Low Beam Bulb failure - may not be standard problem

[SnowMoJoe]

Hi all, new guy.

Just bought a 2004 S60 2.5T off a family friend. Had it three weeks and already wish I hadn't bought it.

Getting this "Low beam bulb failure" issue that seems to be common. Driver's side. Changed the bulb - no dice (I wish it was that simple.) I've got the "Bi-Xenon" bulbs (because of course I do.) After doing a little online research, discovered the multitude of fuses in the car relating to headlights. Located the proper fuse (#18 in the engine compartment fuse box), and discovered it had burnt up. Changed it. No dice again.

I've since checked every single fuse in this car, inside and out. Every one other than 18 is fine. The headlight fuse (18) burnt out a 2nd time, so I am now on fuse #3, and I have yet to see the headlight ever come on.

Swapped out the driver side bulb to the passenger side. Works fine over there. Then read somewhere that the center pin of the plug that goes into the bulb sometimes burns up due to the high voltage, but that does not seem to be the case here. Maybe I'm not looking at the right connection here though? Both sides seem fine; shiny, uncorroded, equal thickness throughout. Read a bit about ballasts being problematic, but what are they, where are they?

High beam and low beam appear to be non-functional on Driver's side.

The driver's side headlight has condensation/water droplets in it, and the passenger side does not. No idea if that matters, just saying because it happens to be on the side that isn't working.

Since this bulb issue started, I've now started getting a turn signal bulb failure message on the same side. Seems like a hell of a coincidence. The fuses have not burnt out again since that 2nd time I replaced the #18 fuse. What is going on here? Bad ground? Short in the wire harness somewhere? Also the passenger side headlight, while it is still working, is shining so high that it is almost useless. Don't know if that is related to this issue; I have seen some other people mention that they had similar headlight alignment problems.

The car is basically totally undriveable at night now. Because of headlights.

[abscate]

That fuse is telling you there is a circuit fault which is why your light isn't working. Fuses blow on faults, not on age, especially the spade fuses used on high end cars.

Look for 12 volts at the light socket with a good fuse. Trace that wire back and look for chafe, bare wires, faults, etc.

The P2 models control lights with modules rather than switches so you will need the wiring diagram to go much deeper than the feed wire. If your S60 is like my V70 2005, the lights power from the CEM.

One guess is your headlight isn't in correctly, and is shorting out on the frame. Not being firmly seated will also misalign the headlights, too.

[SnowMoJoe]

I do think my headlight is seated properly, judging by where the bulb element is seated in the center of the headlight. I'll see if I can get a photo of the elements later taken from in front of the car.

Which connection is the one that commonly melts, the one from bulb-ignitor or the one from ignitor-wiring harness?

Is the misalignment of the passenger headlight a factor of this same issue or is that a separate issue?

[jimmy57]

Bi-Xenon lights have a ballast to create the high voltage that vaporizes the condensed metal in the metal gas in the bulb. The ballasts do fail. You remove the front bumper and then remove the headlamp assembly in order to get to the ballast on the bottom. The Valeo LAD5GL ballast is used on many cars and they are available through some outlets specializing in ballasts. EBay has Valeo and some Valeo knockoffs. I have no idea about the durability off the knockoffs

[Jimmy58]

I have a very similar problem with my 2009 C30. Only passenger side. Persistent low beam failure, even after replacing a blown (xenon) bulb. Problem is unresolved, but I have found a puddle of water inside the enclosure that is the cause of the bulb failure. The remaining problem is how the moisture gets in and why it doesn't leave. The wiring harness is at the bottom of the headlight enclosure. A quarter cup of water inside the enclosure is enough to short the bottom of the harness and cause low beam failure. Emptying the water and drying off both ends of the harness (QTips and bits of paper towel) are enough to bring the low beam back. Until enough water gets in to short it again. I have gone around the enclosure and filled them enclosure seam where it was obviously gapped. This did not seem to help. Am now considering drilling drain holes (argh) in the bottom of the offending enclosure. Note, I DO have a 2" hairline fracture of the enclosure glass that I've taped over with clear packing tape. Check for a puddle in the enclosure...

[BMB]

So I have a 2012 S60 T6 with the same low beam failure on the passenger side. Mine also gets water in it in heavy rain or carwash so I assumed it had blown the Xenon bulb. There are no visible cracks! I purchased a brand new assembly and put my existing module in. NO LUCK! I am still getting a low beam failure with the brand new light installed. I'm pretty frustrated at this point.

[Superman154M]

Exact same!

2004 S60R.

I have now replaced:

The bulb x2
ballast x2
a whole new headlight as the original was leaking (did try to seal it on my own which worked for about 6 months)
And just today I replaced the headlight assembly wiring harness that I bought directly from Volvo for $100.

None of this worked! I am at a complete loss. This is the first issue owning about 15 cars that I have not been able to solve.

Does anyone have ANY idea what else it could be?

[kdierks]

Same problem on a 2007 XC70 with Xenon bulb. On second bulb on passenger side. New bulb did not work. Fuse #17 is good. Also have moisture in this headlight assembly that comes and goes. Assume it is an electrical short from the moisture but not sure. What's the best way to check and which wires should I be looking at?

[karisa60]

Hi, have you solved the problem?