'96 850 Turbo - Headlight Wiring & Insulation

tshea4126 · Post by **tshea4126** » 15 Nov 2007, 14:38

Greetings All - Just changed out my lo-beam headlight bulbs (the postings on this were quite helpful)on my '96 850 Turbo. My problem is that the insulation on the wires is just crumbling off! Anyone else with this problem? Total Florida car, so maybe the heat (ambient) and the heat (turbo) might have combined to frazzle the wiring insulation. Parked outside (mostly) and 148,000 miles.

It looks like the best fix would be to buy a new wiring harness piece - the one that goes from the back of the headlamp assembly internally to the socket that holds the bulb. Thoughts? Questions?

Many Thanks in advance.

TShea, Orlando, FL '96 850 Turbo: K&N, IPD Koni struts & shocks, strut tower brace.

oceanman · Post by **oceanman** » 15 Nov 2007, 15:06

i'm an electrician and do alot of work in older houses (70+ years old), and many times the insulation on the wires, especially in light boxes (light= heat), is brittle and just crumbles off the wires. it isn't practical to re-wire the circuit or the whole house, so the best fix is to wrap the wire with some good black electrical tape (i prefer 3m). don't worry- it's safe. the tape is listed for that. it would be alot cheaper than a new wiring harness. just take your time and make sure you dont miss any spots.

tshea4126 · Post by **tshea4126** » 16 Nov 2007, 08:48

Oceanman - Thanks for the info. That's exactly what I did as a temporary fix to ward off any shorts. It's a pretty sloppy job as it is tight as hell and you are partially inside the headlight housing from the back side. I think the only way to do it right is to dissassemble the housing so you can get to the wires. What do you think about splitting some shrink wrap, slipping it over the wires and then applying heat? Seems like this might work a little better than tape.

Thanks Again,

TShea
Orlando, FL

oceanman · Post by **oceanman** » 16 Nov 2007, 15:17

i've never actually checked out how the headlight wires are ran, so i don't know how tight it really is (judging by the rest of the engine compartment, it's probably pretty tight!). it might be easier, instead of slicing the heat-shrink down the middle, to cut the wires, one at a time, and slide the wrap over it. then twist the wire back together well and slide the wrap back over the splice. if the wires aren't long enough to do that you could extend them with a short piece. i'm not sure what gauge you would need (probably 16 or 18 ). most parts stores sell wire. they're expensive. radio shack might have it cheaper.
good luck

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 16 Nov 2007, 17:14

I've had similar problems on other vehicles and the wiring repair is futile. The real problem on my cars has been the connector itself. The connector to the bulb will overheat and carbonize which creates resistance. The resitance creates more heat. The additional heat creates more carbonization.

If this sounds circular, it is.

Replace the connector to your lamp, I think they make a pigtail for that purpose but I am out of my office and VADIS challenged at the moment thus I have no part number for you.

Splice the pigtail in and your problem will be solved.

...Lee

tshea4126 · Post by **tshea4126** » 27 Nov 2007, 14:40

Thank you everyone for weighing in on this small, but important issue. no problem with the connectors (yet), just the wiring. I think I'll take the lenses off and see if that gives me better access to the wiring. Then I'll be able to shrink wrap them or replace the wiring altogther. I might go to the bone yard to find a set of used headlamp assemblies and use them for parts. Just discovered E-Code Headlamps for 850s. Nice! Lotta $ tho'. Again, thanks for the help and tips. I'll report back on my final fix.

TShea
Orlando, FL
Black '96 850 Screamin' Turbo (my daughter's), 146,000, K&N air filter, Koni shocks/struts, strut tower brace.

myspv · Post by **myspv** » 26 Dec 2009, 16:21

Hello all. Happy holidays.
Yesterday I noticed that one of the headlamps was out on my mom's '97 850 sedan. She told me that she had the headlamps replaced just that same week. (Don't ask, I didn't do it...)
So, I pulled the headlamp out, and the lamp lit up. It was then that I realized that the bulb was fine, but the insulation on the wiring was crumbling to pieces. This was obviously creating a short, which wouldn't pass current to the bulb.
The affected wiring seems to be limited to the short wiring harness inside of the headlamp assembly (two wires, one brown, one yellow?). Can this be replaced on its own? Is there a part number for it?
Running wiring inside of the headlamp assembly sure seems like a bad idea to me!
I'm sure others have encountered this same problem. What have you done?
Thanks.

Post by **t5rrr** » 26 Dec 2009, 22:49

Same troubles here, when I got my 94 855 recently the passenger headlight was out. I went about thinking that I was going to just change the bulb but the connector was burnt to a crisp!

So as a temp fix I chopped off the stock 9006 connector crimped 2 spade connectors to connect to the bulb.
Got spare 9006 connector from junkyard cars (not volvos) to be spliced in soon.

OldGuy1967 · Post by **OldGuy1967** » 16 Aug 2017, 09:43

I realize this is an old thread but I'm going to add this for future searches on this topic. The headlight harness can be replaced and the part is still available albeit not exactly cheap. It's easy to wrap the wires in electrical tape if you remove the headlamp from the car then pull the glass and reflector out. There are tabs on the top and sides of the connector that attach it to the headlamp assembly. Release the top and bottom first then the sides. The harness pulls through from the back and it makes it much easier to wrap it up once it's out and on the bench. Going back in there's an alignment tab to indicate which side is which.

Post by **wizechatmgr** » 16 Aug 2017, 19:54

Try using fiberglass tubing as an insulator... Should outlast the car.