'92 940 - Interior light issues - an idiot's question!

[Sprog]

Hi all,

Just picked up my very first Volvo, a 1992 940 - rather a different animal to the Peugeot 107 I've been driving for the last three and a half years! Time for an idiot's question please, about a car he's still learning about...

I've got an issue at the moment where the courtesy light doesn't come on from any of the four doors. I do get the boot light, so the fuse is ok.
If I push the switch on the interior light in one direction, I do get some lights - are these the reading lights and do they operate independently of the courtesy light?

If so, I'm hoping it's either the bulb or the door switches are gone.

Cheers,
Joshua

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Sprog

Hi all,

Just picked up my very first Volvo, a 1992 940 - rather a different animal to the Peugeot 107 I've been driving for the last three and a half years! Time for an idiot's question please, about a car he's still learning about...

I've got an issue at the moment where the courtesy light doesn't come on from any of the four doors. I do get the boot light, so the fuse is ok.
If I push the switch on the interior light in one direction, I do get some lights - are these the reading lights and do they operate independently of the courtesy light?

If so, I'm hoping it's either the bulb or the door switches are gone.

Cheers,
Joshua

Welcome aboard and first question, did you get the handbook with the car?

Next, the light switch on the courtesy lights is a 3- position jobby. Do the "Door Open" warning lights on the doors light up when the doors are opened? If so, the door pillar switches are working.

If they are then the light switch on the courtesy lamp is probably in the wrong position. Usually the rear part needs to be pushed to set operation on the doors, central position off and forward part of the switch pressed to bring the lights on manually.

If pressing the front part of the switch in doesn't bring the courtesy light on then the chances are it's the bulb.

When you say the boot light comes on. is it an estate? If so that has separate switching but the forward/centre/rear positions on the switch hold true.

If none of the door open warning lights work, check the plunger for that door pillar switch is free to move in and out, there is a feature on them where if you push them in and turn them slightly clockwise, it prevents the switch working. Usually next time the door is opened and shut, it resets but not always.

Just FYI, when you post in future for other problems, especially engine or gearbox related, please make sure you give us as much info as possible - model year (MY), engine code eg B230FK, gearbox and as much info as you can surrounding the symptoms, even if it doesn't seem relevant.

To give you an example, one recent case the person posting the problem had read the codes and determined an AICV fault and was asking if it could really cause a non-start situation.
The answer to that is no and it was showing as a fault because it was an associated symptom of the true fault which turned out to be a failed fuel pump. It was the other symptoms that helped narrow down the fault so details of how to test were posted and sure enough after testing (twice but that's another story) it was confirmed to be a dead fuel pump.

Let us know how it goes with the courtesy lights!

[Sprog]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the response, much appreciated! I've got the handbook and had a quick read through it. It is the estate version, a 2.0 turbo.

I have a working bulb that comes on manually when the switch is pushed over onto the manual setting, so that seems okay at least.

In terms of door warning lights, neither of them on the drivers side work, but they do work on the passenger side...but these don't trigger the courtesy light, regardless of position on the switch.

If the driver's front door switch has failed, does this affect the operation of the other four doors, or should I still be getting a light when I open the passenger doors? Nothing like a mystery!

Thanks,
Joshua

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Sprog

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the response, much appreciated! I've got the handbook and had a quick read through it. It is the estate version, a 2.0 turbo.

I have a working bulb that comes on manually when the switch is pushed over onto the manual setting, so that seems okay at least.

In terms of door warning lights, neither of them on the drivers side work, but they do work on the passenger side...but these don't trigger the courtesy light, regardless of position on the switch.

If the driver's front door switch has failed, does this affect the operation of the other four doors, or should I still be getting a light when I open the passenger doors? Nothing like a mystery!

Thanks,
Joshua

When you say a working bulb Joshua, am i right in thinking you have the courtesy light with the built in map reading lamps as well as the main courtesy light?

The fully forward position of the switch should be manual operation (but double check your handbook in case yours has anything different) so the fully rearward position should be door operated. If you have map reading lamps and one of them (the working bulb) comes on with the drivers door it's a pretty safe bet the problem is the bulb in the courtesy light.

It sounds like the bulbs in the drivers side doors door warning lights have blown so you may want to renew those as well.

It could be that the door pillar switches need cleaning and exercising, use some contact cleaner spray around the plunger then exercise the plunger in and out with your finger, repeating the cleaner every so often until you get some lift out of them. Also worth removing the Pozidriv screw securing the switch , pulling the switch out of the pillar, checking both wires are attached (the one for the door open light and the other for the courtesy light), removing each wire in turn and cleaning the contacts with some emery paper where they plug on, cleaning the hole the screw goes into again with emery then refitting it all with a smear of silicone grease over the connections once they've been remade.
This might cure everything but i doubt it. It won't do any harm though.

First thing to do is check/renew the main bulb in the courtesy light, i believe it's a 239 or a 241, can't remember off the top of my head but 239 sounds more like it.

[MiniNinjaRob]

The door switches do fail after all these years - I was trying to trace why my interior lights didn’t work and it ended up being the drivers door switch. The bizarre thing is that when tested off the car it seemed to be ok but it just didn’t work. £7 later and a new switch sorted it all out and the interior dome lights came on.

[Sprog]

Just replaced the driver's door switch today with a 8 quid one from eBay - I now have an interior light and warning light!

Interestingly, when the driver's door is open, I get the red warning light on the driver's side rear door, but not when the driver's door is closed - time for new switches all round I think!

[bob12]

Can't believe one duff door switch will affect the operation of the courtesy light .... strange, but haven't looked at the wiring diagram. The cut-in of the warning light is all a mater of resistance anywhere in lighting circuit. Never heard of a courtesy light settling off the bulb warning light though. Assume you have tested the electrical operation of the removed door switch.

Comments by way of passing interest.

Bob

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by bob12

Can't believe one duff door switch will affect the operation of the courtesy light .... strange, but haven't looked at the wiring diagram. The cut-in of the warning light is all a mater of resistance anywhere in lighting circuit. Never heard of a courtesy light settling off the bulb warning light though. Assume you have tested the electrical operation of the removed door switch.

Comments by way of passing interest.

Bob

I think he means the door open warning light Bob, the little red ones on the trailing edge of the doors. Neither they nor the courtesy lights go anywhere near the BFU so shouldn't trigger the Bulb Failure Waring light.

[Sprog]

Originally Posted by bob12

Can't believe one duff door switch will affect the operation of the courtesy light .... strange, but haven't looked at the wiring diagram. The cut-in of the warning light is all a mater of resistance anywhere in lighting circuit. Never heard of a courtesy light settling off the bulb warning light though. Assume you have tested the electrical operation of the removed door switch.

Comments by way of passing interest.

Bob

Sorry for the confusion Bob - like Dave says, I meant the little red warning light on the doors.

It is a strange issue - I only get the interior light on when I open the driver's door - is this the usual behaviour or should it come on with any of the doors open? Can only speculate all four switches are a bit tired after 28 years of being attached to the car!

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by Sprog

Sorry for the confusion Bob - like Dave says, I meant the little red warning light on the doors.

It is a strange issue - I only get the interior light on when I open the driver's door - is this the usual behaviour or should it come on with any of the doors open? Can only speculate all four switches are a bit tired after 28 years of being attached to the car!

All 4 door pillar switches should operate the light Josh, see the extract from my post explaining how to clean the exisitng ones. Chances are that will cure them and if you had cleaned the drivers door switch, that would also work. They're actually the second best door pillar switches i've come across in ~35 years which might explain why they're ~£18 from Volvo and the others are a similar price from Rover (when they still existed) and Honda now.

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

It could be that the door pillar switches need cleaning and exercising, use some contact cleaner spray around the plunger then exercise the plunger in and out with your finger, repeating the cleaner every so often until you get some life out of them.

Also worth removing the Pozidriv screw securing the switch , pulling the switch out of the pillar, checking both wires are attached (the one for the door open light and the other for the courtesy light), removing each wire in turn and cleaning the contacts with some emery paper where they plug on, cleaning the hole the screw goes into again with emery then refitting it all with a smear of silicone grease over the connections once they've been remade.

That should sort you out, i've had to replace one of mine (something to do with the fact i squashed it - don't ask! ) and mine are 32 years old!