'98 V70 Headlight Issue Topic is solved

Post by **E Showell** » 23 Oct 2016, 10:46

Ok -- so I turn on the car and the daytime running lights (headlights) do not come on. When I move the headlight switch to on, the low beams flash briefly then go out and stay out. I turn on the high beams and they will flash, but then not stay lit. The bulb out warning indicator lamp on the dash is not lit. Anybody have any ideas as to what might be going on here?

Post by **scot850** » 23 Oct 2016, 14:29

It could be the switch has failed. This was a recall issue in the early days of the V/S 70's. If you don't have a spare I have loads and can ship one to you if you can afford to wait?

Check the fuses for the lights also and the low/hi beam switch. Does anything happen when you pull on the hi-beam lever?

Neil.

Post by **abscate** » 24 Oct 2016, 00:48

You could try disabling the DRL with a small screwdriver , using the small screw in the face of the headlights switch and see if regular light function works better.

My bet is on a bad switch, though. There is a recall on these, had it done on my 99

Post by **cn90** » 24 Oct 2016, 06:06

In the early days, the HL switch was made in Ireland, that particular switch developed crack in the back, popping the switch open.
Not sure if Volvo ever fixed the root cause.
I got a used one on ebay for $10-$15 and carry it in the glove box as spare.

harryhendo · Post by **harryhendo** » 24 Oct 2016, 08:12

If you find the switch is not the problem, check the ground wire that runs to the front left hand inner fender just in front of the battery, and the ground cable that connects to the front of the transmission. On my 2000 S70, these became corroded and caused very dim lights and sometimes no lights until I cleaned them with sandpaper, remounted them, then coated them with some vaseline.

Post by **scot850** » 24 Oct 2016, 11:16

Also check the headlight relay and the wiring harness if you can get access to the rear of the fuse box just in front of the driver side windshield under the hood. You need to remove the whole fuse box top cover to get to it. I see it should be marked 104/108. There appears to be a buch of different part numbers listed, but the 2 for 98 cars are: 9148880 and 3523200. No clear reason given for the distinction, but the first part number does say CA and US. Hope this helps.

The relay failing could cause problems with the switch and even the headlight dip/main switch/lever on the steering column.

Neil.

Post by **E Showell** » 25 Oct 2016, 05:32

Appears to have been a bad headlight switch (which was a junkyard replacement). I still had my original switch which I reinstalled and all appears to be well. The dash lights are still flickering. I'll chalk that up to a bad rheostat.