03XC70 HID headlights added: fix msg: low beam bulb failure

Post by **98v70GLT** » 10 Jul 2010, 13:48

To those that have the message 'low beam bulb failure' (this from memory) after installing HID headlights with a ballast.

I bought a XC70 2003 to replace the 98V70 which was bought by my friends wife and still going strong. It shows you that picking your login could be subject to change, never thought that I would 'move up'. For those interested: We like the 03, gets better gas mileage than the 98 which got 25 MPG, the XC70 gets 26 give or take! I can't believe it and of course love it!

When I purchased the car the previous owner just put Xenon headlights in this car which has the ballasts to increase the Voltage for the light bulbs. I couldn't get passed the warning light, my wife wasn't too worried about it.

The fix I came up with is to put a minimal Watt light bulb parallel in the 12V supply to the ballast. I tried some different light bulbs and it works with the following parts I picked up at Auto-zone:

Sylvania: 194 LL
License Sidemarker Socket: 85814

Just in case:
Parallel: Add one side of the Side Marker Socket to the Positive side and the other side to the Negative side of the supply line to the ballast. All we are doing is fooling the diagnostics of the car, make it think all is well.

Hope it works for those that have the same problem.

It has been A OK since this 'addition'

PS I tried some resistors as well but didn't find the right setup, reading some after market stuff it seems that they sell a resistor that is like 2A which would mean 24W, defeats the added benefit of less power consumption. The 194 LL are low light, sorry no listing of Wattage.

billr99 · Post by **billr99** » 11 Jul 2010, 15:27

Man, that's a fair amount of work. Try this http://www.xenonvalot.com/xenonfixvolvo.html instead.

Cheers,

Bill

rmojica · Post by **rmojica** » 16 Dec 2015, 18:16

i just added h7 load resistors and solved the problem

Post by **shiloh51933** » 17 Dec 2015, 05:33

rmojica wrote:i just added h7 load resistors and solved the problem

Do you mean aftermarket xenon or the factory Volvo xenon headlights? Our '04xc70 came with xenon headlights, the headlights are programmed into the ECU. I see what you did, that looks ghetto under the hood like that but to each there own. Your try to grip the ECU into thinking there's the proper amount of amperage/resistance.