98 S70 Turn signal Issue / backup light failure

cruzweb · Post by **cruzweb** » 22 Dec 2011, 11:31

Hey all, long time lurker, first time poster. I finally have a question that I cannot find an answer to anywhere else

I have a 98 S70 base model with about 190k on it. What happened was that the car was operating normally when out of the blue the turn signals started clicking in double time, which typically means there's a bulb out. I checked everything over, the bulbs appeared fine. Well it kept getting more erratic, sometimes it was double time, sometimes it was normal, etc. Then eventually it hit the point where I'll hit the left and right turn signal and both times it puts the flashers on and my rear turn signal as well as my rear reverse lights went out. My cruise control apparently is no longer working either. There will also be random times when the signal blinkers will just come on: for example I may turn the car on and my left blinker is solid green and nothing changes if I turn the left, right, or no signal on; then it may randomly turn off. What usually happens is that I'll hit it and it will do the flashers in double time, but it's hard to predict and I'm really lost.

At this point I have replaced:

All fuses on related to the lights (they all looked fine, but checked over the connections and replaced them anyways).
All rear turn signal and other backup bulbs
The flasher relay under the radio.

All connections etc. were checked as well as the front turn lights, and they all appear fine.

Any idea what is left causing this? I've asked other volvo owners I know, gone through all the seemingly obvious stuff, looked at electrical diagrams, etc. I'm curious as to if this is something I can just get a part for and handle myself, if I need to take it somewhere, etc. I'm afraid it's something in my steering column and really can't figure out anything else unless there's something glaring that I'm missing. Aside from these little issues the car runs tip top.

Any and all help is much appreciated.

Post by **taxi** » 23 Dec 2011, 00:28

Maybe its the leever/arm (?) itself? I dont know if a used one is cheap enough to replace without actually knowing if it is the problem, just to see if works?
This happened to our saab 9000, the arm stopped working.

cruzweb · Post by **cruzweb** » 23 Dec 2011, 09:57

I had the same thought actually. The switch doesn't feel funny or anything, and the brights still work just fine (pulling it back towards me). There's a very slight difference between the used and new ones, new one is just under $90 http://www.fcpeuro.com/products/volvo-t ... ol-9162455 the same cost that the dealer would charge me to diagnose the thing, unless there is something else glaring that I'm missing here like some other relay or whatnot.

If this was a turn signal thing I would probably jump on it right now, but even if the turn signals just weren't working would the arm really be able to screw it up so that the reverse lights won't work either? The only correlation there is they're on the same circuit.

whoa · Post by **whoa** » 23 Dec 2011, 10:53

It sounds like the relay/hazard switch unit. But you say you've put in a known-good one, right? Have you checked the voltage and ground at the connector for it? See pages 140 and 141 and 266 of https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/downlo ... _Coupe.pdf for pinouts. With the ignition in the running position, be sure there is ground at pins 2 and 3 and 12v at pins 8 and 9. If you don't have voltage at pin 9 of that connector, I'd suspect the "overload relay" numbered 106 (that relay also supplies power to the back-up lights, so it should be a prime suspect).

whoa · Post by **whoa** » 23 Dec 2011, 11:09

(how do I delete a post?)

cruzweb · Post by **cruzweb** » 23 Dec 2011, 11:49

whoa wrote:It sounds like the relay/hazard switch unit. But you say you've put in a known-good one, right? Have you checked the voltage and ground at the connector for it? See pages 140 and 141 and 266 of https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/downlo ... _Coupe.pdf for pinouts. With the ignition in the running position, be sure there is ground at pins 2 and 3 and 12v at pins 8 and 9. If you don't have voltage at pin 9 of that connector, I'd suspect the "overload relay" numbered 106 (that relay also supplies power to the back-up lights, so it should be a prime suspect).

Yah the one I put in was brand new from FCP Groton, I'll check out the voltage and ground connectors, that would make sense. If that is the case, what relay would I need to buy to replace the 106?

Do I need this http://www.thepartsbin.com/brands/strib ... relay.html

or would one of these guys work http://www.fcpgroton.com/category-exec/ ... by_year/48

Time to dust off ye olde multimeter.

whoa · Post by **whoa** » 23 Dec 2011, 12:02

I think the fcp one is right. A quick test is just to pull the relay and jumper the socket contacts (1 and 5) and see if that fixes it.

cruzweb · Post by **cruzweb** » 23 Dec 2011, 12:03

whoa wrote:I think the fcp one is right. A quick test is just to pull the relay and jumper the socket contacts (1 and 5) and see if that fixes it.

Which one? There's a few on the fcp site.

whoa · Post by **whoa** » 23 Dec 2011, 12:15

Multipurpose.

Here's how power gets to pin 9 of the hazard switch/flasher unit: Battery to fuse 11/A2 (in the engine compartment; see page 6), to relay #106 (see page 10), to fuse 11C/27 (see page 6), to the hazard switch. If there's no power at pin 9 of the switch, check fuse 27; if it's okay and there no power coming to it check the relay. If there's no power coming to the relay (pin 1 of the socket), then check fuse A2.

Dantheman1546 · Post by **Dantheman1546** » 23 Dec 2011, 13:33

This happened to me once. It was a loose fuse.