Saturday evening I was driving my 1992 Volvo 240. I noticed that both my instrument cluster lights and my headlights would flicker at the same time, randomly. Well I turned my car off, and when I went to use my car again, no headlights or instrument lights. I've looked through all of the fuses, and they're all fine. So in order to get home, I ran a wire from the battery to the headlights. This also turned on my Instrument cluster lights. Not sure what I should be looking into here. Any advice would be helpful.
Thanks!
Evan

 

I'd get my hands on the wiring diagram for a late 240 (preferably the 1992 diagram, its got some changes on it over previous years), and go through the headlight circuit with a voltmeter. it could be the headligth switch, there's a relay in the headligth circuit, etc.

 

They're working again tonight! So that's great. I'll go over it with a voltmeter when the weather warms up a bit.

 

You obviously have a loose connection somewhere... I'd start with the switch, then look at the grounds.

 

Where do the headlights ground at?

 

the left headlight is grounded just aft of the the relay strip on the left fender, and the right one on the right fender behind the radiator overflow bottle. black wires are ground. at the headligth sockets, the blue wire is low beams, the red wire is high beams.

 

there's also a headlight relay under the dash somewhere, the diagram suggests its to the left and just below the center console airvent and above the ventilation fan speed switch... this turns on the power to both high and low beams, controlled by the headlight switch. the high/low is switched by a separate relay thats up by the left headlight.

 

Headlights quit functioning again. Did more research, focusing on this "under dash relay" Pierce mentioned. There's a post here here that describes exactly what I had been experiencing. Only problem is tracking this relay down. Is this one from iPd it? Volvo Multiple Purpose 5 Pin Bosch Relay 115669 0332209151 0332209151, 1259926
Thanks for your help!
Evan

 

according to VADIS, 1992 240, "Relay main light, automatic" is near the seat belt reminder chime, and is Volvo PN 1324749, which is this relay...
see the section on 'volvo 240 headligth relays' here, Volvo Relays
and for the specific relay, see here...
Volvo Relays
(appears the original is no longer available, but a Tyco 0332-15-006 is a direct replacement).

 

So! I replaced the headlight relay. However, I neglected to unplug the battery. Something arced, and now my park lights are on permanently. So, how might the park lights be on permanently? Do they have a relay as well somewhere?

 

I think if the 87A terminal on that relay was to stick closed, they would be permanently on. remove the relay (WITH THE CAR SWITCHED OFF, HAHAHAHA), and see if they come back on ?

note, pin 30 of that relay is /always/ powered, and unfused. its power comes from the green-red wires on the rightmost terminal next to fuse 7