Hi All,

I just replaced five of the five bulbs in my 1998 V70 AWD's SC 816 radio and it's really not all that hard to do. You need to get the replacement bulbs from Volvo the PN# is ( 9148908 ) . First push in the tabs on either side of the radio with a nickel to get the handels to pop out. Then pull out the radio, disconnect the wires and bring it up to your kitchen table so you don't loose any of the small screws. You need to remove the front face plate by first pulling off the volume, bass, treb and fader knobs I used a butter knife to get under the bass, treb, fad knobs and they pop right off. Next remove the two screws holding on the front face. These located on the sides of the radio. There is a third screw just above the one on the right side of the radio it will be holding a thin piece of sheet metal that is connected to the face plate apparently to ground it to the chassis that also needs to be removed. I used a butter knife to carefully pry the plastic tabs up around the face plate and the face came right off. Once you have the face off remove the two screws on either side of the LCD display. Then if you look really closely you'll see some very small sheet metal tabs poking through the printed circuit board I think there are four or five. They have been twisted slightly to hold the board in place. Cautiously twist them with needle nose pliers so they line up with the slots in the circuit board and lift the PC board away from the radio it will remain attached to the radio via a ribbon cable but it allows plenty of room to get at the light bulbs. Insert a small flat bladed screw driver into the back of the bulb base, twist a quarter turn and they pop out. The replacement bulbs do not come with the blue/green rubber bulb covers that give the radio face the right color and they can not be ordered! Pull the covers off the old bulbs using only your fingers so you don't rip them and put them on the new ones. Install the five new bulbs with a quarter turn, put the pc board back in, re-install the face and put the radio back in the car and enter your code. The whole job should take less than 20 minutes.

Tools needed - Radio code!! small phillips head screw driver, small flat head screw driver, needle nose pliers, butter knife or appropriate small pry tool, a towel for your wifes kitchen table so you don't scratch it and five new bulbs from Volvo PN# 9148908.....

The bulbs are not cheap at $5.49 each but it's less than exchanging your radio for $400.00. I suggest doing all five at once even if a few are working!!

Good Luck,

Rodd C.

Thanks for the info it is very helpful.

Thank you for posting good instructions on how to replace these bulbs. If I need to replace them, I now have a guide.

Is it possible that there is another reason why all 5 bulbs would not be lit? Is there a switch that disables these lights but not the frequency/channel display?

Other than a dealership, is there another source for these bulbs? Seems a bit daffy that all 5 bulbs would burn out at the same time. And, at $5.50 for each buld, that is expensive. For this price, they should last 50 years with continual use ;)

Chuck

I just did this in my SC-815 so it might be a little different, but from what I read it sounds the same. The dealer told me I could not buy the bulbs and that I would have to send the radio out to have the bulbs replaced. I found some instructions on how to replace them and I have it posted here somewhere. You can actualy take the bulbs themselves out of the black plastic, buy new bulbs only at Radio Shack for like 75 cents each and put them in. It's tricky though. The old bulb wires are wrapped around the black plastic then has plastic melted on to hold the wires in place. You have to get that melted plastic off and then unwrap the little wires and wrap the new bulbs wires around the plastic. Took me a good while to do this, but it cost me next to nothing. I'll see if I can find the directions. It even gave the part number for the bulbs at Radio Schack.

Here is the link to complete instructions:

http://www.volvoforums.com/m_10129/tm.htm

OOOPS. After I changed the light bulb but my radio can't turn back on, the LCD ask for a 4 digit code. I brought this used car, didn't come with a card, anyone can help? Thanks.

Contact Dealer with the cars Vin# and they should be able to give you the code.

Some dealers will make you come in with proof of ownership.

I tried it the same way as JimKW did and would rather pay a little more for the actual bulbs next time... ALSO - the backlight on my display is still "out" any thoughts?

Excellent instructions - replaced all five last night - EASY AS PIE!

THANKS!