98 v70 right turning signal malfunction

Post by **98v70dad** » 20 Jul 2015, 19:10

Today my right turning signal started malfunctioning. Left turn works fine. I'm getting the blinking idiot light which I figured was a burned out bulb. But, when I went behind the car to see wha was going on I found out that both left and right upper brake lights were coming on along with the right turn light. All the lights were at about 25% intensity (barely lit).

Has anyone had a similar problem? I suspect the turn signal switch but really have no idea. I am not good at solving electrical problems.

Post by **98v70dad** » 21 Jul 2015, 05:25

Today on the way to work I now get the right turn signal coming on when I hit the brakes. I no longer suspect the switch and am guessing I have a chaffing issue somewhere that has shorted the wires.

Is there a common spot that typically chaffs on the right side brake light wire harness? I'll start looking for the source this weekend but it would be nice to narrow it down to minimize the search.

obayha · Post by **obayha** » 21 Jul 2015, 06:38

A lot has been on here about the wire in the tail gate hatch chaffing. It has been the cause of a few problems. See if anyone else chimes in about that could be the source.
Shane

Post by **abscate** » 21 Jul 2015, 06:57

Likely to be either

1 Chafe on the tail gate hatch point

2 Bad corroded ground on the right rear turn signal circuit. You often get multiple bulb light ups when you have a bad ground as the circuit grounds through the other bulbs, at reduced intensity.

Post by **jimmy57** » 21 Jul 2015, 08:51

98's had a service action for the front bulb sockets melting. Volvo replaced the originals that used a push in bulb, 3157A, with a socket that used the the tried and proven twist bayonet bulb, 1157A.
The ground would fail and the current goes to the common ground with taillight filament and then feeds back into taillight circuit.

Post by **98v70dad** » 21 Jul 2015, 18:33

I have a 37 mile drive home so in the parking lot at work I removed the holder for the brake and turning signal on the right side and just let it hang inside the car for the ride home. No problems all the way home. When I got home I looked a little closer and found that there is a metal clip with sharp edges that holds the wires. All of the ribbed plastic wire covering had cracked and fallen off and all of the electrical tape and foam wrapping the wires had also fallen off. So I had wires rubbing against the sharp metal clip. I put on a ne piece of ribbed tubing and for now I'm OK. Easy fixand we'll see how it goes. I followed the wires and they go down and across the bottom opening of the tailgate, not into the tailgate hinge. When I mentioned upper brake light I don't mean the one in the center of the tail gate.

Anyhow thanks for the ideas. Please comment if you think you can help. I'm not convinced my quickie repair will fix it.

Post by **abscate** » 22 Jul 2015, 03:25

If the chafing had made the conductor ( shiny metal) visible I'll bet that did fixit!

Post by **E Showell** » 22 Jul 2015, 04:44

So Jimmy -- If I still have bulbs that insert directly and are held into place with a metal pinch spring clip, then I should assume the service action was never performed and I have the old-style headlamps? Any chance Volvo would do anything about those headlamps now, especially if I am not the original purchaser?

Post by **98v70dad** » 22 Jul 2015, 16:11

abscate wrote:If the chafing had made the conductor ( shiny metal) visible I'll bet that did fixit!

I wasn't able to find any evidence of exposed wires but I didn't look that hard. The wires were covered with goo left over from the disintegrated electrical tape and I had about 10 minutes to do a temporary repair. If the short stays gone for any length of time I'll call it permanent.

I'm a design engineer and some of the details in the electrical system amaze me. A hard metal clip with sharp edges is a potential short eventually AND it cost more to make. A zip tie would have done a better job and it costs a fraction of a penny. That said nobody at Volvo asked for my opinion.

Post by **abscate** » 23 Jul 2015, 02:50

The strain relief on the tailgate area is a total fail. It nicely concentrates all the stress and bend in one place on the wire. Mine just broke again...or more accurately, the insulators all broke exposing bare copper wires.