Volvo 240 headlights don't turn off with ignition

[Jtnb]

For all the years (nearly 20) and all the 240s I've owned (5 between me and my wife) I've always left the headlight switch (dash left of wheel) in the ON position. Like poor-man's daytime running lights, it means that the lights are on when the car is on. When it's off, they're off. Never had a problem.

Now, however, the lights don't ALWAYS go off when I turn off the car and leave it. Lock her up, walk into a shop and come back out to find all the lights burning brightly. Why, I ask you?

A relay? The ignition switch? I know nothing about this system, but imagine that it must be one of the above two. Any guidance anyone can offer would be most helpful.

Jonathan in Branford, CT

[jimmy57]

Raise the hood (with headlight switch on and lights working with key off) and smack the silver large relay aft of battery with a screwdriver handle. I have had the headlight relay stick before and lights work key off.
I think there is another relay involved but I have to dig up wiring diagram to research more.

[billofdurham]

The relay behind the battery is the step relay which, as Jimmy says, can stick and cause this problem. The main headlight relay is as shown on the attached:

240 relays.pdf

(1.18 MiB) Downloaded 576 times

Bill.