lights are likely to be any worse.

If you live in the countryside then just make use of your main beam more frequently as the chances of coming across other oncoming traffic is likely to be less often. Why bother with dipped when you can light up the lanes beautifully on main?

[Bonefishblues]

Originally Posted by boggymarsh

Personally, this sound perfectly normal to me.

I owned a P2 V70 (X Reg) for about 6 years and currently have a 2002 XC70 which I’ve owned for around 2 years now. The dipped beam light spread on both of them has not been good and yet switch on main beam and the whole world lights up! Well, not quite but the difference is significant. Glass lenses, clean reflectors inside and standard Volvo genuine part bulbs. They are what they are and I don’t think your lights are likely to be any worse.

If you live in the countryside then just make use of your main beam more frequently as the chances of coming across other oncoming traffic is likely to be less often. Why bother with dipped when you can light up the lanes beautifully on main?

I agree with your "they're all like that sir" argument.

[oragex]

On a dark road, do you notice the light spectrum clearly ending somewhere ahead the vehicle? These headlights love to point at the wrong direction, either too low or too high. Plus, when placing the bulb, it's very easy to not seat it correctly so it's not inserted correctly into the socket.

[ASt85]

Originally Posted by oragex

On a dark road, do you notice the light spectrum clearly ending somewhere ahead the vehicle? These headlights love to point at the wrong direction, either too low or too high. Plus, when placing the bulb, it's very easy to not seat it correctly so it's not inserted correctly into the socket.

Agree with Oragex and its also possible to fit them upside down - check also that the dipped beam height adjuster beside the head lamp switch is in the fully up position - the dipped beam adjustment is based on the fully up position at manufacture (adjuster is supposed to be in the fully up position for the MOT dipped beam check).