1996 850 blinker/high beam problems

warcraftjunkie · Post by **warcraftjunkie** » 15 Jun 2011, 18:49

Ok all, I've done quite a bit of searching on this site and others trying to naildown this issue. Although I've found quite a few threads that address this problem I'm still stuck.

This 96 850 wagon is my daughter's (in college 2 states away). About 2 weeks ago when using her turn signals she started having some wierd issues. If she used her left turn signal, there was no problem, however the right turn signal it would cause both left and right signals to stop working. If she turned the car off and back on again, the left turn signal would be working again.....until she uses the right turn signal.

Well flash forward a week and her turn signals stopped working all together. When she was using the right signal it would make a sound she described as a computer being forcefully turned off.... just kinda that ambient noise that's present with a computer that suddenly is gone when you force it off. Not the best description I know.

After perusing various Volvo message boards the common thought was that the ignition switch had gone faulty. Well I was out there this past weekend for a visit and did the following to attempt to fix the issue.

1. Installed a new ignition switch. This had absolutely no effect. However while I was doing this I noticed that flashing the high beams had absolutely no effect. I took it out for a drive and verified that the cruise control function worked.

2. So after doing a bit more reading I decided that perhaps the turn signal arm and it's wiring might be defective. I went to the local Volvo dealer and picked up a new arm. Installed it with no positive results. I even tried every possible combination of new turn signal arm/old signal arm, new ignition switch/old switch. Nothing good.

3. I had to go home with nothing fixed. Did some more poking around and found a few threads that that indicated that if the High beams don’t operate as well as the blinkers not operating that it most likely is the Anti-Theft relay. So I called her up today and had her pull Anti-theft relay, put the key into the ON position and try to use the blinkers or high beams…. NOTHING!!!!

Only things I haven’t eliminated is the Hazard switch which has the turn signal relay built into it… however this wouldn’t explain why the Headlights don’t flash up to high beams. Outside of that it would potentially be a wiring harness issue between the turn signal stick and where the wires go into the relays. Am I right?

I’m very handy but have always been a bit electrically challenged…not to mention being 750 miles away from the car. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 16 Jun 2011, 09:50

Welcome to MVS,

The combined weirdness here is screaming a ground problem to me. With the headlights off can you flash the high beams?

...Lee

warcraftjunkie · Post by **warcraftjunkie** » 16 Jun 2011, 14:35

Nope... Nothing when lights are turned to the off position, no highbeams when pulling back on the turn signal.

rburner · Post by **rburner** » 27 Sep 2011, 05:34

I don't know if this will be of any help but with the s80 models when this happens we pull the 5 amp. #22 Fuse in our driver side door jamb fuse panel, which powers the Steering Wheel Module and replace it 2 minutes later and it resets the Head Lights, Cruise, Turn Signals and Radio Controls. As Cloak and Dagger Volvos are and the Dealers with their Secret How to Repairs and Major $$$ Repair Bills, maybe this or a similar fuse may do the same thing. Good Luck.

ricklesgibson · Post by **ricklesgibson** » 02 Dec 2011, 10:11

Coincidentally, after working to repair a leak going through a gap underneath the fuse box, I finished just to find that my high beams and directionals and hazard lights don't work.

I've checked all the fuses. I've disconnected the battery and waited then come back. I've locked and unlocked twice. I've jiggled the key in the ignition. These are all the fixes I've seen posted but I haven't had a solution to fix it.

I'm still checking around to see if anyone has any other fixes - I have a hunch that I may have messed up a relay when I was pulling out the fuse box but on the diagrams I can't see if that would cause the problem.

Did the OP fix the problem?

warcraftjunkie · Post by **warcraftjunkie** » 02 Dec 2011, 11:48

Nope, not fixed yet. I'll be bringing my daughter and her car home from university over the Holidays and keeping the car with me to go through it for this problem and a couple others that have popped up. If I get it solved I'll post what my fix was.

warcraftjunkie · Post by **warcraftjunkie** » 04 Jan 2012, 13:43

Ok, flew out to Portland and drove her and her car home for the holidays. After Christmas was over I went out and got to work. I kept the replacement ignition switch module that I tried earlier this summer and put it in again. No luck. Just to be absolutely certain I had checked everything, I went to the fuse box and found the fuse for blinkers (number 13), and lo and behold it was blown! I KNOW I checked it this summer when I was out there and it was good then. Anyway, I put in a good fuse, and tested all blinkers and flashing the high beams. Everything worked! I didn't have a chance to test the cruise control because my wife's car was blocking. I was so happy that I could get started this weekend on other repairs knowing that the electrical gremlins were accounted for.

Well, that's what I get for getting my hopes up. I just got a call from my daughter to day it isn't working again. Seems she ran a quick errand and they failed on her. She was signaling a left turn with no problem... made the turn, then went to signal a right turn so she could merge to the right and it stopped again. Now both are not working so I assume it's the fuse again.

My question now is where is this most likely grounding out? Between the actual light and where the wire joins back into the harness? Going back to the original description of the issue it has been a problem with the right turn signal to start with so I'm thinking of chasing that down.

Post by **fazool** » 04 Jan 2012, 14:49

The recurring failure suggests a short that is blowing the fuse.

The strange noise she described sounds like it might be a blinker timer relay. I haven't played around enough with my daughter's 95 850 so I'm just thinking out loud here: The blinker timer relay "beeps" when it switches. Its an audible indicator that you know its blinker-ing. If it got stuck it was fluttering between switching it would make a funny noise. A bad relay could cause that and a short.

I took a quick glance at the wiring diagram from MVS and would bet its something in that ciurcuit.

The fact that it worked for a while then went out again supports that idea.

warcraftjunkie · Post by **warcraftjunkie** » 04 Jan 2012, 15:03

So, the Blinker Relay.... that's the one thats at the back end of the hazard switch in the dash right?

Post by **BEJinFbk** » 04 Jan 2012, 16:42

Inspect the sockets for the turn lamps.
Look for heavy corrosion or any other obvious damage.
And does this car have any trailer light wiring?